Ranging from loan promotions to touching member profiles, the presentation featured 2022 Diamond Award-winning entries from the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council.
Diversified Members Credit Union in Detroit created a program where it featured multiple Black-owned businesses via social media during February, Black History Month, says Ericka Reder, social media and graphics designer at the $507 million asset credit union. The program featured real people and their stories.
“We didn’t just say we support Black-owned businesses, we showed it,” she says. “It was about doing something good for the community without asking for anything in return.”
The campaign reinforced the power of storytelling and authentic social media.
The gift of life
Neches Federal Credit Union in Port Neches, Texas, partnered with The Gift of Life, a nonprofit organization that provides cancer screenings, education, and other services.
The goal was to raise money for the organization, as well as grow loans and membership for the credit union, says Jason Duplant, chief marketing officer at the $859 million asset credit union. Neches Federal donated money to The Gift of Life for every loan it made.
The program, which took place during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, resulted in 877 loans, a substantial donation to the nonprofit, and increased cancer awareness.
Virtual business development
The onset of the pandemic meant $4.1 billion asset American Heritage Credit Union’s business development representatives couldn’t visit workplace partner, many of which are essential businesses such as hospitals, nursing facilities, and government offices.
The credit union used geofencing around top select employee groups to provide targeted messages that pointed to special landing pages, says Mike Dinneen, senior vice president of marketing and business development.
Landing pages included links to membership information, credit union representatives, product promotions, and empathetic messaging.
“It was the same messaging we’d put out at a benefits fair,” he says.
The effort resulted in 9.1 million page impressions, 16,000 ad clicks, and more than 22,000 branch/ATM visits at a cost of $48,000.
Healing art
Chaos due to the pandemic and political upheaval led to the Act With Love & Equality Art Initiative to provide a burst of colorful, healing art, says Kellie Swiger, creative director at $973 million asset LAFCU in Lansing, Mich.
Created by local artists, the pieces centered around words including unity, peace, love, change, heal, and humanity.
The campaign was viewed by 1.5 million people and included nearly 8,000 impressions and 484 engagements.
Swap & Drop
Louisiana Federal Credit Union’s Swap & Drop promotion focused on refinancing high-cost loans members obtained at other financial institutions, says Lyndsey Delatte, digital marketing at the $494 million asset La Place, La., institution.
The goal was to beat competitors’ rates by at least 200 basis points. With a $2,000 budget, the promotion garnered 297 new loans and 111 new memberships.
Louisiana Federal repeats the promotion each year and includes a countdown ticker on its home page to entice members.
Vought Records
Texas Trust Credit Union, with $1.8 billion in assets in Mansfield, bought the naming rights for a local music venue and created a unique space where concert goers can hang out.
The space, called Vaught Records, includes credit union-themed albums, concert t-shirts, an interactive jukebox, and other features to tell the credit union’s story, says Toni Nichols, public relations manager.
Vought Aircraft Corp. is the name of the Texas Trust’s original sponsor organization.
‘Unsung Heroes’
Whitefish (Mont.) Credit Union hired local filmmakers to create intimate profiles of local members, says Josh Wilson, senior vice president of marketing, at the $2.1 billion asset institution.
Called “Unsung Heroes,” the eight-video campaign honors essential workers, including grocery store employees and third-shift workers, to highlight what they do for the community.
“We focus on the people, not the credit union,” Wilson says.
The YouTube videos received 40,000 views with a 99.7% approval rating, showing the power of storytelling.
Credit Union Magazine’s Summer 2023 issue highlights the lending outlook for the rest of the year, how credit unions leverage fintech companies to boost digital lending, the power of lending partnerships, common Bank Secrecy Act violations, and the shift board members must make when becoming chair.
