Top Quartile

Strategies for smart growth going into 2024

Dan Marks — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 19:51:23 +0000

Description: Chris Nichols, Director of Capital Markets at SouthState Bank discusses key strategies for growth in the current environment with Dan Marks. Key points covered include:

Chris’ background and role
The interplay of balance sheet, income statement, and hedging strategies in the current environment
How Chris’ team enables banks to implement the right balance sheet and customer tactics
The importance of prioritizing customer relationship growth and picking the right areas to focus on in order to earn above the banks’ cost of capital
Best practices in driving relationship deposit growth
How data, machine learning, and practical analytics can and should inform prioritized focus
Chris’ perspective on what we will all wish we knew about 2024 ahead of time by the time we get to 2025 and look back on the year

Using behavioral data to drive member experience improvements

Dan Marks — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:41 +0000

David Eldred, Chief Experience Officer of Solarity Credit Union, joins Dan Marks to discuss how he has used practical behavior-driven data to be a foundation for driving growth and improvement of the overall member experience. Key points covered include:

David’s career progression and current role
The growth trends that lead to a strategic imperative to put the member at the “center of the universe”
Tools and techniques to discover member preferences and differences by persona
How data drove the process and was used to tailor member communication
Best practices for change management both inside of the credit union and with the members
Key trends and emerging opportunities
David’s hobby as a board game publisher. See this link to discover his game: RPG Battles Home - RPG Battles

A leading Chief Digital Officer’s perspective on growth

Dan Marks — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 07:00:57 +0000

Description: Doug Peacock, EVP and Chief Digital Officer of Associated Bank, joins Dan Marks to discuss how he is leading a Digital First/Product First strategic initiative to use digital channels to enhance the overall customer experience and profitable revenue growth at the bank. Key points covered include:

Background and current role
Growth at Associated Bank
The key growth drivers digital channels enable at the bank
How advanced data analytics informs strategy and the impact AI will have
Prioritizing engagement, retention, and originations with digital channel capabilities
How the digital experience supports sales both in the digital channel and in other channels
The changing role of the contact center to support the overall experience
The importance of developing curiosity as a key leadership trait

Current state of the Martech ecosystem and where the puck is going

Dan Marks — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 07:00:30 +0000

Scott Brinker, Editor at chiefmartec.com and VP of Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot, joins Dan Marks to discuss what the current state of the art looks like in the world of Marketing Data, Marketing Automation, AI, and the interaction of the different market participants. Key points covered include:

Scott’s background and experience in the space both as a founder of chiefmartec.com and in his current role.
Key trends related to marketing data, AI, and no code/low code capabilities.
How the landscape has changed since first-generation platforms such as Unica, Eloqua, and Marketo.
The key benefit of a platform-based approach and how it is particularly relevant in periods of rapid innovation.
Key considerations in highly regulated industries like financial services.
Does Scott have a crystal ball that reveals the key trends to watch over the next 3-5 years? Tune in to find out.

Midpoint 2023 Industry Trends & Best Practices for Balance Sheet Growth

Dan Marks — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:00:05 +0000

Tim Keith, CEO of Infusion, joins Dan Marks to discuss current trends, opportunities for raising deposits for banks and credit unions, interest rates, and best practices. Key points covered include:

Trends we are seeing as we work with clients all over the country at the start of 2H 2023.
What we are seeing today regarding raising deposits efficiently and effectively with the huge focus on deposits over the last 6-9 months.
Opportunities banks who need deposits should be focusing on as high probability wins and any similarities or differences for credit unions.
How loan growth has changed with the current interest rate environment.
What we are seeing regarding channel mix and best practices for execution.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Top Quartile
(00:00:46) - Credit Unions and deposits: trends
(00:05:32) - How to Raise Deposits? Credit Union
(00:08:35) - Bradley:
(00:17:39) - Credit Unions vs Banks: What's The Difference?
(00:28:03) - Loan Growth vs. Deposit Growth
(00:33:52) - Top Quartile: The Opportunity Assessment

Using data to increase relevance and build better relationships

Dan Marks — Wed, 03 May 2023 19:22:11 +0000

David Hall, SVP, DX Director with Bank of Hawaii, joins Dan Marks to discuss key lessons learned during his history working across the front lines and back office at Zions, MX, and now at BOH, using data and personalization to make a difference in areas that really matter to customers. Key points covered include:

David’s background and current role at Bank of Hawaii.
What David learned mixing tunes in the 90s.
What growth has been like at Bank of Hawaii recently.
How David’s experience as both a banker and FinTech executive uniquely informs his perspective.
How David sees consumer behavior changing fundamentally versus more cyclical changes driven by the economic/rate environment.
What David thinks about the intersection of media channels and sales/service channels.
How data informs the strategy being put in place at Bank of Hawaii.
Overall observations and lessons learned that David believes would be helpful to other bankers.
David’s advice to his younger self based on what he knows now, having served at multiple banks and in Fintech.

