ABA Bank Marketing articles from November 2003

ABA Bank Marketing archives from November 2003

Fall River Five Cents Savings Bank.(appointment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Christina T. Melo, CFMP, has been promoted to assistant vice president at Fall River Five Cents Savings Bank, Fall River, Mass. A nine-year veteran of the institution, Melo is responsible for all planning and implementation of marketing and...

Florida Trust Co.(appointment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Julie Husler has been named president of Florida Trust Co. of Naples, Fla., a private investment and wealth management institution. The company is a subsidiary of Bancshares of Florida, which also operates the Bank of Florida, Fort Lauderdale....

Union Bank.(appointment)
November 1, 2003... Pamela Pangas-Pertee has been named branch manager of Union Bank on Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach, Fla. She was previously a branch manager with SouthTrust Bank.

Citizens Business Bank.(appointment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ted Dondanville has been named to the position of senior vice president and manager of the Burbank business financial center of Citizens Business Bank, California.

Centerpost Corp.(appointment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Hank Bonde has been named chief executive officer of Centerpost Corp., Chicago, a provider of multichannel outbound communications services.

Pentegra Group.(appointment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Jonathon Zeiger has been named senior manager, sales and marketing for the Pentegra Group, White Plains, N.Y. He will be responsible for marketing Pentegra's retirement plan products and services to community banks and corporations throughout...

Synovate.(appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Synovate, the global research firm, has announced the appointment of three senior executives in the United States. Leslie Yee has been hired as senior account director for the Eastern Region of the United State. Yee will be responsible for...

Compete Inc.(appointment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Financial industry analyst Stephen Franco has joined Compete Inc., Boston, as a managing director, consumer banking and finance. Compete Inc. is a predictive analytics company. Franco was a managing director and senior research analyst at U.S....

Financial Publishing Services.(appointment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Chris Durkin has been named director of business development for Financial Publishing Services in Northfield, Ill. The company provides custom electronic content and delivery systems for commercial bank marketers.

Banknorth Group Inc., Portland, Maine, has purchased two insurance agencies.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Banknorth Group Inc., Portland, Maine, has purchased two insurance agencies: Field and Quimby Inc., a community insurance agency in Belfast, Maine, and Bogino & DeMaria Inc., a commercial insurance agency in Avon, Conn.

Shareholders of CSB Financial Corp., Teaneck, N.J., have voted to approve the merger of CSB and Lakeland Bancorp Inc.(Mergers & Acquisitions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Shareholders of CSB Financial Corp., Teaneck, N.J., have voted to approve the merger of CSB and Lakeland Bancorp Inc. CSB's bank subsidiary is Community State Bank.

InfoUSA, Omaha, and Alterian, Chicago, have signed an agreement to expand their strategic partnership.(Agreements & Alliances)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... InfoUSA, Omaha, and Alterian, Chicago, have signed an agreement to expand their strategic partnership. InfoUSA provides proprietary business and consumer databases, and sales and marketing services. Alterian provides business analytics...

Progeny Marketing Innovations of Nashville, Tenn., and First Data, of Denver, have teamed up to market a new small-business benefits program to merchants across the United States.(Agreements & Alliances)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Progeny Marketing Innovations of Nashville, Tenn., and First Data, of Denver, have teamed up to market a new small-business benefits program to merchants across the United States. The new program, called MyMerchantRewards, offers a range of...

Fidelity Information Services Inc. has agreed to buy WebTone Technologies Inc.(Agreements & Alliances)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Fidelity Information Services Inc. has agreed to buy WebTone Technologies Inc. Fidelity Information provides cart center and Internet capabilities. WebTone provides customer interaction management software.

Fair Isaac Corp., San Rafael, Calif., has acquired NAREX Inc., a provider of analytic solutions for collections and recovery.(Agreements & Alliances)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Fair Isaac Corp., San Rafael, Calif., has acquired NAREX Inc., a provider of analytic solutions for collections and recovery. Narex, which is Located in Golden, Colo., will become a new operating unit within Fair Isaac's Global Account...

Merchant Services Inc. (MSI), Union, N.J., has acquired the website www.merchantservices.com.(Agreements & Alliances)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Merchant Services Inc. (MSI), Union, N.3., has acquired the website www.merchantservices.com, which is designed to attract merchants inquiring about merchant accounts, accepting credit cards, credit card processing services and Internet online...

The custom publisher, McMurry of Phoenix, Ariz., has formed an alliance with Lawrence Ragan Communications, Chicago.(Agreements & Alliances)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The custom publisher, McMurry of Phoenix, Ariz., has formed an alliance with Lawrence Ragan Communications, Chicago. The parties hope to expand their customer base through the alliance.

PCi Corp. has formed a strategic relationship with FNIS/Empower, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Solutions (FNIS).(Agreements & Alliances)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... PCi Corp. has formed a strategic relationship with FNIS/Empower, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Solutions (FNIS). The relationship integrates Pd's Wiz Geocoder into FNIS/Empower's Empower! Mortgage Software. FNIS...

