2008 Editorial Calendar
ABA Bank Marketing

January / February
(ABA National Community Bankers Conference Issue)

• COMMUNITY BANKING STRATEGIES
If a community bank is to compete successfully, some say it must determine which niche it serves best and then concentrate intensely on serving that market space.  A look at one tried and true approach to competing with larger banks.

• CUSTOMER ADVISORY COUNCILS
A look at advisory councils in operation at two banks. How do they function? And what are some of the practical techniques to utilize them to maximum effectiveness?

• MULTISENSORY MARKETING
The final installment in the series on the use of the five senses in bank marketing. This article discusses the use of touch.

• NEW BRANCH DEVELOPMENT
A primer for site selection and opening of a new branch.  Also included is an overview of the economic analysis that financial people look for in connection with new-branch planning.

• SITE SELECTION
A look at seven basic steps in planning a new facility from initial idea to final site selection.

Bonus Distribution:
ABA National Community Bankers Conference, Orlando, Fla., February 10-17

Article submissions due:    October 13, 2007
Advertising space closing:  December 1, 2007
Advertising materials due:  December 8, 2007

March

• CUSTOMER PROSPECTING
A high percentage of bankers admit that prospecting is a task that their institution could accomplish in a more systematic way.  Jack Hubbard, a respected sales management expert, explains how to develop a consistent and organized prospecting effort.

• DATABASE MANAGEMENT
We look at the trends involving MCIFs and CRMs. Both are growing simpler to use and more integrated with each other.

• MARKETING CHANNELS
The audience for radio advertising is starting to decline. Is there an alternative channel to replace it? Some banks have started using podcasts, a way to distribute audio and video files over the Internet. We provide some tips on developing podcasts and examine examples of some banks that have deployed them. 

• BANK VITAL SIGNS
Before you can market your institution, you need to determine its overall business health.  Vital signs to examine include such things as market share, core deposit growth, service quality, customer experience, net promoter score and brand awareness.  We'll explain why and how.

Article submissions due:      December 15, 2007
Advertising space closing:    February 1, 2008
Advertising materials due:    February 8, 2008

April

• BRANDING
When a community bank faced the challenge of expanding into higher-growth communities, it realized it needed a new brand, image and communications strategy to compete effectively with regional and national powerhouse institutions.  We'll examine how they approached the process and what they learned along the way.

• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
A community bank with $250 million in assets was able to improve customer retention and revenue by implementing a program to encourage employee buy-in to marketing. An overview of what the financial institution did and how it did it.

• MARKETING COMPLIANCE
New regulations for financial institutions pertaining to affiliate marketing will go into effect on Oct. 1. We look at how the regulations will impact the way banks can use certain consumer information obtained from an affiliate.

• CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
A great way to build credibility for your institution is to advertise using customer testimonials.  However, collecting testimonials can sometimes be tricky and tedious.  We explain some easy ways to acquire those glowing comments and how to use them once you have them.

Article submissions due:      January 16, 2008
Advertising space closing:    March 1, 2008
Advertising materials due:    March 8, 2008

May
(ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management issue)

• BRANCH SCORECARDS
With new branches incurring increased competition, banks are putting greater emphasis on measuring performance.  We present the basics about how to prepare a scorecard to evaluate and compare branch performance.

• RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
A community bank in Clarksville, Tenn., expanded from $22 million in assets to $650 million by implementing a "chicken-salad" marketing approach. More precisely, the bank targeted the women from high net-worth families and regularly invited them to a modest lunch in the bank's conference room. The deposits just kept on growing.

• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
In today's economy, customers bypass banks that offer commoditized services in favor of doing business with institutions that stage engaging experiences—authentically—according to James H. Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine, II, the authors of the best-selling marketing book, "Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want." The authors explain what they mean by "authenticity."

• OUTDOOR DIGITAL BILLBOARDS
Why go digital versus the traditional billboard?  Is it worth the investment?  We present the basic rules for effective digital billboard advertising and profile banks that successfully use them.

Bonus Distribution:
ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Tex., May 3-9

Article submissions due:      February 15, 2008
Advertising space closing:    April 1, 2008
Advertising materials due:    April 8, 2008

June
(ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking issue)

• CUSTOMER ACQUISITION / CROSS-SELLING
Now that free checking has saturated the marketplace, what are the new trends in checking promotions?  An overview of rewards, gifts, cash and travel incentives, as well as efforts to use modeling to identify likely prospects.  See how cross-selling has grown more important than ever. 

• TECHNOLOGY
Remote deposit capture is currently reshaping the way banks and bank marketers operate. What are the new banking techniques and tecnology coming down the road that will turn out to be tomorrow's version of remote deposit?

• ADVERTISING AGENCIES
Maybe your bank has graduated from using in-house personnel or outside freelancers to produce advertising material and feels that it's time to establish a relationship with an agency.  What's the best way to go about finding one?  And what's the most effective way to work with the agency?

• CREATIVE THINKING
A question-and-answer session with artisit and business consultant Erik Wahle on bankscan encourage their employees to think with vision and to discover their untapped potential.  Wahle is speaking at the ABA Marketing Conference in September.

