KALAMAZOO, Mich., and SYDNEY, Australia (9/22/15)--An Australian publication for brand marketers has turned to a Michigan credit union’s chief marketing officer for advice on how to humanize members’ experience with technology and digital connectivity.

CMO interviewed Lynne Jarman-Johnson, chief marketing officer of Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Consumers CU in a July 21 article. She will address delivering better customer experiences and brand intimacy at the ADMA Global Forum Aug. 4-5 in Sydney. Before she joined the credit union’s staff four years ago, she ran a brand consultancy for 21 years.

In the article, Jarman-Johnson noted that Consumers CU employs technology in a member-oriented way with three pillars or strategies. The credit union:

• Researches emerging technologies to keep innovative and bring the best-possible service to members;
• Trains staff so they have a thorough knowledge of how a product offering or campaign works and can educate others; and
• Educates members on the best use of the technology to improve their banking experience.

Historically, marketing was about identifying members planning to buy a home or save and targeting them with new products, Jarman-Johnson said. Today, with digital services and technology rising, marketing’s job is to ensure banking is a simple process. That leads to education, she said.

The No. 1 thing, she said, is to help people understand what they need to do and why. If the credit union doesn’t train individuals on how to use the tools, it won’t succeed. People will “shut us down and not do business with us,” she told CMO.

To help educate members, the credit union has turned its blog into an e-library with content based on everyday banking activities and lifestyles; created a “care and share” intranet for employees to access information they can email to members needing help; and provided a 24-hour “mobile bar” in its branches so staff can help members get hands-on experiences with their preferred technologies.

The easier the credit union makes something for members, the more intimate the experience, Jarman-Johnson said, adding that members will, in turn, talk about the credit union’s brand, be its advocates and reinforce its brand.