HARRISBURG, Penn.–Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union has introduced a new campus ambassador initiative in partnership with SocialLadder, that it said will empower student influencers to actively seek out opportunities to reinforce the credit union’s brand awareness, financial education, and member acquisition efforts.
The credit union, which is primarily digital-based said it has long utilized the power of peer-to-peer interactions and word-of-mouth advertising to drive member acquisition on the 20-plus college campuses across the state where it has a presence, and the new partnership will enhance that effort.
PSECU reported it began piloting its campus ambassador initiative earlier this month with a select group of approximately 30 campus ambassadors (one or two from each campus where PSECU is present) and will expand it going forward based on success and need.
“For more than 20 years, PSECU has worked with on-campus student interns to educate, engage, and acquire new student members, as well as others in campus communities like faculty, staff, and alumni,” said PSECU President and CEO George Rudolph. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the traditional college experience with significant shifts to virtual settings, we too modified our strategy. Following PSECU’s digital-first model, we’ll now harness technology to allow students and others to promote our products and services by serving as influencers within their personal, online networks.”
Completely Mobile
The organizations said SocialLadder’s technology is completely mobile and incorporates gamification, so ambassadors can be onboarded efficiently and kept engaged over time.
“The platform will give PSECU’s campus ambassadors a simple way to stay connected to the credit union, complete tasks, receive rewards, access information, and build a stronger relationship with the PSECU brand,” the credit union said.
The Participating Schools
PSECU said the campus ambassador initiative includes Bloomsburg University; California University of Pennsylvania; Central Penn College; Chestnut Hill College; Cheyney University; Clarion University; Community College of Philadelphia - Main Campus; Community College of Philadelphia - Northeast Regional Center; East Stroudsburg University; HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College – Harrisburg; HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College – Lancaster; HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College – York; Kutztown University; Leigh University; Lock Haven University; Mansfield University; Northampton Community College – Monroe Campus; Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences; Reading Area Community College; Shippensburg University; Susquehanna University; Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, and West Chester University.
The $7.4-billion Pennsylvania State Employees CU has more than 481,000 members.