Bonus Distribution:
ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, June 13-20 

Article submissions due:      March 15, 2008
Advertising space closing:    May 1, 2008
Advertising materials due:    May 8, 2008

July / August

• CUSTOMER SEGMENTATION
Not every market has the same demographic profile.  Sometimes there are concentrations of ethnic subgroups—Hmong, South Koreans, Serbo-Croatians—that you'd like to target, but just don't know how.  A look at how several banks around the country have successfully adapted their marketing efforts to appeal to unique ethnic customers.

• EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION
The idea is to give employees a symbolic pat on the back every time they extend themselves or do an outstanding job—but an "employee of the month" program is a bit outdated.  We look at some of the more modern and innovative ways that banks say "thank you" to their prize performers.

• STRATEGIC PLANNING
Everyone talks about the need for strategic planning, but few community banks are doing it--at least not the right way. This article looks at what a competitive strategic planning looks like, and how to develop and implement it.

• NEW MEDIA, PART 1
Is your bank on MySpace? If not, maybe it should be.We look at New Media, such as blogs, podcasts and social networking, and describe some of the ways that banks are marketing with these new communications channels.

• CROSS-SELLING STRATEGIES
A successful cross-selling program involves hiring the right people, conducting proper training and using a credible sales process.  We explain five steps for more effective cross-selling.

Article submissions due:      April 15, 2008
Advertising space closing:    June 3, 2008
Advertising materials due:    June 10, 2008

September
(ABA Marketing Conference Issue)

• BRANCH AMBASSADORS
One technique being utilized by marketers at banks with multiple branches is the "branch ambassador" program.  With this technique, a marketing coordinator is appointed at each branch.  An overview of the technique and case studies showing the approach in action.
• NEW MEDIA
A continuation of last issue's look at New Media. A description of how some banks are marketing with consumer-generated content, digital networking and virtual worlds.

• MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Your bank is thinking about acquiring another institution. Are there any steps you can take to present your brand in the best possible light and to prevent from losing large numbers of customers with the acquired institution? We look at the strategies used by a sample of acquiring banks. 

• CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
Organizing your charitable contribution program is not an ad hoc exercise.  You've got to have a goal and a strategy for reaching that objective.  We'll show banks have successfully accomplished the task.

Bonus Distribution:
ABA Marketing Conference, Denver, September 14-16 

Article submissions due:      June 14, 2008
Advertising space closing:    August 1, 2008 
Advertising materials due:    August 8, 2008

October

• CUSTOMER APPRECIATION
It can be a picnic on the parking lot with hot dogs and lemonade.  It can be hourly drawings for prizes or one-day-only special rates on CDs or loans.  Whatever approach you use to periodically thank your customers, we provide guidelines for planning and organizing your event.  We include examples and case studies from institutions around the country. 

• CUSTOMER RETENTION
A Connecticut Bank reduced its attrition rate and augmented existing customer balances through a simple program involving the use of weekly personalized letters to new account holders.  A look at this institution's campaign, plus the six steps needed for on-boarding success.

• ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETING
Environmental sensitivity is not only smart, but it also can be an effective way to differentiate your bank.  A look at some of the ways that banks are making themselves more "green."

• SHAREHOLDER RELATIONS
The people who own stock in your bank are a special breed and, like customers and employees, they need targeted programs to meet their needs and keep them happy.  We explain the fundamentals of organizing an effective shareholder relations program.

Article submissions due:      July 15, 2008
Advertising space closing:    September 2, 2008 
Advertising materials due:    September 9, 2008

November
(ABA Annual Convention Issue)

• VALUE OF MARKETING
If the other departments in your institution "don't get it," with respect to marketing, they aren't going to help you to reach your goals.  They may even hinder you.  We share practical suggestions for demonstrating the vital nature of marketing to other departments.

• BRANDING
The best brands are built on traits inherent in the organization. We help you discover your underlying brand personality by exploring the five types of brand personality: sincerity, competence, excitement, ruggedness and sophistication.  

• STRATEGIC PLANNING
A look at some common myths about banking strategy: For example, is it wise for your bank to always "follow the leader"? By exploring the fallacies in these popular adages, your bank can avoid making a strategic blunder.  

• CUSTOMER RETENTION
The most common reason that customers leave a bank after it has been acquired. Some common-sense suggestions for mitigating these losses.   


Bonus Distribution:
ABA Annual Convention & Market Expo, San Francisco, November 9-12

Article submissions due:      August 15, 2008
Advertising space closing:    October 1, 2008 
Advertising materials due:    October 8, 2008

December

• BRANDING
Let's say you've developed your brand. Now you need to develop a tag line to use everytime your brand logo appears. How to develop an effective tag line that stands out and achieves your objectives. The difference between a good and bad tag line. 

• E-STATEMENTS
Your bank could save a lot of money if it convinced its account holders to switch from printed (and mailed) monthly statements to electronic ones.  We look at strategies and successful campaigns used by sample banks to encourage customers to make the switch.

• CORE DEPOSITS
Is there nothing new under the sun when it comes to attracting deposits?  How about a bank that offers to complete the transfer of funds from another bank in 10 minutes or less?  A look at the latest strategies for raising core deposits.

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