Driving revenue growth through data-driven marketing and sales

Dan Marks — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 07:00:23 +0000

Steve Mertz, EVP of Growth & Strategy with People First Federal Credit Union, joins Dan Marks to discuss how their team is leveraging data to boost member and revenue growth. Key points covered include:

Steve’s broad background with banking and credit unions and how that has prepared him to drive the overall growth agenda at People First
Steve’s passion for family and baseball
The new executive team at People First being in place to accelerate growth after a period low to no growth
The challenge in brand perception and delivery that had to be addressed as a foundation
How to use data-driven insights to effectively coordinate marketing and sales activities
Where Steve sees the puck going in applying data to generate tangible revenue outcomes
Setting an array of proactive touchpoints to communicate to members in the way that they have signaled they prefer – including emerging channels like text and OTT video
Proactively generating sustainable low-cost funding to continue driving top quartile loan growth
Steve’s mix of experience including brokerage licensure, branch service, and sales management

Building essential leadership muscles for strong growth

Dan Marks — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 07:00:28 +0000

D.G. Markwell with Credit Union Leaders joins Dan Marks to discuss leadership skills, best practices, and habits that will be essential to maintain strong growth into the future. Key points covered include:

How D.G.’s background growing a credit union from $100M to over $2B in assets set the stage for Credit Union Leaders
How the mission of Credit Union Leaders helps the industry grow
Competing with the big banks and supporting communities
How leadership looks in the digital age
Best practices in data-driven digital growth and keeping a heart and passion for the community
How credit unions under $5B can tap into essential data-driven expertise without having to hire full time
Leadership essentials looking out 36 months, including: Empathy, mental health, digital transformation, the culture of data-driven decisions, financial education, marketing, and product development
How to build teams effectively by relaxing and embracing the process – not to worry, but also recognize different talents and skills on the team

Forbes article that DG mentioned.

How technology enables a great member experience

Dan Marks — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 08:00:01 +0000

Drew Mannin g, CIO at KeyPoint Credit Union, joins Dan Marks to talk about how technology enables KeyPoint to deliver a great member experience today and into the future as the landscape changes. We specifically talk about:

Drew’s background and current role as CIO, along with his hobby as a Jazz musician (Drew’s Jazz Spotify channel)
Recent growth at KeyPoint
Drew’s experience as a developer and how that informs his approach to leading as CIO
Key growth drivers
The role of data analytics – both historical trending and forward-looking predictive
Managing risks to protect the member experience
Drew’s perspective on where the technology landscape is going
How instinct and curiosity are key success factors

The 10-billion-dollar answer – lessons learned from generating tangible results

Dan Marks — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 08:00:58 +0000

Tim Keith, CEO at Infusion, joins Dan Marks to discuss what it means to deliver over $10 billion in balances for clients, how that connects to the Mission, and key lessons learned along the way, grounded in deep analysis of what actually drives tangible results. Key points covered include:

The $10B response balance milestone
What this means for clients and how it connects to our Mission
Lessons learned across four key performance optimization dimensions:
- Audience selection and the capacity/propensity equation
- Offer structure related to product mix
- Creative/positioning
- Channel mix including digital and OTT/CTV
How results are tracked and optimized

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Infusion Bank Goes Over 10 Billion in Deposits & Loans
(00:03:43) - How to Get to 10 Billion Accounts
(00:05:18) - How to Plan, Execute and Track Your Community Bank Growth
(00:08:04) - Key Lessons Learned from Tracking 10 Billion of Revenue
(00:12:38) - Post-Banking Marketing Lessons
(00:14:24) - Potential to Buy Factors and Deposit
(00:18:14) - OmniChannel Marketing: The 10 Billion
(00:23:19) - Can Credit Unions Track Online Account Open?
(00:27:24) - Cognitive Banking: The $10 Billion Measurement
(00:29:26) - Community Banking's 10 Billion Milestone
(00:32:52) - Top Quartile: The Opportunity Assessment

