As I read the article written by CU Times Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Snell Cooke, "Sweat Equity, Creativity are Keys to Financial Services' Brave new World," in the July 7 issue, it mirrored many thoughts I had on what should be a new style of effective credit union marketing. In the article, Cooke talks tough about the impending regulations and impacts on the bottom line-a good wake-up call.

More than ever before, credit union marketers are doing more with less when it comes to budget allocation, and the near future isn't looking much brighter. It's definitely a time for creativity and innovation because effective marketing positively impacts the bottom line. The key is "effective."

The stress of the decade long recession has altered consumer mind sets and their banking habits. We've all seen reports on savings and loan trends. On top of that, it's a media charged political year and banks have deep pockets when it comes to advertising. Finding the effective multimedia niche and breaking through the clutter is tougher than ever, unless you're thinking outside the proverbial box and willing to try new things and assess what you have, as Cooke states.