ABA Bank Marketing articles from March 2003

ABA Bank Marketing archives from March 2003

Haverhill Cooperative Bank. (Banks).(Janet F. Odenwelder appointed assistant vp)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Janet F. Odenwelder has been named an assistant vice president of Haverhill Cooperative Bank, Haverhill, Mass. Among other things, she will, be responsible for overseeing the bank's advertising and marketing. She is a member of the New England...

MetroWest Bank. (Banks).(Colleen M. Hughes appointed vp at Leominster Credit Union)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Colleen M. Hughes has been named vice president, director of marketing, at the Leominster Credit Union, Leominster, Mass. Previously, she was employed as vice president, director of corporate marketing and communications at MetroWest Bank.

Market Insights Inc. (Service Providers).(Mark Brandt appointed project manager)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Mark Brandt has joined Market Insights Inc., Chicago, as a project manager. He will oversee client primary research, data analysis and project management for community bank clients. Market Insights is a market research and consulting firm.

Peak Performance Consulting Group. (Service Providers).(William M. Hiebert appointed manager)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... William M. Hiebert has joined Peak Performance Consulting Group, Grand Rapids, Mich. He will serve as the primary on-site manager for operational analysis projects.

Market Facts Inc. (Service Providors).(Robert Philpott appointed CEO)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Robert Philpott has been named CEO of Market Facts Inc., a Chicago-based research firm. Both Market Facts and its parent company, Aegis Research of the United Kingdom, plan to rename as Synovate.

The BISYS Group Inc. (Service Providors).(Dennis R. Sheehan appointed CEO)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Dennis R. Sheehan, the current president and chief operating officer of The BISYS Group Inc., New York, has assumed the position of CEO. Also, the company added Mike Kryza, CFA, and Michael Martini to its senior management team. BISYS provides...

Charter One Financial Inc. (Alliances & Agreements).(agreement with Tops Friendly Markets)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Charter One Financial Inc., Cleveland, has entered into an agreement with Tops Friendly Markets to open approximately 34 new grocery store branches in Greater Cleveland as well as other northern Ohio and western New York markets. Most of the...

Harland Financial Solutions Inc. (Alliances & Agreements).(Interlinq Software Corp. acquired)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Harland Financial Solutions Inc. a subsidiary of John H. Harland Co., Atlanta, has completed its acquisition of Interlinq Software Corp., Bellevue, Wash. Interlinq provides mortgage loan origination, production and servicing. Interlinq is now...

Progency Marketing Innovations. (Alliances & Agreements).(Money Mark Consultants acquired)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Progency Marketing Innovations, Franklin, Tenn., has acquired Money Mark Consultants, an established package benefits marketer serving some 70 financial institutions primarily throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Meridien Research. (Alliances & Agreements).(part of new IDC company)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Meridien Research of Newton, Mass., has become part of a new IDC's company focused exclusively on the financial services industry. The new group will be based in Framingham, Mass., and will operate throughout the world using IDC more than 50...

TransUnion of Chicago and Fair, Isaac and Co. Inc. (Alliances & Agreements).(joint initiative for consumer credit)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... TransUnion of Chicago and Fair, Isaac and Co. Inc., San Rafael, Calif., have launched a joint initiative to boost consumers' control over their personal credit standing. For their first collaborative product, TransUnion's subsidiary, TransUnion...

The M&T Bank Corp. (Mergers & Acquisitions).(Allfirst Financial acquired)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The M&T Bank Corp., whose largest investor is the billionaire Warren E. Buffett, has agreed to buy Allfirst Financial from Allied Irish Banks for $3 billion in cash and stock.

The KeyBank. (Mergers & Acquisitions).(Union Bank & Trust acquisition)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The KeyBank of Cleveland is boosting its Colorado presence with a $66 million deal to buy longtime Denver institution Union Bank & Trust.

BB&T Corp. (Mergers & Acquisitions).(Equitable Bank acquisition planned)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... BB&T Corp. of Winston-Salem, N.C., plans to acquire the 123-year-old Equitable Bank, of Wheaton, Maryland. Equitable is the fifth-biggest bank in the Washington, D.C. area, with locations in two Maryland counties.x

Citizens Financial Group. (Mergers & Acquisitions).(Commonwealth Bancorp branches acquired)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Citizens Financial Group has agreed to pay $450 million in cash to acquire Commonwealth Bancorp's 39 full-service branches and 21 supermarket branches in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Small-business owners who bank online. (In Brief).(less likely to use only one financial institution)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Small-business owners who bank online are less likely to keep all of their deposits and investments in only one financial institution, according to a new study by NFO WorldGroup, Tampa, Fla. Many entrepreneurs who bank online don't hesitate to...

Banks sold more insurance premiums. (In Brief).(2001 insurance sales)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Banks sold more insurance premiums in 2001 than they did in the previous five years, according to a recent report from the American Bankers Insurance Association (ABIA). Financial institutions sold $55 billion in insurance premiums that year,...

