06/30/2008

My crazy journey from obscurity to a regular on the credit union conference speaking circuit.

By Tim McAlpine

If we knew each other in high school and happened to bump into one another today, there is no way that you would believe me if I told you that in the past four months I had spoken at 10 conferences all over North America.

Growing up, I barely said a word in front of people I didn't know for fear of embarrassment. I was extremely shy. I've had to overcome this fear since starting my own business 18 years ago, but the act of public speaking has always ranked very high on my list of least-favourite activities in life.

But something happened 18-months ago. I began to follow blogs and to blog myself. My reasons to start blogging were simple:

• I wanted to raise our company's profile outside of British Columbia
• I wanted to enter into a dialogue about credit union branding and marketing with other like-minded people
• I wanted to understand this new social media thing

Through blogging I connected with an incredible group of credit union advocates online and slowly began to get Currency known outside of Canada.

How did I go from hiding behind a keyboard to not hiding behind anything on stage?

My big speaking break came when I read Trey Reeme's May 15, 2007 post on Open Source CU. Buried in the bullet points was an invitation to be a guest speaker at the 2007 FORUM Solutions/Trabian Partnership Symposium.

You can be a speaker, too. We’re holding open auditions here on OSCU for a speaker slot. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never addressed an audience before or if you’re as seasoned as Chris Farley in a van down by the river. Submit your auditions in any format you’d like – text, audio, video – but were it me, I’d record a video about what I’d like to present, upload it to YouTube, and post the HTML for the video as a comment to this post.

I had never done anything like this before, but for some reason I was compelled to act. Three days later, I posted my silly application video to YouTube. Ironically, we had proposed the same type of video contest to Common Wealth Credit Union six months earlier in November 2006. I think, subconsciously, I wanted to see how this would work in practice.

I was chosen, I spoke reasonably well at the Symposium and I thought to myself, "Hey, I think I can actually do this speaking thing."

In January 2008, I put a speaking package together and I contacted veteran credit union speakers Shari Storm, Doug True and Denise Wymore for some advice. Each suggested that I talk to Christopher Stevenson from CUES. Meanwhile, a very talented young woman in a green room in the rural town of St. Albert, Alberta started creating some of the best Internet content that the credit union world had ever seen.

The timing was impeccable. Dumb luck? Karma? I don't know, but all of a sudden I was guilty by association to Young & Free Alberta and Larissa Walkiw. I was pegged as the poster child for credit union social media and Generation Y marketing.

How the &^%@ does this happen?

Since February 25, 2008, I have been flown to Ottawa, to Houston, to San Antonio, to Toronto, to Steamboat Springs, to Cancun, to Chicago twice and to New York City three times! All to speak about a mix of traditional and non-traditional marketing strategies including social media, branding and Generation Y marketing for small and large credit unions.

Here are my mega-travel stats over the past four months:

• 34 days away from home
• 31 flights covering 46,251 miles
• 92 hours in the air
• 84 hours sitting in airports (including check-in, lay-overs and delays)
• 1 upgrade to first-class
• 9,536 kg CO2 added to the environment*

To some, this amount of travel might be old hat, but to me it has been overwhelming. I didn't even have a passport until last September. A total of seven 24-hour days in airports and airplanes—are you kidding me? My staff, my clients and especially my family have been very supportive as I ride my 15 minutes of credit union fame.

Why am I telling you this story?

Partly to thank everyone for their support, patience and belief in me. Partly to apologize for dumb Twitter tweets like, "Here I am in another airport waiting for a delayed flight." Partly to document this ridiculous rise from obscurity. But mostly, to tell you that if you shoot to overcome a personal fear and really believe in something, who knows what can happen.

Here's to blogging and to the tremendous community of great people in and around the credit union movement!

And while I am documenting this, I need to tell myself to smile more during my presentations! I am also glad to be home for awhile. I have one more speaking date in July and then I am home for a couple of months. Thank goodness.

P.S. Head over to FORUM Solutions right now and cast your vote for the 2008 Partnership Symposium wild-card speaker. Whoever wins could see themselves racking up some serious Air Miles in 2009!

*P.P.S. William, I got your link and am looking at ways to offset my out-of-control carbon footprint.

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06/28/2008

Shout out: You Belong at Premier.

By Tim McAlpine

I am excited that more and more credit unions are embracing the social web with initiatives that differentiate their organizations.

Case in point, Colorado's Premier Members Federal Credit Union has launched a new microsite complete with videos and a blog. The site is called You Belong At Premier.

It is smart, simple and very personal. The member videos that have been transformed into professional TV commercials are great. The production value, animation and fresh look is awesome.

Well done Premier!

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06/28/2008

TD Online Banking - A Critique

By Nala Henkel

I discovered a neat thing today when I checked out my sad little balance at the TD. For those of you who've forgotten, I opened accounts at Canada's 5 major banks to do mystery shopping for this blog.

Anywho, I logged in and found this:

Here's my critique:

1. Too much copy.
2. Haven't we gotten beyond the ALL CAPS full name thing in (de-) personalizing our offers??
3. Use it sparingly, not every time I log in.
4. It's brilliant.

Now, I already know that you're thinking two things.

First, you're worried that my boss, Tim, will tear me a new one for spending 3/7 of my time (check out the tabs) on non-work-related internet surfing. Thanks for the concern, but he actually encourages us to use social media, as it will play a big role in the future of marketing.

The second thing you're thinking is, "How can she have 75% of her criticism be negative and yet say it's brilliant? Is she taking Will Ferrell's crazy pills?"

Here's why it's brilliant:

1. I took the time to read it.

Do you know how hard it is to get people to read your marketing messages? Very hard. I will clarify, though - the IDEA is brilliant. The execution sucks.

Are you "helpfully interrupting" your members online?

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06/26/2008

Guest post: Is social media the new golf?

By Shari Storm

As I tried to explain Twitter to my boss for the third time, I found these words popping out of my mouth "It's like golf!" The look he gave me clearly indicated he thought that I was nuts.

But as I mulled over that analogy a little more, I realized how true it really is. Social media is the new golf.

Here’s how I see it:

Both have their own terminology: Unless you are a golfer, you probably don't know what birdie, bogey or mulligan means (not to mention jigger, lip-out or yips). Unless you are familiar with social media, you probably don't know what wiki, widget or tagging means (not to mention scrobble, chicklet or tweet).

Both can be embarrassing for beginners: I remember the first time I lined up my club, adjusted my stance, zeroed in on my golf ball and SWUNG... only to completely miss the ball. It felt like everyone on the golf course could see me mess up. It felt exactly like the first time I posted a comment to a widely read blog. I carefully thought out my point, scripted my words, edited it a few times and pressed SEND… only to realize I misspelled a word. It felt like the whole Internet could see my mistake… oh wait, they could.

Both are baffling to the uninitiated: People who don't golf, cannot understand how hitting a tiny white ball around a big lawn can possibly be enjoyable; just as my non-social media friends do not understand how chatting with folks through my computer is fun.

Both are the safe place to mix business with pleasure: I took up golf when I heard the advice from Washington’s first female bank CEO. "Play golf," she said. "It's where deals get made." I took up social media when I met the boys from Trabian. "Get online," they said, "it's where the future of business is hanging out." On the golf course, people talk about their vacations, their kids, and then they talk about business. On Facebook, people talk about what they ate for breakfast, what music they like and then they talk about business. I've had business development discussions on the golf course and on LinkedIn. Both have proven equally as valuable to my career.

About our guest blogger: Shari Storm has been with the credit union industry since 1998.

Shari's staff at Verity has been using a corporate blog since 2004. They have found it to be an excellent way to communicate with members on a level never before possible. Their early foray into this medium earned them an "Innovator of the Year Award" from NetBanker in 2006.

Shari has an undergraduate degree in speech communications from the University of Washington and earned her MBA from Seattle University. She teaches "Using Social Media to Grow Your Business" at the University of Washington’s Experimental College as well as through the Corporate for Capital Development’s "Women's Networking and Entrepreneurial Training" programs.

Her accomplishments include participating in over 60 media interviews on consumer issues, teaching free enterprise in the communist country of Belarus, working on Filene’s prestigious i3 team, and raising three daughters. She will also be publishing a book on how motherhood is the perfect management training (Thomas Dunne).

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06/25/2008

First Entertainment: I laughed, I cried, I wanted to open a checking account!

By Tim McAlpine

But sadly I can't open a checking account at First Entertainment Credit Union. I'm not in the biz. The entertainment business, that is. And that's the point. By knowing who their audience is, First Entertainment has created an exceptional brand experience taylored to a very select group.

Southern California's First Entertainment Credit Union has launched a new website. In a brilliant switcheroo, they posted a teaser microsite on the Internet (which I blogged about last week) that left everyone guessing what a Brit, a Startlet and a Surfer had to do with a credit union. Who knew the answer was everything.

In a similar vein to Coast Capital Savings' popular website greeter, Julie, First Entertainment has created a credit union web experience that surpasses the mundain and leaps wildly into the entertainingly helpful.

