Cool Place in Chicago

In case you visit the Windy City, you may want to visit the Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on LaSalle Street.  And its free!  Lots of history on money.

Happy Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is America's official Thanksgiving holiday.  While it is a day to enjoy good food, spend time with friends and family, and maybe watch some football, it is much more.  Thanksgiving Day is a reminder to reflect and be thankful. 

Other countries also have dates set aside for similar purposes and, while the fourth Thursday in November is just the American date for this, it is a perfect time to express our thanks for each and every one of you - wherever you live.

Great State of Affairs

When was the last time you saw UW Men's basketball ranked third in the nation;  the Packers leading their division; the Bucks 7 and 5; and UW football moving toward a Big 10 championship?  And all at the same time?  Great time to be a Wisconsin sports nut!

Brand Recognition

Research finds the three main drivers of consumer brand equity are awareness (recognition), associated qualities (BMW = quality German engineering), and loyalty (I love my Apple).  Recognition alone isn't enough.  After all, the largest banks have recognizable brands, but what they signify is a different question.  Consistently high quality client experiences.  All the image ads in the world will not overcome a lousy experience when a potential client engages with the staff.  For that reason, a bank's image is almost entirely dependent upon its employees.  We think our staff is client-centric and that they create a lasting emotional impression of competence and concern.

Better by the Growler

Here's a continuation of my prior blog post.

Most businesses would love to see the same kind of percentage business increase that small brewers achieved over the last year.  Craft brewers rely upon there being demand for a unique, high quality product that is local in its business focus as well as in its image.  The same should follow for small businesses, but the brand recognition of the large businesses often overwhelms a smaller organization's attributes.

More later.

Craft Beer and Banks

The other day a German fellow at a beer festival in Bavaria set a record for transporting beer mugs, carrying 27 one-liter beer glasses for 40 meters.  The beer alone would weigh almost 60 pounds! But the point of this blog is that craft breweries are successful.  The sale of craft beers increased by more than 17% last year vs big market brands at 2%.  Do you suppose big market brands will attempt to make a higher quality product to capitalize on the trend that Americans are drinking less but buying higher quality?  More later........