BIRMINGHAM, Ala./TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The 2015 cooperative image campaign for Alabama and Florida credit unions will launch Sept. 14, the League of Southeastern CUs And Affiliates announced.
The fourth wave of the annual campaign will cover 14 media markets across both states. TV, radio, digital, social media, and billboards will be used, but will vary based on money raised in each media market.
For 2015, three new “shareable content” ads have been produced and will be exclusive to the digital and social media buys including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pandora, and Instagram, the league reported. They will also be utilized by contributing credit unions on their social and communications channels.
“Brands are expanding their presence online and credit unions need to carve out a space,” said LSCU and Affiliates President/CEO Patrick La Pine. “The new ‘shareable’ ads are funny and a slice of everyday life. They will resonate with consumers and many will share the ads with their friends through social media.”
The TV and radio ads have not changed from the 2014 campaign. The three new shareable content ads will use the premise that people are saving money in all the wrong ways, the league said.
“The idea is to not save money on the important things in your life, but to join a credit union and start to realize the savings that comes with being a member.”
The campaign creative pushes consumers to a website, www.betternameforbanking.com, that illustrates the credit union difference by showing how much money a potential member will save on a mortgage or auto loan. Potential members can find a credit union near them, learn the benefits of shared branching, and view a real-time social media feed showing what people are saying about credit unions.
Through three waves of the campaign, independent research shows that awareness of credit unions has jumped from 23% in 2011(before the first campaign began) to 50% in 2014 (following the third campaign) in Alabama and Florida, the league reported.
“It also shows that 54% of respondents are familiar with a credit union and the services it offers. Since the first campaign in 2011, Alabama and Florida credit unions have added 545,000 new members and more than $13 billion in new assets. Both states have a record number of members and assets,” LSCU stated.
“Florida’s membership just passed the five-million-member mark this year, while Alabama is getting close to two million members. The Cooperative Image Campaign is working seamlessly with credit unions’ marketing efforts to help drive consumers to credit unions. It’s a real success story of how the cooperative spirit among credit unions can yield results,” said La Pine.