Top Quartile

In this episode, host Dan Marks and Matt Allen, CMO at Flagstar Bank,  discuss using customer analytics to drive a shift in promotional strategies, including:  

Research and analysis used to identify opportunity to shift marketing strategies 

Gaining buy-in for that strategic shift 

Outcomes and impact from this strategy 

Actionable insight on implementing a relationship-based approach to marketing 

Matt’s advice to his younger self 

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn  

Visit Flagstar’s website

James Schenck, President & CEO of PenFed Credit Union and CEO of the PenFed Foundation, talks to Host Dan Marks about pay, performance, and culture at PenFed, including:  

James’ thoughts on his role as CEO

Growth highlights at PenFed

PenFed’s key growth drivers, including people, products, and channels

Unique aspects of PenFed’s culture and the organization’s philosophy around people leadership and pay

The impact on culture and performance of pay practices

Key insights about leadership and integrity

James’ advice to his younger self

Connect with James on LinkedIn

Visit penfed.org and penfedfoundation.org

Douglas Scarboro, Senior Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Regional Executive in charge of the bank’s Memphis branch talks to Host Dan Marks about the work the Federal Reserve is doing in community development and modernizing the US payment system, including:  

How the Fed’s dual mandate shapes inclusion and innovation 

Which programs are positively impacting communities the most 

Using data and analytics to guide decision making 

Segmentation and relevance in the context of community development work 

How modernizing the US payment system is beneficial 

Payment modernization, digital currencies, and crypto 

Douglas’ advice to his younger self 

Connect with Douglas on LinkedIn

John Oxford, SVP and Director of Marketing for Renasant Bank and author of the book No More Next Time: Marketing in the Age of Distraction, discusses the latest marketing trends for banks with host Dan Marks:  

Bonus: hear the story behind the SEC Shorts YouTube channel 

The idea behind John’s book 

Why branding is crucial for banks, and why banks typically don’t do branding at a high level 

How and why banks should leverage social media 

The importance of “retargeting” 

The effectiveness of email marketing and marketing automation for banks 

How audience, channel, and message work together to drive impact 

John’s take on SMS marketing 

John’s advice to his younger self 

Connect with John on LinkedIn

Delynn Byars,  SVP of Marketing at First South Financial Credit Union, discusses onboarding best practices with host Dan Marks: 

Why creating and implementing a systematic onboarding program was a priority 

Key components of First South’s systematic onboarding program 

How First South’s approach to onboarding has evolved and improved over time 

The results First South has seen from implementing onboarding changes and how the credit union measures results 

How the systematic onboarding program fits into the overall member experience 

Key take-aways for others considering implementing or upgrading an onboarding program

Delynn’s advice to her younger self … and her work with Mid South Therapy Dogs  

Connect with Delynn on LinkedIn 

About First South Financial Credit Union 

Learn more about credit union marketing with the Marketing Association of Credit Unions

Host Dan Marks and Katie Grover, SVP and Marketing Director at Fidelity Bank,  discuss high-performance branding in the world of community banking, including: 

Katie’s definition of “high-performance branding” 

How Fidelity’s core values have shaped the bank’s brand 

The ideal set of buying personas Fidelity’s brand is crafted to reach 

Strategy driving the brand’s visual identity 

How customer experience and community involvement help “prove” Fidelity’s brand values 

The roles that targeted or addressable marketing, such as digital and direct mail, play in building the Fidelity brand 

Katie’s advice to her younger self 

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn  

Visit Fidelity Bank online 

Check out the Bravely Onward website 

Read about Bravely Onward in Th

Why is customer analytics crucial for planning and executing a bank or credit union merger or acquisition?

In this episode, Host Dan Marks and Rick Claypoole, Infusion EVP of Client Analytics, discuss this important topic, including:

Keys to successfully executing a merger integration

How banks and credit unions should use customer-level data alongside account data to plan for a successful customer experience 

Virtual clean-room compliant customer analysis techniques and approaches

How an Infusion Opportunity Assessment applies in M&A situations 

Some of the key impacts in the customer experience that can make or break a deal meeting pro-forma

The role “Super Onboarding” plays

And … Rick’s surprising connection to Groundhog Day and advice to his younger self.

Connect with Rick on LinkedIn 

Visit Infusion online to learn more about how an Opportunity Assessment can help facilitate your M&A initiatives.

Why is Infusion starting a podcast?

Because, says Infusion CEO Tim Keith, Infusion has a unique perspective on what’s happening in the community banking and credit union industry. “We get data every day from banks and credit unions all across the country, and we’ve built a standardized data model that allows us to take that data and transform it into normative intelligence in a lights-out, automated, rapid-fire kind of way.”

In other words, Infusion has a unique knowledge base to share and a finger on the pulse of the day-to-day goings on the in the increasingly complex world of community banking. 

In upcoming episodes you’ll hear from Infusion experts as well as other thought leaders in the industry, sharing best practices and discussing how industry trends affect their brands. “We’re super excited about this initiative want to be a more pollinator in the industry of the most up-to-date intelligence on what’s working, what’s not working, and what’s happening out there.”

And why the podcast is called Top Quartile? Because, Tim says, it’s all about the strategies and tactics that drive top quartile performance in community banking. “In other words, you are outperforming 75% of the market because you figured out how to make the particular strategy you’ve undertaken work in the environment you’re in,” Tim says. “What we want to offer the industry in this podcast are the factors that correlate with top quartile performance and the fundamental metrics to define profitable banking.”

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn 

Visit Infusion Marketing Group to learn more about how their knowledge, data, and marketing expertise helps community banks and credit unions grow their business.

Why is Infusion starting a podcast?

Because, says Infusion CEO Tim Keith, Infusion has a unique perspective on what’s happening in the community banking and credit union industry. “We get data every day from banks and credit unions all across the country, and we’ve built a standardized data model that allows us to take that data and transform it into normative intelligence in a lights-out, automated, rapid-fire kind of way.”

In other words, Infusion has a unique knowledge base to share and a finger on the pulse of the day-to-day goings on the in the increasingly complex world of community banking. 

In upcoming episodes you’ll hear from Infusion experts as well as other thought leaders in the industry, sharing best practices and discussing how industry trends affect their brands. “We’re super excited about this initiative want to be a more pollinator in the industry of the most up-to-date intelligence on what’s working, what’s not working, and what’s happening out there.”

And why the podcast is called Top Quartile? Because, Tim says, it’s all about the strategies and tactics that drive top quartile performance in community banking. “In other words, you are outperforming 75% of the market because you figured out how to make the particular strategy you’ve undertaken work in the environment you’re in,” Tim says. “What we want to offer the industry in this podcast are the factors that correlate with top quartile performance and the fundamental metrics to define profitable banking.”

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn 

Visit Infusion Marketing Group to learn more about how their knowledge, data, and marketing expertise helps community banks and credit unions grow their business.

Why is customer analytics crucial for planning and executing a bank or credit union merger or acquisition?

In this episode, Host Dan Marks and Rick Claypoole, Infusion EVP of Client Analytics, discuss this important topic, including:

Keys to successfully executing a merger integration

How banks and credit unions should use customer-level data alongside account data to plan for a successful customer experience

Virtual clean-room compliant customer analysis techniques and approaches

How an Infusion Opportunity Assessment applies in M&A situations

Some of the key impacts in the customer experience that can make or break a deal meeting pro-forma

The role “Super Onboarding” plays

And … Rick’s surprising connection to Groundhog Day and advice to his younger self.

Connect with Rick on LinkedIn

Visit Infusion online to learn more about how an Opportunity Assessment can help facilitate your M&A initiatives.