ST. PAUL, Minn. – Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union is reporting it will continue its “Move Your Money” campaign through year end to “help Minnesota consumers gain a broader understanding of the credit union difference.”
The campaign features a blend of traditional marketing efforts – like billboards, radio ads and a dedicated web page for new or potential members. It also incorporates targeted audio ads on Pandora featuring Dave Larson, Affinity Plus president/CEO.
Through a long-term partnership with the University of Minnesota Gopher Athletics, Affinity Plus said it is also sharing the Move Your Money messaging to educate and support college students.
“The campaign continues to stress that Affinity Plus pledges to treat members with care, excellence and integrity,” Larson said in a statement. “Those are our core values as an organization, and we never want members or employees to feel like those values have been compromised.”
Affinity Plus launched its Move Your Money campaign in late September, shortly after news broke about the Wells Fargo fake account scandal. APFCU said the campaign leveraged its Business Intelligence Team to analyze data and identify current or potential members who used big banks and might benefit from a move. It then sent an e-mail to those members to acknowledge the uneasiness they might feel.
“We were upfront with them. We told them we understood that their faith and trust in the financial industry may have been shaken by unethical practices at big banks,” Larson said. “We reminded them of Affinity Plus’ tagline – ‘Not for Profit. For People.’ But most of all, we understood this was our opportunity to reinforce what’s right and enduring about Affinity Plus and credit unions in general.”
In early November, the credit union unveiled billboards across Minnesota that continue to describe Affinity Plus as “locally brewed banking” and invite people to “manage your money where you matter,” among other messages. Local radio ads also continue to feature Larson and leaders from across Minnesota sharing their thoughts about being in their communities.
“Overall, we think it’s important for consumers to know they have a choice in their banking relationship,” said Larson. “And we think if everyone understood the credit union difference, they would be members.”