WASHINGTON–Harland Clarke is now live with a rebranded suite of engagement tools, including a checking option that makes the member’s first check payable to them to incent certain behaviors, such as signing up for a credit union’s mobile app.
The company has relaunched its offerings under the umbrella Engagement360, and is using the common suffix CX, for customer experience, in rebranding its solutions, such as AcquisitionCX, ChecksCX, OnboardingCX, InsightCX, and more.
“The last year involved a specific evolution involving a refocusing of what we are known for and what we deliver,” said Scott Hansen, chief marketing and strategy officer.
Hansen said credit unions have long known Harland Clarke as a traditional check product provider and more recently for the marketing services it has offered, but said the company has now fully transitioned into what he said is a rebranding and “reinvention” of what it now offers financial institutions.
He noted the past year has been “extremely successful” for the company with its marketing services offerings the fastest-growing piece of the business.
Setting the Tone
“We are now coming into the market with a market branding strategy,” said Hansen, who spoke to CUToday.info during CUNA’s GAC. “All of our products now have a brand. He who owns the brand gets to set the tone for the market.”
But more important than the new branding is what those brands can do for credit unions, according to Hansen—and that’s drive new business.
Hansen acknowledged that in the past Harland Clarke simply focused on delivering checks to members and didn’t concern itself with attracting more checking accounts or assisting the credit union in activating other services, such as the mobile app or a P2P solution, when accounts were opened. But it does now.
The company has now converted all of its checking client institutions to ChecksCX, for instance.
“We will bundle in a process from the minute it hits the core,” he said. “This will take a lot of burden off the branch staff.”
For example, Hansen noted it’s unlikely the average member when going through account opening with the new service rep will take the time to install the mobile app while sitting at the desk. Typically, the credit union provides some materials on how to sign up later, but very often it never happens. The same is true with direct deposit, he said.
Getting Active
ChecksCX takes that passive approach and makes it much more active. Following account opening, CUs using the Harland Clarke solution automatically send an email and a text to the member that welcomes them to the credit union and sends a text and email directing them to a personalized web page that includes everything they still need to get done.
Hansen noted the company can’t make the member start writing checks, but it can help to “activate the membership.” For instance, Harland Clarke had been shipping checks to members in a folio that also showed some of the other types of checks that are available.
“The folio is now capable of doing many more things,” said Hansen.
That includes printing the checks so the very first check on the check pad can be used to incent a certain behavior. That first check is drawn on the credit union’s checking account and is made payable to the member in whatever amount the credit union wants. But in order to cash the check, the member must deposit it via the mobile app—the instructions for which are printed on the check.
“If the member already has remote deposit capture, then the top check can be used to encourage a different activity. It’s an activation kit,” said Hansen.
Making it Easy
Approximately 70% of consumers still order checks through their financial institution. Some in the remaining 30% turn to Amazon or another provider, meaning the FI sees no income. To address that, Hansen said ChecksCX makes it really easy for the consumer to order.
“We built in all the automation tools needed for members and employees,” he said. “As part of the onboarding posture, ChecksCX leads into other services. The reorder kits are more member-centric. We are giving the member a lot more choices. There is more convenience around ancillary services. It’s much easier.”
Another change: standardized pricing. Hansen said Harland Clarke had long allowed each financial institution to set their own price points for every product, which led to some 250,000 such price points. It has now moved to a standardized MSRP, although the individual credit union can still set its own pricing on incenting member behavior.
‘End to End Activation’
As part of that, there is another new component: Trackable shipping, which had been a separate fee.
“The consumer now expects shipping to be free. Now it is included,” said Hansen. “There is no more $25 for checks and $25 for shipping.”
There is a fee if the member wants expedited shipping.
Overall, explained Hansen, the new strategic approach is all about “end-to-end activation. It’s not a single day, it’s a month-long process,” he said of getting a new member or a new checking account member onboard. “ChecksCX is now a marketing solution. It’s all baked right into the checks. It’s very strategic. It’s no longer just a check-ordering experience.”
With the product now live, Hansen said the next step will be to use the results to drive even better outcomes.
“We know this will work; the question is how big it will be,” he said. “We will track every metric, then be able to tell FIs here is what you can expect.”