An advertising agency’s takeaways from Financial Brand Forum At this year’s Financial Brand Forum, conversations around AI, digital transformation and fintech disruption dominated the agenda. But beneath the buzzwords, three themes relevant to our work with retail financial services clients…

Organizations don’t have a benefit utilization problem. They have a visibility problem.  Every year, companies invest significant dollars into employee benefits: health plans, mental health support, wellness programs, family resources, financial tools, EAPs–the list goes on and on. The intent…

Behavior change is hard work. Your target audiences need to overcome barriers that can be unique, frustrating, personal or functional. Recently, we’ve been working on separate efforts to increase visits to Minneapolis, and to get people to switch their primary…

Credit union marketers have a powerful story to tell: community-first values, people-over-profit service and financial guidance that actually helps. But even the best story can miss the mark if it isn’t rooted in what consumers really care about. That’s why consumer research shouldn’t…

CCF’s recent blogs have focused on brand modernization. What it is, and how to know when it might be time. We know that making a brand change is not a simple decision. It’s probably overwhelming. You look around and see…

5 signs it might be time to modernize your brand. As our friend Bob Dylan pointed out, “The Times They Are A-Changing.” An inevitable constant in life, change impacts us all differently; therefore, how we respond to it differs as…

A lot of brands are in “set it and forget it” mode. You’ve got a logo, brand guidelines, a personality — why keep thinking about it? It might take a nudge to bring brand assessment back to the top of…

As a marketer, you don’t have budget to burn or room for fuzzy messaging. Broad, one-size-fits-all campaigns confuse consumers and underperform. One fix is practical: Segment your audiences and build personas that bring each segment to life. When you do,…

In today’s financial services landscape, winning over Gen Z and younger customers isn’t just a matter of prestige — it’s a strategic necessity. For credit unions and smaller banks, this demographic offers the potential for decades of loyalty, relationship growth,…

In today’s fast-moving digital economy, it’s easy for businesses to focus on metrics, algorithms, and quarterly returns while overlooking a fundamental truth: long-term success often depends on the strength of their ties to the communities they serve. More than just…