8 Creative Ways to Brand Your Credit Union

With higher interest rates on deposits, lower loan rates and first-rate member service, credit unions offer benefits that far surpass those of banking institutions. Consumers who manage their finances through credit unions already understand the benefits, but potential members may not know the differences that exist between non-profit and for-profit banking organizations. Educating potential members can be done fairly easily, but to stand out in a crowd, credit unions need to go above and beyond – conveying a message that highlights the unique merits and services they can provide. When it comes to attracting attention, nothing does the job like a fresh, creative campaign.

The following are eight imaginative ways to brand a credit union.

Marvelous Mailers

Despite today’s vast electronic communication technologies, direct mail has been shown to consistently deliver a higher return on investment than many other marketing and advertising tools. To build a connection with members, credit units can add a personal touch by including a photo of the member service representative who will likely represent them. Building a story using words and images while emphasizing the specialized services that member can receive will also communicate a high level of member care. With this strategy, it’s important to target the audience demographic with a simple and focused design that includes a call to action. Wrapping everything up in a cohesive theme will help illustrate and enhance the campaign’s message.

Sharing Economy

Sharing economies are taking over the country. Network-enabled, collaborative sharing connects users to reduce costs – an advantage that most credit unions cherish. Tapping into the sharing economy by collaborating principals is an effective way to market a business. Different angles can be used in order to connect with this type of movement and increase brand visibility. Examples include displaying a brand on a local bike-sharing initiative, offering discounts or collaborating at local business events as a means of cross-branding, or volunteering skilled labor or sponsoring non-profit events within the community.

Making Receipts Exciting

As a credit union, it is important to be in touch with the neighborhood and community, and establish connections with other businesses while also providing added value to its members. A great way to offer benefits to clients is to print discount offers on the back of ATM receipts. This unused “real estate” can be a real goldmine, opening the door to limitless branding opportunities, and encouraging members to value their receipts and keep them handy for future loan or credit card needs.

Prominent Promo Kits

Creating a promotion kit for a free giveaway is a sure way to attract a crowd. Offering a free gift to members who open a new account is an effective method for attracting the press and promoting media coverage – something that can be particularly advantageous for the holiday season or other special events. Packaging the gift in a limited edition branded box that includes business information and a list of services will make potential members feel valued, and boost awareness and traffic to the service branches.

Engage With Content Marketing

Digital marketing is a hot trend thanks to its ability to reach consumers in a fast and efficient manner. Creating a blog with educational, relevant and interesting content that contains useful articles, infographics and videos will keep consumers connected and engaged. An efficient blog should be integrated with the business’ website in order to maximize its search engine optimization value. When it comes to marketing content, uniqueness is key. Doing research to compare against existing content will help keep the material original and stimulating. Once the content has been formulated, using email and social media platforms will help drive traffic to it.

Check That Box

Upcycling and second-life packaging are the next big thing, booming onto the scene with reusable packaging that consumers can reuse. Second-life packaging need not be limited to retail products. Credit unions can also use this method to help brand their business. Standard checks are mailed in lifeless boxes, so the impact will be significant if these types of boxes are redesigned with creativity and sustainability in mind. Environmental efficiency is important for today’s consumers, so they will appreciate receiving a beautifully-designed box they can keep and reuse. Another idea that can efficiently display branding is the design of bubble zip pouches that clients can keep to store their checkbooks.

The Youth

Credit unions have faced difficulty in engaging youths and educating them on the benefits they can offer. Since the majority of credit union members are aging, it is paramount for businesses to look ahead and reach the younger demographic, especially as they are said to inherit the largest transfer of wealth in history. To make a brand relevant to the next generation, a short- and long-term promotion plan needs to be implemented. To appeal to millennials, some institutions have even gone as far as creating a complimentary sub-brand. Other strategies include participating at local events that focus on youths’ interests, and employing representatives that belong to the target demographic – i.e., the young!

Mobile Apps

When it comes to new prospects, mobile apps carry a lot of weight. Users are becoming increasingly discriminating and will immediately judge a brand if its app is frustrating and/or not inclusive of the female and young adult demographic. Developing an efficient, user-friendly app requires both positive and negative feedback, so all user comments should be taken seriously. Focusing on the user experience and offering in-demand features are a must for the creation of any successful app, so it is vital for research to be properly performed and integrated.

Phil Bagdasarian is the co-founder of Packwire. He can be reached at 1-800-881-6093 Ext. 701 or phil@packwire.com.