It has been a great week – I especially enjoyed presenting a webinar on guerrilla marketing on #FreeWebinarWednesdays with Eric Cook and Jeff Simpkins. A recording of the session can be found here. This coming week, Market Insights CEO Joe Sullivan and I are both presenting sessions at Wisconsin Bankers Association LEAD360 Conference. In the meantime, here’s a quick recap of the stories I’ve been talking about on my daily Twitter posts:
Trending
Disruptive technology will not kill banks, but “banks, even in their protected position, must adapt” via @FT http://t.co/UqMxZpWSWL
— Jim Perry (@mi_jim) October 3, 2014
Mergers, Acquisition – Expansion, Consolidation
- In PA, TruMark Credit Union takes over Norsco Federal Credit Union http://bit.ly/1uGOQ4z
- In MI, Members Credit Union and Bay Winds Credit Union to merge http://bit.ly/1tmV83F
- MD’s Old Line Bank announces branch closures. Closings will result in estimated pretax cost savings of about $2M. http://bit.ly/1vDOB86
- State Bank Financial Corp. has completed its merger with Atlanta Bancorporation Inc. for $25.2M http://bit.ly/1BDfCcL
- In Alabama, First State Bank and Bank of Jones County to merge http://bit.ly/1vCIC4y
- In Georgia, Heritage Financial Group, Inc. completes acquisition of Alarion Financial Services, Inc. http://bit.ly/1rGUvUs
- Converse, IN-based First Farmers Financial Corp. has announced agreements to acquire 3 community banks in Illinois. http://bit.ly/1uDMfZ6
- Self-Help FCU is planning to open a new branch in Fresno w/help from Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission http://bit.ly/YUphPj
- In MA: Salem, Peabody credit unions set to merge http://bit.ly/YUp7aB
- Nextier, Farmers & Merchants banks complete merger http://bit.ly/ZuT7Ls
- Republic Hose Employees Federal Credit Union in Youngstown, Ohio was liquidated by the @NCUA http://bit.ly/10lgSpz via @CookeonCUs
- Santa Cruz County Employees Credit Union is set to merge with Bay Federal Credit Union http://bit.ly/1tgQpAl
- Simplicity Bancorp (w/7 branches in Los Angeles & San Bernardino counties) to merge operations w/ @HomeStreetBank http://bit.ly/1rLdoac
- Merging banks – Stonegate Bank and Community Bank of Broward – talk of better service, more products http://bit.ly/1oyNth7
- Seminole Tribe of Florida to acquire Boynton Beach-based Mackinac Savings Bank http://hrld.us/1DZhy3a
- The role of the bank branch continues to evolve, the challenge is how to continue to manage this change http://bit.ly/1pwo1rG via @EYCanada
- The 5,000-member Grand Rapids Family Credit Union will merge w/ Southeast Michigan-based Michigan First Credit Union http://bit.ly/1Bye7fU
- Bank branches in US decline to lowest level since 2005 – biggest one year decline in two decades http://on.wsj.com/1mKD0U3
- United Community Bancshares to merge with Community Bancorp of Louisiana http://bit.ly/1u8rwLq
- Bank mergers shook up the pecking order of Chicago’s banking industry over the past year, but top dog is still @Chase http://bit.ly/1rHFraA
- Champaign, IL’s Busey Bank agrees to buy Pekin, IL’s Herget Bank http://bit.ly/Zkj2p8
- Live Oak, TX- based @rbfcu breaks into Dallas market with new credit union branches http://bit.ly/1uwEiVA
- In NE, Premier Bank’s new branch is perpetually locked as security is “top concern.” But how will customers react? http://bit.ly/1rEvmLx
- Mergers rise as local banks seek growth “In 2014, the cause is… smaller banks struggling to grow” http://cin.ci/Zk6ZrO
- Bank of the Sierra eyes more acquisitions. CEO Jim Holly said banks have two choices: “Get a lot bigger or sell.” http://bit.ly/1rvmGpl
- Former Idaho Banking Co.’s branches will change name to D.L.Evans Bank on Oct. 1st http://bit.ly/1DQDIER
Marketing & Branding
- Poor communication led to frustrated customers when Hospitality FCU became In Touch Credit Union. Ironic, right?! http://bit.ly/1oDFXBI
- Citizens Bank CMO pushes brand unity following IPO http://bit.ly/1oyVdiZ via @adage
- Marketing Breast Cancer Awareness: “Singing River Federal Credit Union seeking bras for ‘Bras across the River'” http://bit.ly/1sMUIZO
- “T” in front of Texoma Community Credit Union painted pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month http://bit.ly/YLQB28
- Nearly 60% of traditional bank products are sold through branch networks – that’s one way to keep branches alive http://wapo.st/1rn7RY8
Mobile & Digital Transformation
- Check out @JRHeggTech‘s slides for @BIIntelligence on the future of mobile & online banking. http://read.bi/1vitVkD
- Bill Gates is banking on digital technology to bring financial services to the world’s poor http://on.wsj.com/10ojUtb
- Tangerine, formerly ING DIRECT, launches biometric banking (voice- & fingerprint-based) to modernize everyday banking http://on.wsj.com/1uD8nCF
- Google Glass-clad tellers? Wells Fargo tests it out http://on.wsj.com/1DZfRD2
- Citibank launches new mobile only bank account called “Access” http://bit.ly/1uwEELU
Industry News
- Wells Fargo is the nation’s largest bank by branch count – here’s the list of banks w/the most branches http://bit.ly/YYSEAq
- JPMorgan Chase says data breach this summer affected 83M banking & investment customers http://bit.ly/1vyRwy5
- Public banking debate starts in Santa Fe http://bit.ly/1vzFpAO
- New poll from @Gallup shows Americans’ view of the banking industry still improving http://bit.ly/1nL1H3x
- Glacier Bancorp’s President/CEO Michael Blodnick to retire after 37-years. Search firm engaged to identify successor. http://bit.ly/1vx8BII
- The @FinancialBrand‘s @JimMarous looks at @KPMG research: revenue growth is strategic priority http://bit.ly/1rLiy6e
- Jim Nussle, @CUNA‘s new president, makes top priorities clear: protect tax exempt status, reduce regulatory burden http://bit.ly/1tdNyYQ
- “Customers used to come in to do transactions… branches are now [also] advice centers.” @Chase‘s Barry Sommers http://on.wsj.com/1mPKG7N
- Speaking of @WellsFargo, @Investopedia looks at how Wells Fargo became the biggest bank in America http://bit.ly/1DZgpZw
- The @ohiobankers rolls out group to attract young bankers – new Leadership Division will aim to close talent gap http://bit.ly/1uyqvxF
- Banking Internet domain clears hurdle: banks that choose to register w/ “.bank” will be able to keep “.com” domain http://bit.ly/1pCPBUj
- Adjusted for inflation, bank fees haven’t increased as much as you think http://buswk.co/1wQGo0t via @KYWeise for @BW
- Proposed DOD regulation would broaden types of loans covered by Military Lending Act; affect credit union lending http://bit.ly/1ncN1Ks
- The @FinancialBrand‘s @JimMarous on bigger challenges & new priorities facing banking industry http://bit.ly/1sJ2y6X
That’s all for this week. If we missed an important story, drop me a note.
