Paper shredding cuts to the top as the latest marketing gimmick.

• Position: Marketing News

Paper shredding has emerged as a new and growing bank marketing technique.

Because of popular concerns about identification theft, banks throughout the country in recent years have sponsored various types of shredding-related activities and services. Some have obtained industrial-strength shredders and have invited the public to bring their papers for shredding on a designated day. Other banks have turned these "shredding days" into charitable fund-raising events. People who want to shred papers are asked either to pay for the service or to donate a similar amount to a local charity. One bank even gave away personal shredders to each person who opened a new checking account.

Now a new twist has been added to the approach. New Frontier Bank (assets: $1.3 billion), Greeley, Colo., announced that it has installed self-service shredding kiosks in its branches. The kiosks are free to both customers and the public. The kiosks are located the banks' lobbies and are available to use during normal lobby hours.

To date, the shredding kiosks have had consistent high use, according to Shelly Froggatte, senior vice president of marketing. She says that idea for the kiosks grew out of...