A Back-to-school marketing idea.

If you have visited a college dormitory recently, you may have noticed the popularity of dry-erase message boards. Students attach these boards to the outside of their doors and use them to leave messages for one another.

Now, a company has developed a way for banks to advertise inside dormitories through the use of these dry-erase message boards.

AllDorm Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., is offering exclusive university sponsorships for financial institutions wishing to reach the collegiate market during the 2004-2005 school year. Through the program, a 24-inch by 17.5-inch dry-erase board is placed on the door of each dorm room prior to students moving in. A portion of each board is dedicated to a 4-inch by 17.5-inch color advertisement. The boards are provided to the colleges free of charge.

The board, known as the AllDorm Billboard, attaches to the door using an adherent that causes no damage to the paint or wood. Schools like the boards because their use eliminates the need to repair or repaint doors as a result of traditional dry-erase boards attached with tape, glue, nails or tacks.

Students use the boards many times daily to leave messages for social events, homework reminders, and to-do lists. AllDorm says the boards offer banks an opportunity to brand themselves and create a "direct response initiative" that are seen all-day, every day by each student walking down the dorm hallway.

Past and present board sponsors include such financial service providers as Bank of America, Fifth Third Bank, Wachovia and Wells Fargo. AllDorm is a national retailer of dorm-room products. For more information, access www.alldorm.com

Web-based program enhances management of community volunteer activities

Managing a bank community-relations program can be time consuming and complicated. For one thing, you have to create a program that communicates effectively with the targeted audiences. For another, you have to encourage employee participation in volunteer activities. And finally, you have to measure and report results like hours volunteered and goals achieved.

In the past, banks found these jobs to be highly demanding.

Now, AngelPoints, a Mill Valley, Calif., company is offering a Web-based product called Enterprise Volunteer Solutions, which is designed to manage community-relations programs more easily.

Among other features, the program includes:

* Communication tools.

* Time/financial tracking and reporting.

* Recognition and appreciation program management.

* Volunteer matching.

* Program accounting.

* Content management.

* System controls.

Enterprise Volunteer Solutions has been used successfully at large bank such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo & Co., and also at regional banks, such as the Provident Bank in Baltimore.

For more information, access www.angelpoints.com

Send us your New Product!

Information about new products and services of interest to bank marketers should be directed to Walt Albro, Senior Associate Editor, ABA Bank Marketing, 1120 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20036-3971. E-mail: [e-mail]