The Cornerstone Credit Union League unveiled a multi-state awareness campaign Tuesday that aims to bring new members into the movement by communicating the benefits of credit union membership.

Set to roll out in August, the “Feel the Difference” campaign will feature paid digital and social advertising to build awareness throughout the three states Cornerstone represents, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The toolkit being provided to credit unions will support the awareness campaign by providing tools and messaging that will positively affect consideration and commitment at the credit union or chapter level.

There's also a plan that has already been developed to support this acquisition effort with a retention drive that empowers new credit union members to spread the benefits and awareness organically through word of mouth.

“There’s an awareness need out there,” said Dick Ensweiler, Cornerstone president/CEO. “People don’t understand who credit unions are, and we need to find that magic button that turns them on. So many credit unions are now community chartered; they have expanded their field of membership, but they haven’t found a way to approach the whole community with a message that will resonate.”

This effort will help change that, Ensweiler said.

The league’s campaign will include a toolkit, to be delivered in the coming weeks, that will allow credit unions to share elements of “Feel the Difference” in their local markets.

The Credit Union Awareness Initiative being developed by CUNA and a board-appointed advisory group will also feature a toolkit that credit unions and leagues will be able to leverage to enhance their own marketing and awareness efforts. (See related story: It’s time to close the awareness gap.)

CUNA and Cornerstone have committed to working collaboratively as both initiatives progress.

“It’s great to have parallel tracks,” Ensweiler said. “As we learn what works with (CUNA’s initiative), we may want to tie some of that in. There’s no secret. We want to share everything we can. We don’t just want credit union membership to grow in our part of the country, we want it to grow all over America.”

Douglas Kiker, CUNA chief strategic communications officer, complimented the league’s effort and its approach to complementing and supporting individual credit union awareness campaigns.

“This is exactly what we’re hoping to achieve with CUNA’s awareness initiative,” Kiker said. “The more ideas, the more voices in the choir, the more effective credit union and league awareness efforts will be.”