http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference Latest blog entries from What's the Difference en-us Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:58:33 PST Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:58:33 PST JayRay http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/francis-bacon-marketing-communicator/ We think according to nature; we speak according to rules; but we act according to custom. -- Francis Bacon ... Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:16:00 PST http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/people-search-on-google-maps/ You have probably already seen your listing on Google Maps (the listing that pops up when you type your CU’s name or address into Google Maps). But did you know that Google lets businesses update the listing? (It’s free! And only took me about 20 minutes.) ... Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:11:00 PST http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/whats-up-business-lending-eric-1/ Eric King, VP of business services at Delta Community Credit Union, emailed to ask me about how credit unions are growing through business services. It occurs to me that not a lot is being written about that subject, though business services should be a very big deal as banks retreat from that level of lending. ... Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:48:00 PST http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/think-bash/ Bank-bashing ads. Smart move? Psychologist Maya Bourdeau’s How We Influence Series brings an interesting perspective. (If you’re in the Seattle area, King County Chapter of Credit Unions is hosting a webinar Oct. 27). ... Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:44:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/national-cu-brand-good-luck-3/ In two recent posts I said a national credit union branding campaign would probably not work, and that national promotions might. ... Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:38:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/national-cu-brand-good-luck-1/ I recently said that a national CU branding campaign probably won’t work. See last post here. Those who left comments made some great points. If a national branding campaign won’t work because a powerful differentiator will be hard to find, maybe an ongoing series of national promotional campaigns will work. ... Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:38:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/national-cu-brand-good-luck/ “No Money, No Campaign-ey” is how Credit Union Journal Publisher Frank Diekmann expressed why CUNA CEO Dan Mica believes there will be no national credit union branding campaign. ... Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:18:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/invest-in-brand-or/ Did you participate in the Q1 2009 Financial Services Survey webinar sponsored by Interbrand and Thomson Reuters? It should give credit unions the steel spines they need to invest in their brands: it’s now or never. Credit unions need to take advantage of the fact that confidence in financial institutions is declining and make an impression about the credit union difference. ... Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:00:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/tactile-tactics/ One of my associates mentioned that her eye clinic has overly bright fluorescent lights in the restrooms, which can be quite painful when your eyes are dilated. Another colleague mentioned the awkward and uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room of her chiropractor’s office. These seem almost ironic and raise the question, why isn’t the patient experience a major marketing aspect for the service industry? ... Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:46:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/chronic-mean/ What does “chronic” mean? Or “20 percent chance of rain?” It turns out that a large percentage of us—20 or 30 percent—don't understand what a 20 percent chance of rain means in a weather report. My point: Lots of people don’t understand much of what is being said to them.   ... Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:52:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/steal-campaign-create-talk/ Here is a campaign we created for an insurance company that you can steal and use anywhere except Washington state. ... Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:21:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/spring-wesabe/ When I first found Wesabe, I was blown away. I had been using an Excel sheet to track my finances (okay, well I started to for about a month and then realized I was never going to take the time to actually update it). And then realized what a great tool Wesabe is—and how much I actually use it. That’s why I was so excited to see the recent news about its partnership with Delta Community Credit Union. Wesabe has been around since 2006, but recently launched Wesabe Springboard, a tool that allows credit unions to integrate Wesabe’s management tools directly into their Web sites. And it has the potential to grab those web-savvy generations. ... Tue, 19 May 2009 15:40:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/lesson-uss-nimitz-trust-communication/ Thanks to Frank Diekmann and the Credit Union Journal’s Grow Show for opening my eyes to what the private sector and credit unions can learn from the Navy. ... Wed, 13 May 2009 09:15:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/banking-on-facebook/ I remember when Facebook first came out. Back when things were simple. Only college students had access to the site and member profiles consisted of a person’s name, contact information and a simple photo. Now not only is anyone eligible to create their own account, but users can access the site for a variety of tasks ranging from selling their pet goldfish to accessing their checking and savings accounts. ... Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:27:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/mommy-tell-me-story-finance/ “What I love about finance—and what I love about accounting even, which is kind of embarrassing to admit is it’s another form of storytelling.”  -Jacqueline Novogratz, in The McKinsey Quarterly. ... Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:45:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/bringing-message-school/ There’s a school for credit unions that want to reach young women, encourage financial literacy and reach the next great members. It’s your neighborhood school. Ah, but don’t people hate the idea of commercialism in schools? ... Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:52:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/sex-ed-approach-to-overdraft/ Sex-ed and overdraft protection. Bet you didn’t expect to see those come up together…but as I was reading a Time Magazine article yesterday, I was surprised by the similarities. ... Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:59:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/observing-truth/ In your survey I may tell you that I am highly likely to stick with my trusty printed monthly statement — and then a month later I may offer no resistance to switch my statements to electronic. I truly embrace my opinions and behavior, even when they conflict. ... Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:58:00 PDT http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/lesson-stained-glass-crosses/ Martin Lindstrom wrote a great article in December’s Advertising Age “How Apple, Others Have Cultivated Religious Followings.” ... Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:16:00 PST http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/whats-killing-newspapers-killing-newsletter-1/ Advertising Age’s Simon Dumenco equates reading a newspaper to drinking a 64-ounce Big Gulp when what we really want is “the informational equivalent of a shot of espresso.” ... Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:20:00 PST http://www.jayray.com/blog/whats-difference/reality-check-financial-stability-come/ What do coffee chats, blogs, fairs and a kick-ass college grad have to do with one another... or better yet, with credit unions? ... Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:27:00 PST