Banks Can Pick the Best Marketing Products, Services Through CAB Research.

Do you know that BMA members can tap into valuable research tools for finding quality products and services for your bank? The Corporation for American Banking (CAB), a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association, Washington, D.C., endorses programs that will help banks increase income, achieve greater efficiencies and enhance their competitive position.

To earn ABA's endorsement, products must meet stringent quality standards and show that they meet industry needs. Products must also provide efficient, quality service and substantial potential for the bank's improved efficiency, profitability and overall enhancement.

Due diligence reports-are available, at no charge, to ABA and BMA members on all ABA-endorsed programs.

Value-added retail packages, customer relationship management (CRM) tools, and Internet banking/e-commerce solutions are a few of the marketing-related products currently in CAB's portfolio and for which due-diligence reports are available.

Here's how it works:

It starts with the banks. Throughout the year, CAB conducts community-bank focus groups and surveys to gauge priority needs. At the same time, CAB monitors the marketplace for new products and services that will help banks increase income, achieve greater efficiencies and enhance their competitive position.

From this combined intelligence, CAB selects two or three key products a year, on average, that merit closer scrutiny and a potential endorsement. Does the product meet a priority need for a large number of ABA-member banks? Is the product delivered by quality service providers who can work with community banks anywhere in the United States? Can the product he integrated not only with a bank's existing technology but with its strategic plan? These are some of the questions that are asked in the due-diligence review.

Due-diligence review

Whenever a product area has been identified for review, CAB commissions an independent industry expert to help kick the tires and evaluate "best in class" providers.

CAB hires well-known and highly respected consultants, such as Alex Sheshunoff Management Services and Gomez Advisors among others, for their analytical expertise and objectivity. The process determines the financial stability of the prospective companies, their management philosophies, the effectiveness of their sales force to serve all financial institutions and their long-term viability and commitment to the banking industry. After the review, should an endorsement be recommended to and awarded by CAB's Board of Directors, an objective due-diligence report is prepared based on the consultants' research and banker validation.

CAB's programs largely focus on assisting community and mid-size banks. For example, an on-going priority is bringing "big bank' technology resources closer to community banks--in terms of scale, flexibility, pricing and a company's ability to work with smaller institutions. Take technology resources, for example. Through ABA's endorsed partner for Internet Banking services, Digital Insight, community financial institutions can offer their customers a home banking service that's equal to or better than those offered by the largest institutions. Identifying effective marketing solutions is also important to community banks. Through FISI-Madison's Relationship Management Strategies (also endorsed by the ABA), community banks can develop niche marketing strategies and value-added retail packages with the sophistication of big-bank marketing departments.

As a member of the BMA and ABA, you can benefit from CAB's thorough product research by picking up the phone and requesting a due-diligence report on any or all of the programs of interest to you. ABA-endorsed products and services of interest to marketers are listed on this page. Call (800) BANKERS, ext. 7587, to request a report or learn more about these programs on ABA's Web site, www.aba.com.

The ABA seal of approval represents thorough due diligence, a quality program and superior service. The following marketing-related products and services currently bear the ABA seal:

* Relationship banking strategies (niche marketing), FISI-Madison Financial.

* Customer relationship management (CRM), Harte-Hanks.

* Internet banking and e-Commerce solutions, Digital Insight.

* Technology consulting, Alex Sheshunoff Management Services.

* Check imaging, BISYS Document Solutions.