Marketing Maestros

Dianne Molvig
June 5, 2008 | COMMENTS

Receiving top honors at this year's CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council Conference in Nashville were:

• Kelley Parks, Marketing Professional of the Year. Parks is vice president of marketing and business development for $240-million-asset Call Federal Credit Union in Richmond, Virginia.
• Sean McDonald, Business Development Professional of the Year. McDonald is director of business development and marketing for $53-million-asset Liberty Savings Federal Credit Union in Jersey City, New Jersey.
• Rob Kimmett, Hall of Fame inductee. Kimmett is senior vice president of public relations and marketing for the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island credit union leagues.

Call Federal hired Parks seven years ago as its first professional marketer. While the credit union was new to marketing, Parks was new to credit unions. She says she soon realized this was a special kind of financial institution.

In her early days, her office was in the credit union lobby. "They wanted me to be at the heart of it all," Parks explains. That gave her ample opportunity to meet members and witness the friendliness of their interactions with front-line staff. But because of her lobby location, members sometimes assumed Parks was the branch manager.

"One day a member sat down across the desk from me," she recalls. "Before I could say, 'I'm sorry, I'm just the marketer and I can't help you with your account,' he started spilling his guts about his horrible day. I just listened. Then he said to me, 'The reason I came to the credit union was that I knew my day would get better.' "

Such experiences have fueled Parks' passion for credit unions and credit union marketing. "Confucius said, 'Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life,'" she observes. "The key is to have that kind of passion so it's exciting to come to work in the morning."

Following His Gut Instincts

Like Parks, McDonald was the first business development and marketing professional hired at his credit union nearly four years ago. In the past two years alone, he has added roughly 100 select employee groups (SEGs) to Liberty Savings Federal's field of membership, bringing the total to 250. Those SEGs include everything from mom-and-pop shops with a few employees to businesses employing a couple hundred people.

Although the primary focus of his job at first was to acquire SEGs, McDonald gradually took on expanded marketing duties. "Like marketers at most small credit unions, I wear many hats," he says.

That includes offering financial literacy training and presenting business-related seminars—for the general public as well as members—as well as conducting marketing campaigns, adding SEGs, enlisting SEG ambassadors, and fostering relationships with local business owners.

"These are all things I believe are crucial to the credit union's success," he says. "To be effective in marketing and business development, you have to follow your gut instincts and do what you think is right. And you have to be willing to take some calculated risks. Liberty Savings Federal has given me the freedom to do that, and it seems to be paying off."

A True Believer

At age 17 and just out of high school, Kimmett needed a college loan and a used-car loan for transportation to his summer job. He went to a bank first.

"I practically had to crawl on my belly to get a $1,500 loan for school," he recalls. "I wasn't made to feel important at all. That didn't leave a good taste in my mouth."

For the car loan, he turned to a credit union. "The manager sat me down, talked about the importance of good credit, explained the payment plan, and was friendly," Kimmett says. "It was a completely different experience. That burned into my brain that I liked the credit union model a whole lot better than the bank model."

That thought remained etched in his psyche when he became the first marketing/public relations professional at the Massachusetts Credit Union League in 1984. (The partnerships with the New Hampshire and Rhode Island leagues developed in 1986 and 1992, respectively.)

As a rookie, Kimmett learned the ropes of credit union advocacy from Dan Egan, who hired him and later became the league's president, and from CUNA public relations pros.

"It didn't take long for me to become a true believer in credit unions," Kimmett says. "But for me to have the credit union story down pat, those folks were an enormous help."

A Brief Q & A

Credit Union Magazine asked the three winners for their perspectives on the credit union marketing/business development profession.

Q: Tell us about a campaign or strategy that attained excellent results for little cost.

Parks: It was the "office hero" campaign. We put on our superhero capes and ran through area businesses trying to tag the next office hero [the person who succeeded in getting the company to sign on].

It took the cost of a cape. That was about it. And it was wildly effective. I've found that often you can do little things that don't take a lot of money but make a huge difference.

McDonald: I have the easiest sales job in the world because what I sell doesn't cost anything. When I talk to the owners or human resource folks at potential SEGs, I talk about offering credit union membership as a cost-free employee benefit.

Small businesses are being choked with the costs of providing benefits. I tell them that by offering a credit union, they can do something for employees and it won't cost the company a dime. If employees are worried about paying their bills, it's human nature to bring those worries into the workplace. Offering this kind of financial resource may take a little of the burden off employees, and they'll be more productive for the company.

Kimmett: On the league level, we're working on the credit union image because we don't have a specific product to sell. Our job is to explain our common last name.

