She noted that middle-income Americans define success in their lives by first, raising good kids; second, being a good partner to a significant other; third, financial stability; fourth, having good health; and fifth, their spirituality.

Buttchen also revealed statistics about the lifestyles of credit union members versus the lifestyles of middle-income Americans, which credit unions can take into account when designing and marketing products. Compared to bank customers and non-banked consumers, credit union members are less racially diverse, more educated and have a lower penetration among millennials.

In addition, credit union members are 27% more likely than their counterparts to cook for fun, 71% more likely to shop "smart," 71% more likely to worry about the environment, 50% more likely to exercise, 47% more likely to vacation in the U.S. and 49% more likely to own a dog. They are less likely to have a glass of wine with dinner (21%), smoke cigarettes (17%) or regularly post social media updates (23%), according to CUNA Mutual Group's research.

In comparison, middle-income Americans are also more likely to own a dog and vacation in the U.S., however, unlike credit union members, they are more likely to believe in faith-based issues (31%) and barbecue (39%). Like credit union members, they are less likely to have a glass of wine with dinner, post regularly on social media sites and smoke cigarettes.

How can cooperatives take these results and turn them into action items? Buttchen recommended that since Americans view insurance as the most complex industry, credit unions should focus on educating members on products such as life and A&D insurance. They can also market toward home remodeling activities, offer loan consolidation products, elevate their targeted personas, ramp up new employee training, focus on creative direction in imagery and copy, and take part in community involvement with a family focus.