LAS VEGAS – Credit union marketing executives shared their branding success stories with attendees during a breakout session at the Drive '15: CU Direct Lending & Marketing Conference Thursday in Las Vegas, Nev., emphasizing the need for differentiation and change.

Stephen Black, vice president of marketing for the $13.6 billion BECU in Tukwila, Wash., discussed the evolution of his credit union's brand over the past decade. The credit union began by simplifying its name from Boeing Employees Credit Union to BECU in 2004, and developing a tagline, "more than just money," in 2005. In 2008, during the financial crisis, BECU assured members of its soundness through a series of campaign materials, and in 2010 and 2011, it increased membership by encouraging bank customers to "move their money" to BECU.

Black explained that by strongly communicating its values, connecting the superior benefits of membership to its values, and putting its values into action through product and service offerings, the credit union saw significant growth and deepened relationships with members.

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Natasha Chilingerian

Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.

Marketing