Hi there, credit union friends,
In a previous edition of this newsletter, I described my family’s annual ten-hour trek from Florida to North Carolina for the holidays. But instead of cramming kids, canines, and Christmas into our car this year, my husband and I decided to divide and conquer. He opted to drive with our dogs while I flew with our daughters.
Naively, I thought I was prepared for the ninety-minute flight: I packed two extra changes of clothes for each child, their backpacks were brimming with snacks, and Bluey was on blast on their tablets.
However, in typical “‘Tis the Season” style, we were delayed on our return flight, trapped on the tarmac without a gate, and forced to wait on the jet bridge while the ground crew searched for our stroller. (One of the pilots took pity on us and ended up going down to retrieve it. 😅)
📸: Tostoini on Giphy
Needless to say, our quick trip turned into an hours-long odyssey. And the longer we waited, the more creative I had to get. The girls and I took field trips to different gates, sipped “fancy drinks” (juice and milk) on the plane, and entertained our fellow travelers and flight attendants with fashion shows. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a parent, it’s the art of the pivot!
If you, like me, need to switch up your game plan, then read on to discover unique opportunities to engage kids and empower parents at your credit union this year!
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Sharing, Saving and Driving Smart: Iowa-based Community Choice Credit Union is taking Joe the Monkey and his pals on the road – literally! This institution recently unveiled the newest addition to its fleet of marketing vehicles. (Which, I kid you not, includes a car shaped like a toaster. 🤣) Meet The Money Mammals Mobile!
In consultation with our design team, Community Choice wrapped a Smart car in attention-grabbing graphics featuring Joe and friends rocking out. (Probably to this head-banger!) And who can forget the all-important Save jars beautifying the bumpers?
As Community Choice’s Marketing Manager, Bryce Verlinden, explains, the credit union plans to utilize this vehicle at family-focused branch and community events to promote its Money Mammals program and to grow deposits. He playfully adds, “We are going BANANAS over it! The amount of people staring at me as I drove it by was truly something!”
And The Money Mammals Mobile’s motoring around central Iowa has already raised some fur … err … eyebrows, as Des Moines Parent followers voted Community Choice the “Best Family Bank” of 2024! 🥳
Since Community Choice considers itself the UNbank, here’s to keeping up the UNbelievable work!
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Heard It Through the SuperVine: Now let’s shift gears (Pun very much intended! 😉) from public to personal program promotion.
At SECNY Federal Credit Union in New York, member service representatives are encouraged to curate branch experiences for youth account holders. This challenge resulted in the construction of a SuperVine 3000, which appears in the Joe the Monkey Saves for a Goal picture book.
Joe the Monkey and his SuperVine 3000 in action!
SECNY team members presented the finished product to a dedicated young member (And saver!) on her birthday. Courtney Fulmer, the credit union’s CEO and a recent Art of Allowance Podcast guest, shares all the details here:
As Courtney relates, creating meaningful moments such as this one lays the foundation of institutional loyalty for years to come.
And this level of dedication can also result in national recognition! Congratulations are in order for SECNY’s Director of Education and Online Marketing, Jillian Kerekes, who recently received Mastercard’s 2024 Financial Literacy and Education Award in the “Community Institution” segment. Her commitment to the credit union’s principles of Service, Education, and Community is unmatched! 👏
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Let’s Get Digital: My five-year-old just announced that she has her first loose tooth. Now every evening at the dinner table, she excitedly wiggles the departing incisor and explains that the Tooth Fairy will take it and give her a coin in return.
When she first made this statement, I laughed it off. “Great,” I told my husband. “We’re out only a quarter instead of five bucks!” (What’s the going rate for a tooth these days, anyway? 🤔) But then I realized the reason behind her proclamation: She lives in a world of digital instead of cash transactions.
As my own experience attests, debit and credit cards are becoming important tools when raising money-smart kids. So your institution may already be considering offerings that allow parents to monitor the spending of their tweens and teens (and in some cases, even school-age children).
Our Money Mammals and Adolescent$ programs work in conjunction with any of the available options, including Greenlight and GoHenry. However, we’re partnering with select providers who can embed Adolescent$ content, including the “Good Money Habits” video series, into their platforms to offer an engaging, educational experience for your young members and their families.
These solutions also integrate directly into your core, which allows you to control both the deposits and branding. (Talk about a win-win!) So if you’d like to find out more or schedule a demo, then let’s connect.
Well, credit union friends, you’ve made it through the first month of 2025! As you’re settling into the New Year, keep your eyes peeled for a special installment of this very newsletter. 👀 In it I’ll be not only highlighting the resources we provide to help you maximize Credit Union Youth Month but also introducing the “Branch Bandicoot Bonus,” a new section featuring content exclusive to our Art of Allowance Project partners.
Until then, here’s to putting our best fin lit flippers forward!
Erin Prim
Marketing Manatee