E-mail marketing of financial services. (In Brief).(success for card issuers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... E-mail marketing of financial services is meeting with success, particularly among card issuers, according to a recent study by Synergistic Research Corp. entitled, "Maximizing E-Mail for Financial Services." About one-fifth of the Internet...

Now you can pay for those fries and hamburgers. (In Brief).(McDonald's franchise allies with Hypercom Corp., American Express)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Now you can pay for those fries and hamburgers with an American Express card. A McDonald's franchise at Islip, Long Island, has forged an alliance with Hypercom Corp. and American Express that enables drive-through customers to order their food...

Test your knowledge of strategic trends.(banking industry quiz)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Are you well informed about strategic, Long-term trends in the banking industry? Answer the multiple-choice questions below to assess your knowledge. 1. By what percentage has the number of insured banking institutions declined since 1982?...

Infographic U.S. Ad Spending by Media.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2003... Infographic U.S. Ad Spending by Media U.S. ad spending, including all commissions as well as the art, mechanical and production expenses. Dollars are in billions. Rank Medium Total U.S. Percentage of ...

Now, a credit card you can market to mini-me. (Marketing News).(miniature credit cards for key rings)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... In the never-ending battle to differentiate themselves, credit-card issuers have developed a new gimmick: the miniature credit card. It comes pierced with a hole and is small enough to mount on a key ring. Bank of America, Charlotte, N.C.,...

Picture this. (Marketing News).(Progency Marketing Innovations alliance with Frank W. Abagnale)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Imagine working with a man who is the subject of a film by Steven Spielberg. Talk about marketing potential and free publicity! Progency Marketing Innovations, Nashville, Tenn., finds itself in exactly that situation. Progency, which...

Quotable. (Marketing News).
March 1, 2003... Like the Fruitcake That Gets Thrown Away "Most banks do a poor job of selecting and packaging a gift-with-purchase. Many banks don't put up effective signage, give the branch employees promotion pins to wear or even take the time to...

Customer experience: A performance driver. (Q&A).(Joe Wheeler of The Forum Corp.)(Interview)
March 1, 2003... Joe Wheeler is executive vice president of The Forum Corp. of Boston. He heads the company's customer experience practice. He is the co-author of the newly published book, "Managing the Customer Experience: Turning Customers into Advocates"...

A customer-intimacy-based strategy. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A customer-intimacy-based strategy is the one for the vast majority of financial institutions, says Meridien Research, Newton, Mass. In a new report entitled, "Competitive Strategies in the Consumer Age," Meridien says that customer intimacy...

The emergence of a broad array of new wealth management services. (In Brief).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The emergence of a broad array of new wealth management services signals a shift in the way many retail financial services institutions will, conduct future business. New research from TowerGroup, Needham, Mass., finds that the successful...

What do employees want? (Rewarding Employees).
March 1, 2003... In today's changing times what are the things that are most important to employees? To answer that question, I recently conducted a survey of about 1,500 employees. Here are the top 10 recognition items I found employees said were most...

Rethinking organizational 'wants'. (Marketing Solutions).
March 1, 2003... What does your organization really want? Call it purpose, or strategy, or mission or aspirations--many organizations are painfully re-examining themselves on that most basic of questions. The late Stanley Marcus, chairman emeritus of...

Marketing on a shoestring.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2003... With the uncertain economy, budgets are being frozen or cut back. We offer some advice on stretching the effectiveness of your marketing dollar during a time of fiscal austerity. Cutting expenses is a natural reaction when the overall...

Create wealth: enrich your corporate culture. (Feature).
March 1, 2003... Whether planned or not, your financial institution already has a shared set of attitudes, values and goals. The problem is that these traits may not be the ones that management prefers. Here are ways of introducing and molding the type of...

The value of research: more navigating, less drifting. (Feature).
March 1, 2003... Since you know your local marketplace, you can save money by playing your hunches when developing a new product. Right? Wrong! Relying on intuition without doing market research is like sailing without a chart and compass. Let's...

Well spoken. (Fundamentals).(public speaking)
March 1, 2003... When it comes to activities people hate most, public speaking usually tops the list. But preparing and delivering "a few words" doesn't have to be torture. Remember, "communicate" and "community" have the same Latin root, communis--"to share."...

For better response, personalize your copywriting. (Direct Mail Essentials).
March 1, 2003... Selling is more effective when it is personalized. And, of all the advertising media, direct mail has the most potential for personalization. If you want to make your direct mail campaigns as effective as possible, try making them more personal...

What exactly is your business? (Customer Satisfaction).
March 1, 2003... Peter Drucker, the prolific and highly regarded business management consultant, was hired by The ServiceMaster Co. to help it sharpen its value proposition and management practices. ServiceMaster is a very large provider of a variety of home...