Fly with your angels (profitable customers).(Q & A/ Larry Selden and Geoffrey Colvin)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... Larry Selden, a professor at the Columbia University Business School, and Geoffrey Colvin, editorial director of Fortune magazine joined forces to author the recent book, "Angel Customers & Demon Customers" (Portfolio). Their central thesis is...

Target direct mail according to 'distance from the branch'.(Marketing News)
November 1, 2003... We cut costs on direct mail campaigns by using our MCIF to reduce the number of mailed pieces. We do this by targeting those who Live close to a branch--three miles, for example--rather than targeting by ZIP code. We mail based on...

Ideas that work.( innovative marketing ideas from banks throughout the nation)
November 1, 2003... Here's a roundup of innovative marketing ideas from banks throughout the nation: New York bank offers hen taxi rides for customers" In an ongoing promotion that continues through the end of this year, HSBC Bank customers can get a free...

Cohort of the month: a look at some sample customer segments, together with an overview of their key characteristics.(Marketing News)
November 1, 2003... Ryan: Energetic Young Guys 4.4 million U.S. Households (4.4 percent of all U.S. Households) Median Age = 33 Median Income = $47,000 Quote: "Let's grab a beer after we lift." General profile: Ryan represents...

Another casualty among prepaid cash cards.(Marketing News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Citigroup Inc. earlier this year, dropped out of the prepaid credit-card account business, known as the Citi Cash Card, suggesting that the market is not as big as some financial service companies originally thought, according to news reports....

ATM operators exploring new revenue options.(automated teller machines)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... ATM operators exploring new revenue options: With pressure growing to generate additional ATM-related revenues, financial services companies are aggressively exploring new revenue streams, including prepaid airtime "top-up" for mobile phones,...

Rising identity theft.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Rising identity theft: Nearly 10 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last year alone, according to a recent survey conducted by the Federal Trade Commission. Abuses involving credit cards and checking and savings...

Certification news.( poll conducted by the National Organization for Competency Assurance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Certification news: Individuals who hold professional certifications earn more than those without, according to the results of a recent poll conducted by the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA), Washington, D.C. Of the 271...

Idea bank.(Samples of ad campaigns and other marketing materials from banks around the country)
November 1, 2003... Samples of ad campaigns and other marketing materials from banks around the country. The creative includes print, radio, TV, outdoor, multimedia, point of sale, brochures, direct mail annual reports, websites, pubic relations and sales...

More advertising is not the answer.(Marketing Solutions)
November 1, 2003... "Only 26 percent of the average bank's customers expressed any interest in considering that banker their next financial purchase." "In the post two years overall loyalty to brands (has) declined by 11 percent." "Last year ad spending...

Work/life balance more critical than ever.(Rewarding Employees)
November 1, 2003... "Others may change us, but we start and end with family." --Anthony Brandt, American composer, editor Today's employees expect to have more than a life outside of work. They expect their life to take priority over their work. Smart...

Plugging the deposit drain: sometimes outright customer defection is not as big of a problem as incremental deposit erosion. One way to hold on to dollars is to develop a steady stream of new products that appeal to customers as their financial behavior evolves--and they make the transition from one life stage to another.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2003... Editor's Note In this issue, we present a special two-article section on the topic of "Customer and Deposit Retention." The first article discusses how new financial products can help financial institutions to hold on to deposit accounts....

No deposits, no returns: everyone wants to raise core deposits. But don't rely on a strictly financial solution: increasing the rates you pay out. Instead, use a marketing approach--customer service enhancement. That's the cost-effective answer.
November 1, 2003... The current low interest-rate environment is opening a window of opportunity for marketers to help their institutions boost their financial performance. How? By attracting more core deposits--that is, direct deposit, NOW, savings and...

For starters ...: you can't' ignore the young-adult market (sometimes called the 'starter market'). The age group 15 to 25 spends $460 billion annually. But don't expect them to follow the same banking behavior of their parents. To connect with them, you'll have to alter your marketing mind-set.
November 1, 2003... What's more disruptive to a financial institution than millions of baby boomers retiring at the same time? Having no one to take their place in the teller lines and at ATMs, that's what. That recurring nightmare finally pushed Boone County...

Watch and manage your customer flow.(Customer Satisfaction)
November 1, 2003... As competition heats up in this low-rate environment, it is advisable for bankers to envision a cradle-to-grave pulse-taking research program that will help them grow their base of satisfied customers. It is helpful to think of your bank or...

To everything there is a season.(Direct Mail Essentials)
November 1, 2003... The time of year when you start your direct mail campaign call have a striking impact on the response rote. While the product you promote may have its own seasonality, the direct mail medium also has its higher and lower response months. ...

