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Fulfilling a need to strengthen its partner credit unions' marketing strategies, the CUSO Reseda Group, which is wholly-owned by the $6.8 billion Michigan State University Federal Credit Union in Lansing, Mich., added marketing, communications and advertising agency M3 Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary, the CUSO announced Thursday.
M3 Group, also based in Lansing, joined a list of three other companies that are majority or wholly-owned by the CUSO: Personal finance app creator Spave, financial education solutions company Ever Green 3C and printing services company Foresight Group.
The agency, founded in 2002, has provided advertising, branding, marketing automation, public relations and communications, marketing research and strategy, video and photography, and website services to a variety of industries. In addition, it produces two print magazines – 517 Magazine, a business and lifestyle publication serving 11 counties in Southern Michigan, and The Current, an arts and culture magazine developed for and by Michigan State University students.
M3 Group Founder and President/CEO Tiffany Dowling will continue to lead the agency as it develops credit union-specific solutions, Reseda Group said.
"As we continue to evaluate programs and services needed for credit union success, it was apparent that marketing, digital strategy and overall communications was critical," April Clobes, president/CEO of MSUFCU and Reseda Group, stated. "There's no need to build the capacity from scratch when there are organizations that have built a model that works and can hit the ground running. The M3 Group team of creatives will be a tremendous asset to credit unions and other Reseda Group subsidiaries."
In Reseda Group's announcement, Dowling noted the strategic alliance will set the stage for opportunity and growth for the agency.
"The old phrase is 'The best is yet to come.' I believe that. Any time you have reached a particular milestone like a 20-year anniversary, you think about succession and new challenges," Dowling stated. "I'm excited to see what new opportunities emerge and also to work with the talented people at Reseda Group and MSUFCU. The integrity, innovation and team of experts secures an amazing path for M3 Group moving forward."
In addition to working with subsidiaries to bring specialized services to its credit union partners, Reseda Group has been investing in technology and financial services businesses delivering products and services that it believes will benefit credit unions and their members. Earlier this year, the CUSO announced investments in retirement planning startup Silvur and fintech AKUVO.
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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.