Insights from Banking and Fintech with Ashish Agarwal

Dan Marks — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 18:55:20 +0000

Ashish Agarwal, CMO at Kin Insurance (previously with Prosper), joins Dan Marks to discuss leaning in with strong analytics, customer, and commercial orientation and building a talented team to drive results. Some of the points we highlight in this episode are:

Ashish’s background and progression through roles at Capital One, Remitly, Prosper, and now, Kin
Observations on growth drivers and current consumer behavior from the FinTech perspective
How the interest rate environment affects the marketplace
How to use data and insights to inform marketing strategy
Lessons learned from recent changes in consumer behavior and preferences
How Brand and Performance disciplines in marketing work together to drive results
Advice Ashish would give his younger self

Building a brand based on mission and rooted in the community with Stephanie Dennehy

Dan Marks — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 12:00:45 +0000

Stephanie Dennehy, Chief Marketing Officer at Cape Cod Five, joins Dan Marks on this episode to talk about some of the best practices for community banking. Stephanie has been in banking and financial services for 11 years and talks about the growth she has seen in her time in the banking industry. Some of the points we highlight in this episode are:

Stephanie’s background and experience as a digital leader
How Cape Cod Five expanded its leadership in business lending
How culture and brand mutually reinforce each other
How Stephanie’s marketing leadership has supported growth at Cape Cod Five
How the mission of expanding financial wellness informs the go to market approach
How the bank’s mission and values informed the key strategic decision to completely eliminate Overdraft fees
How Cape Cod Five is implementing P2P payment systems to better serve their customers
Stephanie’s advice to her younger self

Top Quartile Guests’ Key Trends for 2023

Dan Marks — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 12:00:52 +0000

Top Quartile brings you part 2 of our special year end episode as we talk with a few of this year’s guests on the show about what kind of things they are keeping their watching as we go into 2023 and what key trends they are seeing, strategizing for, and are excited about in the coming year in the banking industry. Guests appearing in this episode and links to their original Top Quartile episode include:

Janelle Herrera, the head of Marketing and Business Development at OnTap Credit Union https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/tapping-growth-through-a-focused-strategy-w-janelle-herrera/
Kim Vogel, Board Director TriCo and TriplePoint https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/the-board-of-directors-perspective-on-growth-in-community-banking-and-fintech-w-kim-vogel/kim-vogel/
Tim Keith, Chief Executive Officer at Infusion https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/growing-deposits-at-attractive-cost-by-applying-advanced-data-analytics-with-tim-keith/
Douglas Scarboro, SVP of Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Regional Executive Memphis Branch https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/helping-communities-thrive-and-fostering-payments-innovation-w-douglas-scarboro/
Jeff Keltner, Fintech Executive https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/credit-digital-lending-and-how-to-use-data-in-new-ways-w-jeff-keltner/
Gentry Moyes, Head of Paid Media at Mountain America Credit Union https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/how-to-win-awards-and-crush-roi-goals-w-gentry-moyes/
Rick Claypoole, Managing Partner at Infusion - The Value of Customer Data For M&A https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/the-value-of-customer-data-for-ma-with-rick-claypoole/
Sean Kouplen, Chairman and CEO at Regent Bank https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/leadership-strategies-and-bank-growth-w-sean-kouplen/

2022 Lessons Learned and Reflections on a Dynamic Year

Dan Marks — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 12:00:01 +0000

Top Quartile brings you a special year end episode bringing back guests from the past year to talk about some of the key lessons they learned in 2022 as well as some of the books they have read that have helped shape strategies in the banking industry. Guests appearing in this episode and links to their original Top Quartile episode include:

Kim Vogel, Board Director TriCo and TriplePoint https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/the-board-of-directors-perspective-on-growth-in-community-banking-and-fintech-w-kim-vogel/kim-vogel/
Rick Claypoole, Managing Partner at Infusion - The Value of Customer Data For M&A https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/the-value-of-customer-data-for-ma-with-rick-claypoole/
Douglas Scarboro, SVP of Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Regional Executive Memphis Branch https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/helping-communities-thrive-and-fostering-payments-innovation-w-douglas-scarboro/
Janelle Herrera, the head of Marketing and Business Development at OnTap Credit Union https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/tapping-growth-through-a-focused-strategy-w-janelle-herrera/
Jeff Keltner, Fintech Executive https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/credit-digital-lending-and-how-to-use-data-in-new-ways-w-jeff-keltner/
Gentry Moyes, Head of Paid Media at Mountain America Credit Union https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/how-to-win-awards-and-crush-roi-goals-w-gentry-moyes/
Tim Keith, Chief Executive Officer at Infusion https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/growing-deposits-at-attractive-cost-by-applying-advanced-data-analytics-with-tim-keith/
Sean Kouplen, Chairman and CEO at Regent Bank https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/leadership-strategies-and-bank-growth-w-sean-kouplen/

