Kerri Madnick challenges financial marketers to rethink the traditional budgeting process by starting with business goals rather than last year's spending. In this practical article, she outlines a strategic framework for aligning marketing investments with organizational priorities, emphasizing measurement, flexibility, and purposeful use of emerging tools to drive meaningful business results.

Tory Bird explores the evolution of modern marketing in financial services and why the traditional brochure no longer holds the influence it once did. In this thoughtful piece, he examines how community banks and credit unions can create authentic, personalized connections in an increasingly digital world where relevance, timing, and trust matter more than ever.