One way we've reached out is by partnering with charities, such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation in New Hampshire, the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, and Special Olympics in Rhode Island. Those partnerships are beneficial and show that credit unions have a heart.

Q: What do you like best about your job?

McDonald: I love speaking to groups. I've developed financial literacy seminars on subjects such as basic budgeting, homebuying, and establishing and maintaining excellent credit.

I also speak on personal and professional development topics, such as goal setting, outstanding customer service, sales skills, and so on. I've been asked to speak at conferences around the country and at different chambers of commerce.

Parks: The wonderful part of working for a credit union is the networking you can do with peers all across the country. We're open about sharing with each other. I don't know that I would have gotten through my first few years without the network of people who helped me and guided me along. I wouldn't be where I am now.

It's also satisfying to have an idea and watch it be successful. And then there's seeing in members' eyes that you're making a difference. You know you're truly helping people.

Kimmett: I like that my job stays exciting and fluid. I get to change jobs without changing jobs. One of the best things is I never have to question whether I'm doing the right thing when I get up in the morning. People are benefiting from the work we do here. They get a shot at getting a better deal in financial services.

Q: What's the toughest part of your job?

Kimmett: If you cut the credit union business down to its bare bones, it's fairly easy to understand. But there's so much attached to it that's hard to understand.

So when I'm dealing with reporters and the media, they don't have time for me to walk them through the whole scenario. It can be difficult to interact in a way that gets across the story—and to make sure it ends up as the credit union story, and not "the bank says this, the bank says that."

I've also been talking a lot lately about the need for credit unions to invest more in their image. Credit unions tend to get caught up in day-to-day, bottom-line pressures: They have to sell this certificate or get this home equity loan program off the ground.

They don't set aside a portion of their budget—and I'm talking about a small portion—to concentrate on branding: "This is who we are, and this is what we stand for." Then when you do direct response advertising, you don't have to explain your values. You've already reinforced that.

Parks: Sometimes credit unions tend to be staid and conservative. Some of the most successful campaigns we've done have stepped outside the box. It can be challenging to get people to understand you can do things a little differently and it will be OK.

McDonald: For me, the toughest part is having all these ideas and projects I want to do, but frankly there are limitations you can't mitigate. That's difficult for people in marketing. Sometimes we feel our creativity is being stifled.

Q: What do you see for the future of credit union marketing and business development?

McDonald: The marketing and business development aspects have to become an absolutely crucial part if credit unions are to grow. Credit unions will need to give the necessary resources to their marketing and business development departments.

What saddens me sometimes is that when times get rough, the first things cut are what I consider to be the most important—marketing and training. You can't cut those areas and expect business to develop properly.

Kimmett: I look at other consumer product companies that are market- and marketing-driven, such as Pepsi, Apple, and General Motors. They have marketing people in the senior management suites, driving decision-making and planning.

That's what I see happening more in credit unions. It's going to be less about "Here's a plan, marketing department—make it happen," and more about having marketing, operations, finance, and other executives in the room making decisions together.

Parks: For years, marketers were thought of as the newsletter writers and brochure creators, but our role has changed. We'll take on a huge role in the coming years as banks go more on the offensive.

Credit unions need strong brands that connect with consumers and stand out from the competition. It will take strong marketing efforts to get credit unions where they need to be. Credit unions that understand that will be successful.

Q: What advice do you offer those who are just starting careers in credit union marketing?

Kimmett: Talk to members so you understand their needs. It's easy to sit back and read reports, scan documents, and assume you can predict behavior.

Also, pay attention to what's going on in the macromarket and where the economy is headed. Read The Wall Street Journal and watch Bloomberg Television. What are the big trends outside our section of the financial services industry?

And network like crazy. Go to conferences, such as the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council Conference. Hang around with bright people who are doing good work, and ask questions. Do that outside the credit union industry, too.

McDonald: When I started, I talked to anybody and everybody who was involved in marketing and business development—in all industries, not just credit unions. I forged relationships and went to a lot of breakfast and lunch meetings with people to share ideas.

That's one of the strengths of the council. Its members aren't afraid to share ideas and best practices. Ego has no place in credit union marketing and business development. We need to share what works, for the benefit of the entire industry, not just our specific credit union.

Also, you have to be willing to reach out, but realize not everyone is going to buy what you're selling. That's OK. Move on. Don't let that stop you. If you make a mistake, own up to it, apologize, and move on quickly. Don't let things fester.

Parks: Connect with other credit union marketing people. Pick up the phone, tune into [an electronic mailing list], or attend a conference. Most people in the credit union movement are passionate about it. Just getting connected will get you revved up about what credit unions are all about.

This story first appeared at www.creditunionmagazine.com and is reprinted with permission.