You’ve heard us say before that a tough economy requires more marketing savvy.

A tough economy is no time to slash your marketing efforts.

And a tough economy presents not only challenges but great opportunity to those who can see them.

But there is no doubt that these are harder financial times for many individuals and families across the nation (and around the world) these days. And perhaps no other industry feels the impact more than the financial services and banking industry, especially smaller institutions such as community or formerly-employer based credit unions.

But credit union marketing has never been more critical. Recent surveys show that the primary concerns of credit unions for 2012 regarding their marketing were insufficient budgets and/or manpower to accomplish their marketing goals. Tough economic times make meeting loan and deposit goals, along with all the rest, harder than ever before. However countless sources will tell you that during a slowdown or recession the LAST thing you should do is slash your marketing budgets to the bone. Spend wisely, for sure…with an eye toward ROI now more than ever. But continue to identify opportunities.

The key to surviving and even thriving during tough economic times is to find ways to build your More >