Manko Marketing Inc.

09/11/2021

Just 2 days until Fall 2021 in NYC! What’s the coolest session to attend? ❄️☃️😎 Champagne Exec Boardroom 2: “How Financial Services Companies Can Play A Key Role Helping Clients On Their ESG & Climate Change Journeys.” 🥂 Mon, Sep 13, 5:10-6 pm. https://t.co/MWLofHJVcF https://t.co/fzhLA0R8lm

07/27/2021

Finovate is presenting their first in-person/hybrid event since FinovateEurope in Berlin wayyyy back in Feb 2020! FinovateFall 2021 will be in New York from Sept 13–15.

I’m excited to moderate one of the special Champagne Executive Boardroom sessions: “How Financial Services Companies Can Play A Key Role Helping Clients On Their ESG & Climate Change Journeys.”

The event is being planned carefully in accordance with local advice and guidelines. For your 20% VIP discount, click here: https://bit.ly/3ggxHL5.

04/27/2020

How do you stand out when almost everyone sounds the same?

Corporate Covid-19 response videos are eerily similar. *Cue somber piano music* When a company or brand releases a Coronavirus Response ad, they might tell y...

04/06/2020

Skype is getting back in the game. Main benefits: security, nobody needs an account & unlimited calls. You can blur the background, though not sure yet about customization.

We're going to give it a try. What might be your experience with Skype's Meet Now?

Making starting a call as easy as possible

03/31/2020

Should we even be thinking about marketing during coronavirus? I suggest not marketing, but rather connecting as fellow human beings.

Recently, I’ve learned which of my colleagues has kittens, who has adult kids overseas & which client has a giant back yard in which to spend time with her partner.

During a crisis, humans revert to our most primal instincts:

> First is survival mode.
> Next are emotional connections.
> Then, “Getting back to normal”.
> Lastly comes creativity, spontaneity & problem-solving.

Only in that final stage are people ready to concentrate purely on “business”. Relative to this sequence, at what level are your communications?

What's resonated firstly with most of my connections are messages about checking in, maintaining optimism in isolation, how to deal with working remotely 100%, and simply learning more about each other. Then, the communications flow more naturally from there.

For inspiration, review emails & posts trying to get your attention. Which ones make you smile & feel good about the sender/author? Which ones feel disingenuous & opportunistic?

Hopefully this simple exercise can help put you in a good frame of mind when writing your own.

03/22/2020

"I seriously am going to figure out a way to post this. I mean, during these surreal times, why not?!?"

That's what I said to my designer friend Noella about this photo she enhanced for me. It's simply a bowl of chili, from a giant pot I made this weekend. FYI, my meals generally are not that photogenic.

Noella: "Wow Greg, that looks really good! And with the hues, very on-brand as well 😉 Sorry, couldn't help myself lol."

It's just a little reminder that creativity can pop up anywhere. Perhaps now more than ever.

What's been an unusual inspiration you've had since this all started?

02/13/2020

I'm thrilled to have chaired the first-ever Startup Booster, at FinovateEurope 2020 here in Berlin!

01/29/2020

Why Long-Standing Fintechs?

According to the U.S. Dept. of Treasury, from 2010 to Q3 2017, more than 3,330 new fintechs were founded. That’s an average of 1.5 every single day. In the US alone!

While others might rave about the “Top 10 FinTech Firms of This Thursday!,” what about ones like yours that have been here all along?

CONSISTENCY: You were fintech before that was even a word.

LONGEVITY: You’ve persisted for 10, 20, 30 years…or more.

INTEGRITY: You were first at building products that last.

Whether your revenues could be higher or startups are stealing your thunder, you can leverage your unique accomplishments, stories, and ambitions to achieve your business goals. You have a history and perspective that should enable your firm to stand strong for decades to come!

The only marketing agency dedicated to long-standing fintech firms. We leverage your accomplishments and ambitions to achieve your business goals.

01/22/2020

Being part of a long-standing fintech firm, you're used to competition from all angles.

This Forbes article describes how the landscape in 2020 will shift from well-funded startups to major tech players: Fintechs Will Have Some Big Tech Competition In 2020. Just a few offerings to keep on your radar:

> Apple Credit Card
> Google Cache
> Uber Money

There's an upside for Big Tech: "With so much to gain and with tech companies sitting on mounds of cash it won’t be too surprising to see them offer banking, wealth management and insurance putting pure play fintechs at risk."

There's also a downside: "They [tech companies] are under intense scrutiny by regulators and lawmakers over how they handle data."

Forewarned is forearmed, so hopefully, this information is of some value.

Big tech companies are eyeing financial services, putting pure-play fintechs at risk in 2020.

01/21/2020

I am delighted to be attending FinovateEurope 2020 this coming February in Berlin. Join me and 1200+ fintech experts and witness the future of fintech first, live on stage.

Finovate Conference Series

1200+ senior attendees. 50%+ from financial institutions. 64 demoers. 150+ speakers. 6 deep-dive stages on the future of finance Only at Finovate. Find out m...

01/15/2020

It's a new year—a whole new decade, even—and maybe you've decided to get back in touch with former colleagues, connections & friends.

But...it's been a while. Will they think it's weird? Has it been too long?

Not at all!

This Harvard Business Review article offers simple, practical & fun advice: How to Email Someone You Haven’t Talked to in Forever. A few gems:

1. Shift your perspective: They might be really glad to hear from you.
2. Acknowledge the absence of contact: Calling out the elephant in the room can also ease the awkwardness.
3. Offer to reciprocate: Open the door for them to reach out for help when they need it.

Knowing this...who might you want to reach out to?

Yes, it’s awkward, but you should still do it.

01/08/2020

"The Ah-Ha Moment"

> Marketing is fluff.

> An expense.

> Just overhead.

Pretty much every marketer has heard something like this.

That said, one of the best things about my job is proving that marketing and creativity can make a positive difference in the business world.

Through successful campaigns, projects, and assignments, it’s been possible to open many a senior executive’s eyes to the power of marketing.

I love figuring out how to solve a marketing challenge. Whether that involves using words, design, creativity, audio, video, etc., there’s usually an “ah-ha” moment in each campaign/project where things fall into place.

It's like looking at one of those “Magic Eye” posters from the 1990s…it’s all a blur, then suddenly the picture makes sense.

What's an example of a time you helped your craft "come into focus" for a non-believer?