The New York Credit Union Association’s 2022 lineup of events concluded last week with the Marketing Conference — the first time the event has been held in person since 2019.
The action kicked off Thursday, Nov. 3 with insights from Josh Allison of ThinkCafé, who explored “Selling in a World Where No One Believes a Thing You Say.” Allison shared his thoughts the morning of the conference: “Marketing is not math. It is not science. It is art. Ideas. Exploration.”
Allison also shared a variety of insights with attendees, aimed at finding ways to best serve members and find hidden, unmet needs. Inspiring advice from Allison included:
- “Define, then intentionally pursue remarkable: Make that happen every single time.”
- “The goal is to completely surpass the expectation.”
- “External advocacy starts internally.”
- “Culture still eats strategy for breakfast.”
- “Customers trust customers, not businesses.”
- “You can change someone’s entire day in 30 seconds with a sticky note that says: ‘I really appreciate the good work you do.’”
- “Encouragement more than Red Bull gives you wings.”
The conference continued with a presentation by Chris Quereau of Vibrant Brands, an Association strategic partner, who said that a credit union’s brand is the impression people have of it (even if you change your name), during his presentation, “Mergers and Expansions: Growing Your Brand and Loan Portfolio While Attracting New Members.”
Quereau said that “your brand is the foundation on which all of marketing success is built. Is your credit union reaching its potential?”
On Day 2 attendees heard from Aaron Gregerson of MarketMatch about successful digital marketing on a budget, building ROI through digital strategy and ways to move beyond targeting via generational segmentation. “Choose the way you want to segment your personas,” he said, reinforcing the importance of understanding members and their needs. “There should be multiple ‘buckets’ to segment your audience.”
Key takeaways from Gregerson:
- run campaigns that make sense for your credit union and objectives;
- support digital campaigns with the right infrastructure;
- find ways to consume budget efficiently; and
- stay cognizant of the member journey through your digital realm.
Thank you, 2022 Marketing Conference sponsor CUNA Mutual Group and all attendees for making this a don’t-miss event! Check out additional photos on the Association’s Facebook page.
