What credit unions can learn from Ron Burgundy
San Diego or bust! I woke up smiling to my alarm – even though it was Monday morning – jumped out of bed and drove to the airport. I was smiling because I was heading to two significant conferences taking the city by storm: D+H Connections and the Symitar Educational Conference & Technology Conference.
Who can complain about visiting San Diego? No one! It is well known for its year-round mild climate, and gorgeous coastline.
It’s also the infamous setting for the silly, yet popular, Anchorman movies starring Will Ferrell.
Since direct flights from Cleveland to San Diego no longer exist – and countless flight delays resulting in a missed connection – I had plenty of time to watch Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy again on my iPad. About 30,000 feet above Oklahoma, I started thinking that behind the ridiculousness of this movie, we can all learn something from Ron and his posse – never count the competition out.
Friendly competition
Set in the ‘70s, Will Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy, an award-winning journalist and the main anchorman for the fictional KVWN Channel 4 News Team in San Diego. Ron welcomes newcomer reporter Veronica Corningstone, played by Christina Applegate, into the male-dominated world of 1970s broadcast news.
That is, until she begins to upstage Ron.
The ugly side of opposition
Ron and his news team find themselves in state of flux and even doubt themselves as their once male-dominated news world starts changing. Recognizing their vulnerability, a rival news team physically attacks Ron and his colleagues.
A full-on melee ensues.
Competition at its worst
Later, the largest news story of the year is upon the city, as the San Diego Zoo’s beloved panda is about to give birth. All the rival local networks head to the zoo to cover the story. In an attempt to sabotage her, a competing news anchor pushes Veronica into a Kodiak bear enclosure. Ron jumps in the bear pen to save Veronica.
The news team, aided by Ron’s dog, then jumps in to save them both just as a bear is about to attack, as the public watches helplessly.
Using technology to vault over the competition
Now, as bizarre as this storyline is, it sends a valid message – never count the competition out. And with today’s growing non-traditional banking options, the stakes are high. Technology is often the answer to achieving a competitive edge and providing that superior member service your members expect.
Today’s leading credit unions are finding the agility and flexibility they need to stay profitable, competitive and efficient with enterprise content management (ECM) technology. The right ECM solution easily integrates with all your crucial technology solutions to improve processes across the institution and surpass the competition.
By giving the systems you rely on every day the ability to communicate, you:
- Improve response times
- Speed wire transfers
- Innovate, like offering members the ability to digitally sign loans from their homes
So, until my next credit union business trip out west, and as only Ron Burgundy can truly pull off, “Stay classy, San Diego!”
And keep your eye on the competition.