Key Deposit Management and Pricing Best Practices with Neil Stanley

Dan Marks — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 11:00:56 +0000

Neil Stanley, the CEO of CorePoint and a former Bank CEO joins host Dan Marks to talk trends and best practices on liquidity management. Neil has an extensive experience from his time working for a bank and running a bank as CEO as well as his current role at Corepoint. Neil has a passion for diving deep in understanding all of the levers that influence deposit growth at a bank and an interesting perspective that may be a source of new ideas and inspiration for enhancing your strategy.

Trends across the industry related to liquidity management
The catalyst for shifts in balance sheet priorities and how to get prepared for what is coming
The balance sheet view compared to the customer view
The value of personalization in setting deposit pricing and processes
Updating processes and approaches for the mix of digital and personal channels
Key take-aways and best practices
Neils’ reflections on lessons learned from being a young bank CEO

Making a Difference and Driving Growth with Amber Callahan

Dan Marks — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:00:22 +0000

Amber Callahan who leads marketing for 1st Advantage Credit Union joins Dan Marks how a data driven foundation for marketing leads to brand growth as well as product growth. Some of the points we highlight in this episode are:

What growth has been like recently at 1st Advantage
1st Advantage’s marketing strategy
How the 70-year legacy of community involvement builds the brand
Using data and analytics as a strong foundation for the entire marketing plan
Best Practices and lessons learned
Advice Amber would give to her younger self

Understanding customer needs and the innovation agenda w/Rilla Delorier

Dan Marks — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 09:00:40 +0000

Rilla Delorier, who sits on multiple bank and fintech boards, joins Dan Marks on this episode to discuss how banks can ensure innovation gets the proper attention at the board and management level.

Innovation from the perspective of a bank executive vs a bank board member
How Rilla filters and prioritizes key information
Understanding the customer perspective to inform strategy
The importance of having people from different perspectives to spark inspiration
Key innovation areas of opportunity for community banks
Avoiding the ‘twin traps’ of being too aggressive and too massive on a transformation program as opposed to not doing enough
3 key lessons learned by Rilla that would be helpful for bank management
Advice Rilla would give to her younger self

Growing deposits at attractive cost by applying advanced data analytics w/Tim Keith

Dan Marks — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 09:00:13 +0000

Tim Keith and Dan Marks discuss how smart banks and credit unions are able to apply practical analysis to create a data driven strategy that results in reaching funding goals and relationship growth goals at a lower total cost than other alternatives.

Macro trends from across peer banks and credit unions
Similarities and differences from prior rate cycles going back to the 1970s
Differences between relationship and prospect driven approaches
How personalized digital media changes the game
Key lessons learned and practical examples

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Welcome Back to Top Quartile
(00:00:28) - Top Bankers: Deposit Growth
(00:03:20) - Fed Rate Talk: What Might Be Different this Time?
(00:09:06) - Growth Prospects and Cost
(00:14:39) - Bradley: On Pricing and Targeted Marketing
(00:21:23) - Top Quartile: The Opportunity Assessment

Tapping growth through a focused strategy w/Janelle Herrera

Dan Marks — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 09:00:52 +0000

Janelle Herrera, the head of Marketing and Business Development at OnTap Credit Union talks with Dan Marks about OnTap’s unique mission tied to their roots and it focuses the growth strategy. Dive into the history at the bottom of the bottle on this fascinating Podcast episode of Top Quartile.

How OnTap Credit Union was founded
What exactly is ‘beer culture,’ and how it relates to the credit union’s roots
Where Janelle prioritizes the growth strategy
Leveraging data analytics to inform strategy
Engaging the community in unique ways
Best practices at OnTap Credit Union
Words of advice that Janelle would give to her younger self

How to win awards and crush ROI goals w/Gentry Moyes

Dan Marks — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 09:00:15 +0000

Gentry Moyes, Head of Paid Media at Mountain America Credit Union, goes behind the scenes with Dan Marks to unpack the who, what, and why of the MACCEE award winning campaign that Mountain America recently wrapped up that used influencers to authentically promote the, 'My Style,' checking product.