Better profits? look at the net interest margin. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... About 80 percent of the operating revenue from a typical community bank comes from the net interest margin. Yet curiously, many banks fail to take comprehensive steps to enhance their net interest margin. Sensing a market need, Alex...

Are there tiny men inside these little advertising blimps? (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... If you've ever seen the Goodyear blimp hovering above a football stadium, you know how affective it is at gaining visibility and delivering a marketing message. Alas, the full-sized blimp is expensive. But now there is a less-costly...

This program will generate ROI--guaranteed! (New Products).(return on investment)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... No matter how hard you try, no marketing project is ever a sure success. So, it tends to generate attention when a vendor offers financial institutions a marketing service with a guaranteed return on investment (ROI). That's what...

Bonus Check Card. (Product File).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Bonus Check Card is the name of a check card reward program offered by Enhancement Services Corp (ESC) through Fiserv EFT, a processor of electronic fund transfer transactions. Bonus Check Card allows eligible client institutions to offer their...

A new workshop on loan prospecting. (Product File).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A new workshop on loan prospecting is being offered by International Banking Technologies (IBT), Atlanta. The workshop is designed to help banks increase the number of loans generated by branch staff. The daylong program covers everything from...

PVConvertis. (Product File).(PrimeVest Financial Services)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... PVConvertis the name of a new, streamlined conversion process for transferring brokerage accounts to PrimeVest Financial Services, St Cloud, Minn. Facilitated by a dedicated conversion department, the process requires only that the registered...

The Small-Business Development Workshop. (Product File).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Small-Business Development Workshop offered by International Banking Technologies, Atlanta, can help branches expand their small-business accounts. It's a one-day session for up to 15 people, and it shows how acquiring small-business...

Personalized ATMs . (Product File).(automated teller machines)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Personalized ATMs were probably inevitable. Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., Dallas, and mCom L.L.C., Philadelphia, offer an automated teller machine that adapts its menu screen to the customer's needs and behavior. The interface remains...

Touch Point Sales Management. (Product File).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Touch Point Sales Management is the latest component of the TouchPoint customer interaction solutions provided by WebTone Technologies Inc. of Atlanta. The product is designed to facilitate tight coordination between corporate sales objectives...

A comprehensive cash management product suite. (Product File).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A comprehensive cash management product suite designed specifically for banks and their small-business customers have been introduced by Magnet Communications, Atlanta. The product, called BizBanking Works for Small Business, enables financial...

Multicultural market intelligence. (Product File).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Multicultural market intelligence is being offered online by Geoscape International Inc. Called the Geoscape Intelligence System, the system combines detailed and up-to-date demographic, economic, consumer spending and media usage data plus...

Extending the brand to include the call center. (ABA Resources).(American Bankers Association)
March 1, 2003... All you have to do is walk casually through your local superstore to see that marketers and advertisers have been building successful brands for the better part of the last century. What has been less evident, until recent years, is the...

ABA and LexixNexis ally to offer new USA Patriot Act solution.(American Bankers Association)(LexisNexis Group)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... ABA and LexisNexis have formed an alliance to help banks combat terrorism, reduce identity theft and comply with the USA Patriot Act with their new service, IDPoint. The USA Patriot Act mandates that banks verify the identity of all new...

Now there's software that helps kids to learn financial literacy. (ABA Resources).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A software program that teaches kids how checking, savings and loan accounts work is being made available to banks through a partnership of the ABA Education Foundation and the Atlanta-based ParentWare Inc. The software, known as the Family...

Calendar 2003. (ABA Resources).(American Bankers Association)(Brief Article)(Directory)
March 1, 2003... March 30-April 1 ABA/Foreword Financial: Sales Management Conference Union Station--Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion Dallas April 30-May 2 ABA Contact Center Conference Inter-continental Chicago Chicago May...

Services Directory.(listings of firms and organizations that serve the financial services community)(Directory)
March 1, 2003... This Services Directory contains listings of firms and organizations that serve the financial services community. ABA Bank Marketing does not endorse or make recommendations in regard to the companies supplying their services. For further...

Save for retirement? too much bother! (Figuratively Speaking).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Percentage of Americans who say that they are uncertain whether they will meet their personal savings goals for retirement 31 Percentage who are uncertain that they will be able to retire at the age they planned 21 Percentage who have...

Attention! Register for the ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management. (ABA Resources).(American Bankers Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... This year's session of the ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management will be held from May 30 to June 6 at the University Colorado in Boulder. The school is currently accepting applications for this year's session. Admission is open to...

Are you spending your marketing Dollars in the right place? (ABA Resources).(American Bankers Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The latest edition of the "ABA Bank Marketing Survey" is now available for purchase. The 120-page survey lists the average amount of marketing expenditures of banks in different categories of asset size and retail market type. The information...

Exams scheduled for CFMP designation. (ABA Resources).(Certified Financial Marketing Professional)(American Bankers Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The exam for the Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP) designation will be held March 28 and Sept. 12 of this year. Applicants will be given four hours to complete the exam, which consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. ...