PODCAST: Marketing to your next generation of members

In the latest episode of the CUNA News Podcast, Danny Swanson explains how he’s using video marketing and a bicycle loan program to attract young consumers to his credit union.

When young people learn how credit unions are organized they often think they’re “really cool,” says Swanson, a multimedia marketing specialist at $3.1 billion asset Virginia Credit Union in Richmond.

“All the substance is there," he says. "We are not-for-profit, we are for the people. We are owned by the people who are using [the credit unions]. Getting that information out that has always been the hardest part."

One way Swanson is tackling that problem is by producing fun videos targeted at young consumers. One example of Swanson’s work includes the #GuyInFlannel series.

“If you read an article, you can get the facts," Swanson says. "But with video the way people are talking, the way the music is playing, the way if an animation comes in, you can give people a feeling of happiness or hope, and really grab hold of someone’s attention.”

Another way Swanson has tried to attract young consumers is by starting a bicycle loan program.

Swanson’s efforts led to him being named a 2016 Credit Union Magazine Rock Star in a special edition of the magazine sponsored by Fiserv.

You can listen and subscribe to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple's iTunes Store, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio.