Tag Archives: marketing

Didn’t WaMu’s CMO get a memo or something?

I had a surreal moment today.

I read the news that WaMu is now JPMorgan. Great.

When I moved back to Canada five years ago, I left some of our US money in my WaMu account. Well, whatever, it’s a small amount and I’m sure it’ll be fine. And then I get this little email marketing nugget.

WaMu News | The holidays start today.

I got this email TODAY. At 6:47pm. Didn’t their CMO get a memo or something? Am I about to start saving for the holidays… today… at WaMu? Hmmm, let me give that a little thought.

Two things I liked about the email:

  • There was this reminder in the tagline: Deposits at Washington Mutual are FDIC insured. Whew!
  • I can easily unsubscribe from future WaMu email marketing.

What would I have preferred? Some acknowledgement that the bank that holds MY money has been taken over and a link to some information that I need to know about how it affects me. Some recognition of what is actually going on.

WaMu

At least they now have some information for WaMu customers on their homepage about the takeover, which they didn’t when I first received this email.

Say it with me now: Whoo Hoo!

Social Media Marketing Best Practice: Community Engagement

About a week ago, Morriss Partee blogged this: Social Media Marketing Best Practice: Use multiple media.

In this post, he tagged me, along with a few others, to continue a topic of Social Media Marketing Best Practices started on the Twist Image blog by digital marketing guru Mitch Joel.

He asked me to continue this thread by adding my two cents, so here goes.

My Social Media Marketing Best Practice is Community Engagement:

I used to call it Web 2.0, but that seemed to focus too much on technology. So I started calling it Social Media, but I think that focuses too much on the tools and leads us to jump to solutions before we fully grasp the issue we’re trying to address. Now I simply call it Community Engagement. The most important thing is to never lose sight of our core objective: People. We need to keep the people we’re trying to engage in a conversation front and centre, and develop a plan to inspire participation around a relevant topic, event, issue, brand, product or service.

I hope this thought furthers the conversation a little.

Thanks Morriss!

Young & Free Texas-style.

Young & Free TexasI’m a big fan of Currency Marketing‘s Young & Free Alberta campaign. I think it’s one of the smartest uses of social media to drive direct business results that I’ve ever seen.

When I speak to people about it, they have just one criticism. That Larissa Walkiw, the spokesperson of the Alberta program and an amazingly talented young woman, makes the whole campaign and you’ll never find another like her.

So a few months back when Tim McAlpine, the pioneer of Young & Free Alberta, announced that he was opening it up to allow for one credit union in each State or Province to replicate the program, I was very intrigued.

Now I see that he’s partnered with TDECU in Texas, the home of the amazing Trey Reeme, to launch Young & Free Texas.

You can also check out their Facebook fan page.

It will be fascinating to see how this new program progresses. I believe there are lots of talented and passionate young people who will take this program in new directions. That there is more than one Larissa, so to speak, and that there are amazing nooks and crannies that other people will take the program as spokesperson. But ultimately the proof will be in the pudding.

Congrats Tim, and good luck Trey and TDECU!