Hi there, credit union friends,
If you’re a regular recipient of email messages from me, then you’ve probably noticed I like to refer to Thursday as “Friday Eve.” Doing so is my way of celebrating the penultimate day of the work week.
But today, we have more to celebrate than being one step closer to the weekend. It’s also Manatee Appreciation Day! 🥳
📸: Jason Clarke on Giphy
This event was created to raise awareness for the manatee’s status as a threatened species. (Fun fact: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed our sirenian friend from the endangered species list in 2017. 🙌) However, I figured we could celebrate with a special edition of Marketing Manatee Musings.
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Joe on the Go: Speaking of celebrations, Credit Union Youth Month is just days away! And if you’re still searching for inspiration, then look no further than Instagram. But don’t consider this suggestion an invitation to scroll your “For You” page mindlessly! Instead, head over to Community Choice Credit Union’s account to discover an easy-to-implement member engagement opportunity.
Over the past eight weeks, this Iowa-based institution has been running a contest that encourages kids and parents to explore their communities. The marketing team begins by posting a pic of The Money Mammals’ mascot, Joe the Monkey, in an undisclosed location around metro Des Moines.
Blazin’ Bananas … A money-smart influencer in the wild!
Young members and their families are then invited to guess the site of Joe’s latest selfie for a chance to win experience-based prizes, such as a science center membership, an indoor trampoline park adventure, and the VIP treatment at a local hockey game. Plus participants can double their odds of winning by commenting on the corresponding Facebook post.
So with the click of a camera, Community Choice is generating engagement with its social channels, promoting its youth program, and spreading the money-smart message of experiences over things. I’d say that’s a win-win-win!
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A Day in Pre-K: The administrators at my daughters’ daycare recently invited me to serve as a “Mystery Reader” during Community Helpers Week. Admittedly, I felt out of place after discovering I’d be following visits from the likes of dental hygienists and firefighters. (Who can compete with the opportunity to spray a fire truck hose?!?) But nevertheless, I jumped at the chance to share Joe the Monkey’s adventures with the school’s two Pre-Kindergarten classes.
During the 45-minute sessions I hosted, I introduced the students to money smarts by reading the first picture book in The Money Mammals’ trilogy, Joe the Monkey Saves for a Goal. And to make sure I kept the attention of my audience of four- and five-year-olds, I enlisted helpers to distribute “Decision Dollars” to the class as Joe saved the money he needed for his SuperVine 3000.
After these newly minted money mavens helped Joe reach his goal, they identified their own. And in true preschool fashion, their responses ranged from the expected (candy and toys) to the extravagant (buildings and cars) to the imaginative (dinosaurs and mermaids). So to help with these ambitions, realistic or otherwise, I offered the students clear Save jars that they adorned with pom poms, stickers, and Joe patches.
Wondering where I got my ideas for “Decision Dollars” and decorated jars? (Hint: Not from my frazzled Mom brain! 🤪) I consulted the picture book’s reading guide for the activities and the program’s teaching guide for the templates. If you would like to learn how these educational resources can enhance your next branch, classroom, or community event, then click the link below.
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Branch Bandicoot Bonus: What Manatee Appreciation Day celebration would be complete without party favors? If you’re already an Art of Allowance Project partner, then be sure to explore the “Youth Month Assets” folder of our Marketing Support Drive for access to collateral to enhance your efforts throughout April. Here’s a sneak peek of the materials included!
The “Evergreen Social Media Collateral” subfolder contains copy and graphics for five posts that promote Money Mammals and Adolescent$ accounts as well as digital resources such as apps and games. These assets can be utilized each April to raise awareness of your program.
The “Money Mammals Mystery” subfolder houses the materials specific to this year’s theme. Encourage your young members and their families to crack “The Case of the Missing Banana Bunch” with:
- A pair of web banners 🖥️
- A trio of social media posts 🤳
- A comprehensive event package 🔍
And don’t forget this season’s newsletter and April’s printable! The former outlines clues, evidence, and suspects, and the latter serves as the case notes for your super sleuths.
Well, friends, the Manatee Appreciation Day festivities may be over, but the money-smart fun is just getting started! Since Youth Month is right around the corner, I’m looking forward to sharing more of your strategies for connecting with young members and their families in the next edition of this newsletter.
So until then, here’s to putting our best fin lit flippers forward!
Erin Prim
Marketing Manatee
