Tapping into persistent consumer unhappiness with banks, state leagues this spring have been rolling out new awareness campaigns at a brisk pace with Michigan and Connecticut now joining the fray with broad-based TV, radio and online ventures.
The Michigan trade group disclosed Tuesday it is debuting on May 14 a ramped-up version of the "CU Difference" campaign complete with a new website called "CU Link."
Michigan credit unions can customize their own "CU Link" webpage to include specific information on products, prices, locations and logos in addition to financial education material, said the league. Radio and TV ads will be run in major Michigan markets for six to 16 weeks, the Michigan Credit Union League said.
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Meanwhile, the Credit Union League of Connecticut said it is debuting a multi-media campaign featuring testimonial ads in the state's biggest newspapers and TV outlets with a focus on the asmarterhoice.org website developed by a CUNA-linked league consortium spearheaded by the American Association of Credit Union Leagues.
The Connecticut group kicked off its blitz Monday, relying like others on voluntary contributions from credit unions, and said the campaign's focus is on educating the public about the credit union difference.
The Connecticut website directs consumers to learn more through the asmarterchoice website with print ads being run in Hartford Courant, New Haven Advocate and Fairfield County Advocate with commercial spots on New Haven stations. The campaign will extend through December.
Mona Shand, public relations manager at the Michigan League, said the "CU Difference" has been an annual event "but this year is bigger than ever" based on the media buys.
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Credit Union Network last month launched its "Bankziety" campaign using a seeyoulaterbank.com website and Facebook listings asking Minnesotans to share stories of banking anxiety, stress and how credit unions have helped.
Also last month the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas began running testimonial ads coupled with a statewide tour to promote a "We've Been Waiting for You" theme reminding consumers in North and South Dakota "how poorly they've been treated by big banks and are tired of bank fees."
The Maine and New Jersey leagues have also ramped up voluntary awareness campaigns, and the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association said it is getting good results from its franchised iBelong" venture.
Meanwhile, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions said it will run the second flight of its successful Cooperative Brand Campaign. A second TV commercial was shot in late April using the same actor from the first ad giving, credit unions two ads to run across the 14 markets in Alabama and Florida. The LSCU also has franchised its ads to Mississippi and Connecticut credit unions this year.
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