The CUInsight Network podcast: Strategic marketing – Strum (#13)

Thank you for tuning in to episode 13 of The CUInsight Network, with your host, Randy Smith, Co-founder of CUInsight.com. In The CUInsight Network, we take a deeper dive with the thought leaders who support the credit union community. We discuss issues and challenges facing credit unions and identify best practices to learn and grow together.

My guest on today’s show is Karen McGaughey, Principal and VP of Client Services at Strum. We chat about Karen’s journey from communications and psychology to the credit union industry and leadership lessons she’s learned along the way. She shares with us how those fields of study play a major part in her work with Strum and their efforts to help credit unions enhance their marketing, branding, and data analytics. 

We start the episode discussing the quick pivots and shifts credit unions have had to make over the last year. Karen shares the importance of having a dedicated team with an established strategy and ways credit unions can team up with agencies to enhance internal processes like data analysis. Karen believes the ultimate goal is to move from a product-centric focus to a more member-centric focus and that credit unions can use data insights to become familiar with the preferences and behavior of their members.

Karen encourages credit unions to focus on strategies that will help the organization know their members better than other competitors. Credit unions can competitively position themselves with storytelling and data insights. Following this approach initiates core strategies that can support credit unions to create a distinctive experience and maintain relevance.

During our rapid fire questions, we learn what Karen enjoys doing outside of the office and her favorite pandemic purchases thus far. As we wrap up the show, Karen shares that properly utilizing insights and technological innovation will allow credit unions to promote brand stories that resonate with members, and create better experiences. Enjoy my conversation with Karen McGaughey!

Connect with Karen:
Karen McGaughey, Principal and VP of Client Services at Strum
https://www.strumagency.com
karen.mcgaughey@strumagency.com
Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube  

Show notes from this episode:
What an amazing interview with Karen! Check out all the exceptional work her team is doing over at Strum here.
Want to hear more from Karen? Click here.
Shout-out: CUInsight Team
Shout-out: Peloton
Shout-out: Yeti wine tumbler
Shout-out: Air fryer
Place mentioned: Mission Ridge Ski & Board Resort
Place mentioned: Washington
Shout-out: Karen’s French Bulldog puppies
Shout-out: Michelle Obama
Shout-out: Barack Obama
Book mentioned: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Book mentioned: A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Album mentioned: Back in Black by AC/DC
Book mentioned: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant
Book mentioned: Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant