First, a confession: This is not an original headline, but the title of a book written in 1963 by one of the most famous ad men of all time – David Ogilvy. My advertising career began at J. Walter Thompson, at that time the largest agency in the world. In those days, I loved the Ogilvy book, considered to be the Bible for the advertising profession. As a newly-minted … [Read more...]
Yes, bank marketers can learn something from reporters.
I can hear the loud chuckles and scoffing and see the fire engine red faces already. Over the last few years, news coverage of the banking industry has not been warm and fuzzy –e.g. Wells Fargo – but admittedly, that was the institution’s own doing. And while politicians have made it popular in their circle to howl “fake news” when something hits print, broadcast, or online … [Read more...]
When you think you’re having a bad day.
Perhaps one of the best movies about community banking is Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart, Lionel Barrymore and Donna Reed, a 1946 film that is a holiday classic. You all remember the movie. Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, who after his father’s untimely death is left to keep the Bailey Building and Loan afloat in the face of efforts by “the … [Read more...]
Jerry Lewis, banks and the power of testimonials
The passing of Jerry Lewis at 91 a few weeks back set us to thinking about the power of testimonials. For Lewis, comedian, actor, singer and star of stage, screen film and nightclubs, testimonials came in the form of laughter and applause from an audience, or in the case of his work for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, billions of dollars for charity. Lewis was honored … [Read more...]
Market your Mayberry
At BankMarketingCenter.com, we’re always on the lookout for how other segments of the economy – beyond the financial sector – market their products. Grab a plate and let’s talk about one of the hot trends in the restaurant business known as farm- to- table. Put simply, farm-to-table – or farm-to-fork, is the idea that local restaurateurs fill their menus with items grown … [Read more...]