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Research from Mintel has found that Millennials are more likely than older consumers to interact with their bank or credit union three or more times per month in a variety of settings, including visiting a branch close to their home, using their mobile banking app, and chatting with a customer service representative online. Many large institutions working hard to revitalize the branch experience to include more personalized advice centers, easy parking, drive-up windows, and coffee bars, in others words, making the branch visit an enjoyable part of their customers’ routine."

Article Excerpt:
The Three Essentials of Bank Marketing: Apps, Branches & CX

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“Experiential marketing allows us to have that one-to-one connection with our consumer and see how they’re responding to our messages,” says Dana Gierka, marketing manager for Timberland. Read more about how the brand engaged with customers around its fall campaign, using a pop-up park, an urban greening project and a pop-up concept store on Fifth Avenue, complete with live birch trees, terrariums, a living green wall and a digital rain room.

Article Excerpt:
Timberland launched three events around its “Born in the woods. Raised in the City” campaign—a pop-up park, an urban greening project and a concept shop.

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For many businesses, turning your vision into reality requires a realistic approach, concrete performance goals, and a well-crafted path toward success. Strategic planning takes discipline to execute consistently and can be a daunting undertaking. We found this easy to read-and-apply primer from Infusionsoft which lays out all the tools we were taught for our MBA, but in a simpler form. We hope you find it valuable!

Article Excerpt:
Learn a comprehensive, tried-and-true process to planning your business strategy for 2019 with our complete guide.

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Corporate interiors are continuing to evolve from stuffy, close, airless spaces to open, airy and inviting ones. The new New York offices of insurance provider Argo Group show off a bold, modular interior that emphasizes face-to-face collaboration and human interaction. One area, dubbed the collaboration zone, features an open skylit space, sectional sofas and lounge chairs that encourage employees to get together for work or play.

Article Excerpt:
At insurance company Argo Group’s New York office, TPG proves good design is the best policy.

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Supergraphics are an exciting way to express the overall aesthetic of a project and create an engaging environment. From different printing methods and substrates, to selecting the art and keeping within budget, designers need to understand what factors to consider when specifying supergraphics, particularly in a healthcare setting. This article provides a useful primer for including this powerful addition in any project."

Article Excerpt:
To make the most of these wow factors, it’s important to understand the printing methods, materials, and costs that must be managed.

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“While most in our industry are closing or downsizing stores, we remain committed to our quest of revolutionizing physical retailing,” Gary Friedman, CEO, of RH. The company is sparing no expense to build signature stores that now include hospitality elements such as a coffee bar and a sophisticated restaurant, and plans to enter the hotel market next year to bring the full RH experience to customers, one that simply cannot be replicated online.

Article Excerpt:
Not every retailer includes a quote from a Robert Frost poem in its quarterly financials. But RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) is not your average retailer.

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In the Digital Banking Report edition, entitled, “Humanizing the Digital Banking Experience,” more than 200 financial institutions globally showed that, while having good intent, most are falling woefully short of what the consumer really wants from financial interactions. Organizations neglect to take into account that how a customer feels about an interaction has the greatest impact on loyalty and tend to ignore consumer emotions across the board, a particularly during digital experiences."

Article Excerpt:
Banks and credit unions must go beyond ease and simplicity in delivering digital banking services, humanizing the engagement process.

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A word of caution: Don’t overlook the fine print when it comes to trade show exhibitor manuals. Understanding IAEE Guidelines, union rules and other often overlooked aspects of a trade show is critical to avoiding costly mistakes. Not all shows are the same, but if you hang up your own signs or peel the backing off your hook-and-loop fasteners yourself, you could be in big trouble!

Article Excerpt:
Avoid costly missed deadlines and last-minute budget busters by paying attention to the lesser-known rules and provisions found in the fine print of most exhibitor services manuals.

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The aesthetics of healthcare facilities have evolved significantly in recent years, as owners look to design as yet another way to differentiate themselves in the competitive landscape. “Health systems are considering ways to strengthen brand identity across multiple locations and how to attract patients,” says Carolyn BaRoss, principal and firm-wide healthcare interior design director for Perkins+Will (New York). “A philosophy and approach for how patients and visitors experience the institution, [...] can also create a consistent and recognizable identity.”

Article Excerpt:
Client demand for visual branding and growing product options are inspiring a redefinition of healthcare aesthetics.