I watched all of the audition videos and was finally swayed by the Brit's awesome movie idea. The Brit is now my personal website assistant, always there to answer any question I may have as I navigate the new site. Sorry Starlet and Surfer, you were tied for second.

It sure pays off when you can narrowly define who your audience is. This enables you to build a brand experience that is irresistable.

Web usability expert, Jacob Neilsen, might question the excessive use of Flash, but in this case, I relish the excess. Nice work and congratulations to everyone involved. You all deserve Oscars.

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06/25/2008

BarCampBankBC: Registration, shirts, sponsors, Facebook, banner ads and Pecha Kucha

By Tim McAlpine

On September 20 and 21, 2008, I am helping to host an ad hoc gathering known as BarCampBankBC. As I reported in my last update, we have secured an awesome location: the downtown campus of BCIT.

If you are wondering what a BarCampBank is, one of my organizing partners in crime, William Azaroff, wrote a great guest post on NetBanker describing this growing movement of unconferences.

Registration: Sign-ups are coming in fast and furious. We are now at 38 at the time of this writing and there is still three months to go! The first bunch of registrations came in before I had setup the payment process through Eventbrite. If you are one of those folks that put your name on the BCBBC Wiki, but haven't paid yet, please do so!

T-shirts: Same goes for T-shirts. If you signed up early, you probably didn't see that we are offering T-shirts. If you want one, add your size to the BCBBC Wiki.

Sponsors: Our goal was to attract five sponsors to help cover the facility and catering costs and to keep the registration fee to a low $35. Thanks to Vancity, Mount Lehman Credit Union, HSBC Direct, Currency Marketing and MemberDirect we are all sponsored up!

Facebook: William has set up a Facebook event group. If you are coming, be sure to add yourself to the attendee list. While you are at it, write something on the wall!

Banner ads: Help us get the word out! If you have a blog or a website with a little extra real estate, I encourage you to grab one of these banners and proudly fly the BarCampBankBC flag. Although we will pay you exactly nothing to do so, your pay off will come when visitors to your blog or website think that you are extra cool. Don't forget to link the banner to the BarCampBankBC wiki at http://barcamp.org/BarCampBankBC. If you are interested, but none of these sizes fits your site, e-mail the pixel dimensions to tmcalpine at currencymarketing dot ca and I can do a quick resize for you.

 

 
Pecha Kucha: We've added a new element! We will end Saturday afternoon with Pecha Kucka presentations.

What is Pecha Kucha you ask? Pronounced "peh-chak-cha," it is a mix of show-and-tell, open-mike night and happy hour. It has become the forum for ideas on design, architecture and lots of other stuff. Pecha Kucka has swept the world in just four years now having taken place in over 80 cities globally. Each presenter is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each. This gives each presenter 6 minutes and 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. This keeps presentations concise, the interest level up and gives more people the chance to show. There is a table with 12 available spots on the BCBBC Wiki. If you want a spot, simply add your name and topic.

You are now all up to date with everything to do with BarCampBankBC. I hope to see you there.

P.S. Congratulations to the BarCampBankDallas gang for what sounded like a successful event this past weekend. I see that the blogs and pictures are starting to show up.

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06/25/2008

ATM Mysteries

By Nala Henkel

I know many people have wondered why drive-thru ATMs have braille on them. My daughter asked me this a few years ago. She didn't know whether to believe me or not when I replied "For blind people, of course."

My latest curiousity about these machines is why they can't angle the screens. Have you ever had to select which account and the options on the screen doesn't line up with the buttons? So you have to scrunch down a little to make sure you're pushing the right one, because heaven forbid you choose an account you don't have OR you select "French" by mistake and test the patience of the people behind you when you ask them "What does 'choisir' mean?"

I'm not an amazon woman (5'7") but when my 4'0" daughter ALSO had to scrunch down, I knew I was onto another ATM anomoly.

Hmmm... Quelle étrange!

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06/24/2008

Small is beautiful. Here's my presentation from the CUES Annual Convention in Cancun today.

By Tim McAlpine

Yesterday, I was in New York and today I am speaking at the CUES Annual Convention in Cancun, Mexico. Crazy!

This is the same presentation that I gave at the CUES West AGM in Ottawa in May. I will have two repeated 75 minute sessions to talk about why I feel that credit unions can remain small and beautiful. The presentation is a mix of all of my passions: I believe that small credit unions can combine a compelling brand, inexpensive marketing and low-cost and free social media to differentiate themselves in their marketplace.

Rather than reupload the file for Cancun with a different title page, I will direct participants here to download the slides.

Small is beautiful. Your credit union can remain small and successful.

