Brace yourself: here come the fees. Last week, we talked about how the country’s banking environment is evolving in light of recent regulatory changes and their negative revenue impact on banks. Recent federal regulations have capped overdraft fees, certain levies on credit cards, and even what banks are allowed to charge merchants when customers use their debit … [Read more...]
Bye, Bye Banks
Let’s all say goodbye to banking as we know it. The writing is on the wall. Or, should we say, the writing is in the new Dodd-Frank financial reform bill. For many years, community banks have handled the financial needs of local towns and communities. These banks took in deposits, made loans, and earned a small margin in between. Then someone in our government decided … [Read more...]
Bananas, Baking Soda and Bank Marketing
What do bananas and baking soda have to do with bank marketing? I thought you would never ask. Let’s start with the bananas… If I were to hold up a bunch of bananas and asked an audience what they were, most would probably agree they were bananas. But if I held up a green banana and asked the same audience how many would buy this particular banana, less than half would raise … [Read more...]
What is a QR Code, Anyway?
So, you just got your Facebook page up and running and have subscribed to a few industry blogs for new marketing ideas for your bank. You are feeling pretty good – like you’re maybe even ahead of the game. But just as you start to relax, you see something new. What’s that black-and-white puzzle-looking square on the back of your hamburger wrapper? And there’s another one on … [Read more...]
Digital Signs: They’re Not Just for Customers!
Banks, like other companies, spend countless hours and thousands of dollars each year communicating with their employees. And bankers, like the customers they serve, are changing the way they prefer to communicate. Introducing new policies, products and procedures to bankers in multiple branches requires substantial investments of time, money and energy to prepare and … [Read more...]