Payment Industry Insider

Tom Caughlin, the coach of the New York Giants football team that is heading to the Superbowl, needed a sign. He was deciding whether to risk having his kicker miss the game winning field goal (after missing two previous attempts) or to give his offense a chance to score. 

He was looking for a sign and that sign came in the form of his kicker’s unwavering confidence in himself. Lawrence Tynes, the Giants kicker, trotted out onto the field with the rest of his team following behind him to kick the game winning field goal. His coach’s decision was made! The rest is history!

So how does this story relate to your credit union? In many ways, credit unions are like Lawrence Tynes. We have missed some opportunities recently (bank conversions, mortgages, etc.) but we still have the confidence to run out onto the field when the game is on the line.

There have been many blog posts recently about credit unions adopting a national credit union marketing (or branding in some cases) campaign. Wouldn’t we all be better off if we started marketing credit unions collectively? I think so, but we’ll never know unless we run out to try our game winning field goal. Imagine the impact of a commercial during the Superbowl marketing the collective good that credit unions across the nation offer…think that would create buzz?

Mobile banking is on the horizon. How can or how will credit unions be able to lead the way in this effort?

Social networking is also a hot blogoshpere topic focusing specifically around how credit unions can use blogs or other types of social networking to engage their members and potential members, not just other bloggers. It’s a great question and one that if we continue working on is sure to pay dividends (hopefully to members!). 

Like Lawrence Tynes, we just need to have the courage and confidence in ourselves, our movement and our cooperative business concept to make these all work. I can’t wait for it to happen, I’m running out onto the field…