June 24, 2008  |  CUES Annual Convention  |  Cancun, Mexico

Presentation overview
With the tidal wave of mergers and consolidation within the Canadian and US credit union systems, it seems as though getting bigger is the only way for credit unions to survive. However, there are fine examples of very successful credit unions that are bucking the trend and purposefully remaining small. Tim McAlpine will explore how these credit unions are using marketing, technology and good old-fashioned member advocacy to not only remain small, but also continue to be viable and successful.

Download handouts
+ Small is beautiful (1.74 MB PDF)

Thanks to the CUES Conference gang including Sara Dyer and Christopher Stevenson for helping me with the arrangements and bring me to Mexico!

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06/23/2008

Forrester 2008 Financial Forum: Here is my presentation for download

By Tim McAlpine

I am presenting in New York today at the Forrester's 2008 Financial Services Forum For Marketing and Strategy Professionals on the topic of Designing a Social Computing Strategy to Attract Gen Yers.

Regular readers may have seen most of this material, but to make things easy, I will be pointing attendees here to view and download the slides.

I will be joined by Cathy Graiber, a Vice President at Forrester. Cathy has graciously allowed me to include her slides. I encourage you to check them out as there is some great insights into online social media participation across all age groups.

Designing a social computing strategy to attract Gen Yers.

June 23, 2008  |  Forrester 2008 Financial Forum  |  New York, New York

Presentation overview
Gen Yers are the future of the online channel, but attracting them requires a non-traditional approach. Learn how Common Wealth Credit Union's new Young & Free Alberta targets Gen Yers with an integrated marketing and social computing program centered around the youngfreealberta.com microsite. Currency Marketing created an integrated program that included finding and hiring a Gen Y spokesperson to represent the product, the credit union and their generation. Tim McAlpine will speak about the lessons learned on Web 2.0 dos and dont's and how this program is appealing to Gen Yers who have become Common Wealth credit union members.

Download handouts
+ Designing a social computing strategy to attract Gen Y (1.40 MB PDF)

Thanks to Ron Shevlin for introducing me to Cathy and thanks to Cathy and Forrester for inviting me to be a part of this prestigious conference. Two months ago, I had never been to New York. Now this is my third trip! All of this travel is great, but I really miss home, my wife and my kids. Luckily things will calm down after this trip.

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06/22/2008

Must-read book: Groundswell.

By Tim McAlpine

About a month ago, a friend of mine recommended that I read a new book called Groundswell. Since the last month has been a bit of a whirlwind, I never got around to ordering it.

It dawned on me Friday night that I should buy the audiobook version from Audible to put on my iPod for something to listen to on my six-hour flight on Saturday from Vancouver to New York. I am presenting a session on Monday at the Forrester's 2008 Financial Services Forum For Marketing and Strategy Professionals on the topic of Designing a Social Computing Strategy to Attract Gen Yers.

The Twilight Zone part of this story is that I had no idea that Groundswell is a book written by two senior Forrester analysts, Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, and that Josh is also scheduled to present at the Financial Forum on Monday!

Groundswell is just the book that I have been waiting for. It categorically proves the business case for social media and for implementing Web 2.0 strategies into the markting mix. Josh and Charlene provide dozens of real-world examples with hard ROI calculations backed by extensive research and analysis. The findings in this book make it impossible to refute the power of the social web. They have put real meat into this feeling that thing are a changing. And, as Groundswell was just released in May 2008, the information and examples are extremely current and comprehensive.

I have been speaking at a number of conferences lately about social media and the general sense from many folks is that it is a passing fad. To this notion, I quote the book, "The Groundswell trend is not a flash in the pan. This is an important, completely irreversible way for people to relate to companies and to each other. Why is it happening now? The Groundswell comes from the collision of three forces: people, technology and economics."

This is the perfect book to buy and read yourself no matter what your level of social media understanding is. I consider myself pretty tuned into all of this stuff, but I learned a tremendous amount and found my mind racing with new ideas that I want to help credit unions implement.

Who should read Groundswell at your credit union?

• Leaders within your organization who don't know anything about social media
   
• Those who have a general understanding but are still on the fence about getting involved
   
• Anyone involved in marketing, communications and technology
   
• Those charged with implementing a social marketing strategy
   
• Number crunchers who question the ROI of engaging in social media
   
• Folks that are already involved in social media but want to take their efforts to the next level

Although the audiobook was easy to listen to, I would recommend buying the actual book as there are so many great, actionable tips and checklists that you will want to highlight. I've already ordered my hardcopy.

Also, check out the Groundswell website complete with a blog, author profiles, videos and a discussion board.

P.S. Wish me luck tomorrow. With 450 attendees, this is the biggest event that I have ever spoken at.

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