In just about any industry, customer loyalty is driven by the amount of trust a person has in a brand. Does the brand consistently do what it says it will do? Does the brand do it well? Does the brand go out of its way to give the customer a satisfying experience on his or her terms?

Unfortunately for banking and finance, even in the world of credit unions, trust is at an all-time low. The trend rings particularly true among millennials. According to the millennial disruption index, 71% of millennials would rather visit the dentist than listen to their banks, and 73% would rather handle their financial services needs through Google, Apple and Amazon.

This means financial executives are now faced with the complex task of meeting all regulatory standards – privacy, security and reporting – while still trying to move in time with digitally native consumers who are used to elevated levels of personalization and convenience. In order to truly foster loyalty with today's consumers, credit unions can consider three essential modern marketing tactics that act as the backbone for a member-centric communications program.