Is your credit union ready for a fresh start?

Hi there, credit union friends!

I was deeply distressed to discover that our nation’s most popular marmot, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow on Groundhog Day. I know, I know: This reaction to six more weeks of winter seems superfluous for someone who, admittedly, lives in Florida.

However, the Prim Pack (as I lovingly refer to my immediate family 🐺) has endured more than its fair share of ailments this season. From sinus infections to stomach bugs to strep throat, my daughter, husband, and I have come down with it all. (Thanks, daycare!) Needless to say, I’m ready for a fresh start!

And even though we may be in for another few weeks of winter, it isn’t too early to begin thinking about the opportunities that spring presents. So read on to discover what we at Snigglezoo and your credit union colleagues are doing now to prep for the season ahead.

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Change Is Coming: In last month’s “Marketing Manatee Musings,” I took you on a backstage tour of Snigglezoo Studios, the production arm of our company, for an exclusive look into our content creation process.

Well, I have great news for all the Snigglezoo Superfans out there! (You know who you are! 😉) You can now access updates to our Art of Allowance Project website via our change log.

Here’s a snapshot from the site of our metro Atlanta-based partner, Georgia United Credit Union:

To view the log in its entirety, you can either:

Type your credit union’s Art of Allowance Project domain followed by “/version” (for example, https://georgiaunitedcu.theartofallowance.com/version) if you are a current partner (Please note that your members do not have access to this page unless they are given the URL.)
Visit https://demo.theartofallowance.com/version if you are a potential partner or a Snigglezoo Superfan (Please note that you will need to create an account to access this demo version of the site.)

From there, you will be able to explore the updates to both content and design made to The Art of Allowance Project website since its March 2021 launch. We hope that this evolving record emphasizes our commitment to continuously improve the program for our credit union partners and families on their money-smart journeys.

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Two for One: Interested in integrating your youth program content into your digital offerings? New Hampshire-based Service Credit Union incorporates its resources for children, tweens, and teens within its financial wellness app, Fin-Life.

Powered by Pocketnest, a platform designed by and for millennials and Gen-Xers, the Fin-Life app coaches users through ten themes of financial wellness, including budgeting and planning for the future. Service’s members complete modules on these topics on their smartphones in under five minutes each week. 📱

During the app’s setup phase, any users who answer “yes” to a question about having kids trigger the appearance of the following screen:

And if they click the “Learn More” call to action button, then they are directed to the homepage of Service’s youth program, where they can explore materials for children from birth to young adulthood.

Embedding this content into a digital space drives awareness of Service’s youth financial literacy initiatives while also providing the credit union’s adult members with even more resources at their fingertips. And what’s more, this strategy emphasizes the critical role parents play in their children’s financial futures.

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Let the Games Begin!: Looking for other ways to get your members excited about your online learning resources? Provide a preview of the financial fun by embedding content into your youth program’s splash page!

Florida-based GTE Financial does just that by highlighting an interactive game for children:

In this particular activity, young members can discover what credit unions offer by opening their own virtual branches. And since the game’s currency is member happiness, they also learn about the “credit union difference.”

But the fun’s not done! Tweens and teens are invited to stream an age-appropriate short:

This video, the first in a series of five good money habits, encourages young people to save their money instead of spending it. It also serves as an introduction to the program’s philosophy of talking with, instead of down to, tweens and teens about financial topics.

And last but certainly not least, parents are encouraged to watch a clip from the program’s podcast:

By including content for adults on its youth program’s splash page, GTE is sending the message that parents play an integral role in money-smart learning. Additionally, the credit union is emphasizing that its youth program provides the tools to empower them to be their children’s guides.

Once members have engaged with this content, they are encouraged to explore other resources via links to GTE’s youth program portal. So they have discovered not only that money-smart learning is fun but also that GTE has many tools to help them on their financial journeys.

Well, that’s a wrap on this edition of “Marketing Manatee Musings”! If you and your credit union would like to be featured in a future installment, then let me know what engagement strategies you’ll be implementing this spring. I’d love to “spill the tea” on some novel approaches as we prepare for April’s National Credit Union Youth Month! ☕

And as always, here’s to putting our best fin lit flippers forward!

Erin Prim

Marketing Manatee