Yes, marketing is strategic: general session highlights of the upcoming ABA Marketing Conference.

• Position: ABA Resources

The strategic role of marketing will be the focus of general session speakers at this year's ABA Marketing Conference. The conference will be held Sept. 22-24 at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Miami.

Here are highlights of the seven general session presentations.

Putting Marketing in its Place

If you're expected to deliver the goods in support of your bank's strategic plan--but are not always part of the planning--you are not alone! Dennis McCuistion, a "recovering bank CEO," who has facilitated strategic planning sessions for over 25 years, will provide insights into

* How CEOs view marketing.

* Why marketing and strategy are inseparable.

* How marketing and sales efforts can earn the respect they deserve.

Speaker: Dennis McCuistion, partner, McCuistion & Associates.

Marketing Confidential: True Stories of Successful CEO/Marketer Teams

A "power panel" of CEOs and bank marketers will describe how they overcame challenges so that you can apply the lessons they learned in the development and implementation of your own strategy. You'll learn ways to work more effectively with your CEO and better understand the role of marketing and sales in today's successful financial institutions. Moderator: Dennis McCuistion, partner, McCuistion & Associates.

Marketing and the CEO: Linking Customer and Metrics

Customers are the source of value. Investors and analysts are asking pointed questions about how you measure the value of your customer initiatives. This session will help you better understand the relative value of key customer segments, and how to enable everyone in your organization to conduct business with customer value in mind. Speaker: Robert E. Hall, president, EnAct, Carreker Corp.

A Holistic--and Profitable--Approach to Diversity

A banker in Los Angeles--one of the nation's most ethnically diverse markets--shares her strategies for success in gaining market share in small-business lending, deposits and customer loyalty. Regardless of your bank's size or location, you will learn from this session how to collaborate with community and business organizations, nonprofits and individuals. By learning how to recognize successes and employ PR tactics that work, you will strengthen your brand, help your community flourish and improve shareholder value. Speaker: Betty Rengifo Tucker, vice...