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April 30, 2012 | Ron Lee: Good news, bad news in annual banking satisfaction survey

J.D. Power and Associates just released its 7th annual U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, and the headlines show a mixed-bag of good news/bad news:  While consumers are still very dissatisfied with fees, banks generally are offsetting that by reducing the number of problems experienced and making improvements in problem resolution.

April 26, 2012 | Shawn Tennyson: Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.

“Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks” is a campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of texting while driving. It utilizes a website, three powerful videos, outdoor and social media to reach drivers.

February 29, 2012 | Ron Lee: Bank defections rise as consumers say “no” to fees and poor service

2011 saw bank customers voting with their feet and deposits as they switched banks in search of lower fees and better service.  Confirming that, J.D. Powers and Associates this week released its U.S. Bank Customer Switching and Acquisition Study, and the results are not pretty for many large, regional and midsize banks.

October 31, 2011 | Ron Lee: Debit Card Fees Translating to Consumer Backlash

“A checking relationship with rewards – and no monthly debit card fee.” That’s the online promotion Citi is running right now. No doubt other financial institutions soon will be spinning similar themes, as big banks rush to abandon planned debit card fees in response to growing and vocal consumer frustration, much of it playing out via social media.

October 06, 2011 | Greg Ness: The Words of Steve Jobs

I'm sad to hear about the passing of Steve Jobs. Whether you use Apple products or not, what Apple did – through Steve's vision – changed the face of technology, reshaped whole industries, and enhanced the way we worked and played. A partial list of his quotes reveals so much about this creative and entrepreneurial visionary. Remember the man; remember his words:

June 03, 2011 | Lee Schwartz: YouTube: The Network? Count On It.

Will YouTube be coming soon to your TV? Of course they will.

May 31, 2011 | Ron Lee: Bank Reputation Scores on the Rise

Having been thoroughly bashed last year, bank brand reputations appear to be showing signs of recovery. In American Banker’s second annual survey, administered by the Reputation Institute, 30 banks showed, on average, positive increases in a range of categories as scored by consumers. While not out of the “reputation woods” yet, banks appear to be paying extra attention to key areas outside of products and services, and that intense focus is equating to higher scores.

May 31, 2011 | Lee Schwartz: Technology Ports in a (Fargo) Storm

Last night Fargo was hit with a blessing in disguise. A storm that included a Tornado Warning swept through town, knocking out power and sending even the most stubborn of us to our basements.

April 29, 2011 | Ron Lee: Take Me to Your Bank’s Channel Leader

Bank organization charts typically have lagged behind consumer and market forces. In many cases, banking units have been shaped by a “bricks-and-mortar” structure, reflecting vertical business lines such as retail, commercial, mortgage, trust and insurance, and supported by operations, compliance and IT.  Is it time for an extreme bank org-chart makeover? Industry analyst Terence Roche thinks so.

March 31, 2011 | Ron Lee: American Express enters digital payments race

PayPal, Visa and Mastercard beware: American Express has stepped into the digital payments arena in a big way with the launch this week with its new digital payment system called “Serve.” That’s the brand name American Express gave to the alternative payment provider Revolution Money, acquired in 2009.  The service will be targeting consumers (not just Amex cardholders) who currently rely on cash, check and debit cards.

January 25, 2011 | Lee Schwartz: Our One-Minute Life

We now live in a real-time world. You could argue that it was always that way, but before it was only real-time in a local radius. “Viral” was only used to describe things like…real viruses. We’ve always seen meteoric rises and falls…but now we are part of creating them.

December 21, 2010 | Alyssa Dahl: Social Promotions

We all are aware of the big four social networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn, but other types of social sites are gaining more exposure every day. Social Promotion Sites like Groupon, who has been around since 2008, are becoming increasingly popular and profitable.