Gentry's background and current role at Mountain America Credit Union
What growth has been like recently at Mountain America Credit Union
Winning the MACCEE award at the premier Marketing Association of Credit Unions MAC event
How the campaign came together
The spark of inspiration based on mountains of analysis
Going behind impressions to track the impact of the campaign on actual sales results
What is next for his award-winning campaign
Key lessons learned on managing the full campaign lifecycle from idea to tracking

Influencers:

Credit, Digital Lending, and how to use data in new ways w/Jeff Keltner

Dan Marks — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 09:00:11 +0000

Jeff Keltner joins Dan Marks in this episode of Top Quartile to discuss credit, digital lending, and how to use data in new ways to expand access to credit. Jeff is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Upstart and has a Computer Systems Engineering Degree from Standford. Upstarts background and what need […]

The Board of Directors Perspective on Growth in Community Banking and FinTech w/Kim Vogel

Dan Marks — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 09:00:53 +0000

Join Kim Vogel and Dan Marks as they discuss the unique role of the board of directors in overseeing rather than executing a bank strategy. Kim serves on the board of directors for Tri Counties Bank as well as two FinTechs.

How Kim’s background in Equity Research and FinTech startups informs her perspective
The board’s role as overseer rather than management
Effective board and management interactions
How to assess and manage risk rather than try to eliminate it
Keys to successful innovation and how to create a culture of “smart innovation.”
Real world stories and examples from multiple chairs
What Kim secretly wanted to be when she grew up and the advice she would give her younger self about pursuing a board role

How culture and niche focus drives sustained growth at attractive ROEs w/Sean Kouplen

Dan Marks — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 09:00:03 +0000

Sean Kouplen and Dan Marks discuss the culture of support and giving that Regent Bank has been thriving on both internally and externally, and how Sean has learned and developed his leadership strategy over the years as the Chairman and CEO at Regent Bank.

How Regent Bank has generated sustained double-digit growth
Regent’s use of technology enables their “niche is the new local” strategy
Discover which niches Regents focuses on and why
How building a culture of giving has attracted employees and customers
Sean’s top 3 lessons learned around leadership
Sean’s leadership takeaways and advice to his younger self

Ed Francis at InBank has a similar approach to leadership and generates similar results. Check it out:

https://infusionmarketinggroup.com/podcast/a-brand-new-chapter-for-a-bank-with-100-years-of-history-w-ed-francis/

Accelerating the buying journey through advanced CRM technology w/Nick Holland

Dan Marks — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 13:25:25 +0000

Nicholas Holland and Dan Marks explore lessons learned from Nick’s perspective as a marketer and now head of product at HubSpot – a leading provider of CRM technology.

How HubSpot has grown recently
How HubSpot used the voice of their customer to inform the product and growth roadmap
How orchestration of marketing, sales, and service activities via a CRM can turbocharge growth
Omni Channel customer journeys and how to use best practices for banks and credit unions
How platforms, integrations, and ecosystems are impacting the future of technology for the front office
Nick’s top key takeaways and advice to his younger self

How to use Digital Channels to Drive Tangible Growth w/Tim Keith

Dan Marks — Tue, 24 May 2022 15:41:35 +0000

Tim Keith and Dan Marks provide an introduction and overview of the best practices to actually use Digital Marketing to drive tangible measurable growth. This overview comes from years of experience and analysis based on what does and doesn’t work at banks and credit unions around the country.

Highlights include:

The Digital landscape and why First Party data matters so much.
How capacity and propensity inform targeting and awareness and engagement, and drive results.
How to practically orchestrate a true omni-channel growth strategy.
How Digital marketing drives measurable results across channels both online and in branch.
How real account tracking works across channels and devices in the crazy world of people using ad blockers and click blockers.
Expanding on the role digital and omni channel play to drive action along the entire lifecycle of the buying journey from Acquisition, to relationship expansion, to retention.
Practical tips to quickly get traction at whatever stage you are in, in a digital transformation.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Top Quartile
(00:00:20) - Best Practices in Digital Marketing for Financial Institutions
(00:02:32) - How to Build a Digital Business Through Website Marketing
(00:04:39) - How Capacity and Preference Play Out in Digital Marketing
(00:15:37) - How Digital Marketing Impact Community Financial Institutions
(00:19:40) - Cross-sell: The Future of Email
(00:24:17) - Community Media: First-Party Targeted
(00:25:36) - Top Quartile: The Opportunity Assessment