Two prospecting packages for credit grantors introduced by TransUnion.(Account Acquisition and Cross Sell)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The software company TransUnion, located in Chicago, has introduced two new packages for credit grantors under the "Rapid Notify" name. One is "Account Acquisition" and the other, "Cross Sell." "Account Acquisition" monitors the consumer...

Home Equity Portfolio Profitability System.(from CG2Direct Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Home Equity Portfolio Profitability System from CG2, Allentown, Pa., is designed to reduce attrition and balance runoff within a bank's existing home-equity Loan and line-of-credit portfolios. The system uses data mining techniques and...

Identity--theft problems in the loan authorization process.(Product File)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A new software package from Fair Isaac Corp., San Rafael Calif., helps to protect financial institutions from identity-theft problems in the Loan authorization process. The Application Fraud Models can be integrated with existing origination...

TowerGroup offers research membership program.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The TowerGroup is offering a new service program for the financial services industry. The company, which has its global headquarters in Needham, Mass, calls the service The TowerGroup Membership Program. The company says the program provides...

Stop checking-account customer attrition!(marketing product from Specialty Direct Marketing Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... How soon does a bank need to take action in order to help retain the majority of new checking account customers? The answer is four months following the checking account open date, according to Specialty Direct Marketing Inc., of Annapolis, Md....

A new how-to book for bank salespeople.(from Performance Training Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A new how-to book for bank salespeople entitled, "How to Survive and Thrive in the Merchant Services Industry" has been published by Performance Training Systems, a turnkey training and consulting company for the merchant services industry....

Retail Channel software.(used by banks)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Chordiant Software Inc., Cupertino, Calif., has released a new version of its Retail Channel software designed to help retail banks transform branches from transaction centers into sales and advice centers. According to the company, the...

Carousel display added to literature holder collection.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A line of literature carousel displays has been introduced by Clip Strip Corp., Hackensack, N.J. The unit pictured here is a revolving floor display that showcases letterhead-size brochures. It contains 12 wide pockets (9-1/8 inches wide). The...

The new alchemy: turning transaction data into gold.(Database Marketing)
November 1, 2003... Banks have mountains of transaction data stored in their data processing systems. This data is extremely valuable. Why is it then that many banks don't use their transaction data to market their services more profitably? There are two...

Creating Customer Evangelists.(Marketing edge)
November 1, 2003... You are an evangelist. You tell others what movie to see, which computer to purchase, what restaurant to visit, which dentist to go to, which cell phone to buy, which books to read, which clubs to join. Your recommendations are sincere,...

Evangelists and purple cows.(Marketing edge)
November 1, 2003... Sometimes we need fresh perspectives to generate new, marketing ideas. In this issue of Marketing Edge, we feature a couple of idea starters. One is an article written by Jackie Huba, one office keynote speakers at this year's ABA Marketing...

Winners named for Arkansas Chapter Ad Awards contest.(Marketing edge)
November 1, 2003... The Arkansas Chapter of the ABA Marketing Network has announced the winners in the chapter's annual Ad Awards contest. The awards were presented earlier this year at the chapter's annual conference, which was held in Heber Springs, Ark. ...

Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable.(Marketing edge)(Book Review)
November 1, 2003... There's a new "P" in marketing, and the highly acclaimed marketing guru, Seth Godin is milking it for all it's worth in his new book, "Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable." What's a purple cow? According to Godin, it's...

New ABA/Datatrac website will provide competitive rate information for bankers.(American Bankers Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Banks will soon be able to obtain competitive deposit and lending interest-rate information more easily. That's because visitors to the ABA website will have real-time access to Datatrac's database of deposit and lending interest rates and...

Calendar 2004.(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... Jan. 25-28 ABA Insurance Risk Management Conference The Wigwam Resort Scottsdale, Ariz. Feb. 29-March 2 ABA Trust Wealth Management and Marketing Conference Marriott's Camelback Inn Resort, Golf Club and Spa Scottsdale,...

Chapter events 2003.(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... Kentucky Chapter Contact: Paula Cravens, (502) 582-2453, pcravens@kybanks.com Nov. 6 Community Bank Marketing Discussion Group Kentucky Bankers Association, Suite 1000, 325 W. Main St., Louisville Penn-Jer-Del Chapter ...

The 2004 CFMP exam schedule.( Certified Financial Marketing Profession (CFMP) certification)
November 1, 2003... The Institute for Certified Bankers (ICB) has announced the 2004 examination schedule for the Certified Financial Marketing Profession (CFMP) certification. There will be four examination dates next year: March 19, June 18, Sept. 12 and...

Service directory.(Directory)
November 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...

Fax for facts.(products and services advertised in this issue)
November 1, 2003... Fax for Facts To meet the demands of today's "I want it here yesterday" world, please use these numbers to immediately request more information about the products and services advertised in this issue. Company ...

Debit cards vs. checks.(statistics)
November 1, 2003... The average numbers of times that consumers who make both PIN-secured and signature debit purchases made a debit card transaction each month 19 The average number of monthly transactions by...