Hi there, credit union friends!
Even though September has just begun, 2022 has already been an exciting year for us at Snigglezoo. Namely, we have welcomed three new credit unions into what I lovingly call our Money Mammals menagerie, our nationwide network of partners.
These institutions have put forth much effort into launching their Art of Allowance Project programs. So for this monthâs installment of “Marketing Manatee Musings,” Iâll be highlighting the strategies theyâve implemented to pump up their employees and connect with their members. I hope you find these tactics helpful if youâre considering reinvigorating your own youth program.
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Off to a “Great” Start: Two of our new partners chose to launch their programs in April, which, as Iâm sure youâre aware, is National Credit Union Youth Month. The timing couldnât have been better, as the stage was already set for a celebratory atmosphere! đĽł
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âGreat Lakes Credit Union, headquartered in Northern Illinois, used this momentum to generate even more excitement for its staff. Specifically, Great Lakesâ leadership began by hosting an online discovery session for the institutionâs retail and branch teams prior to launch. This interactive training opportunity featured an operations overview, a program site tour, and a Q&A session and was attended by over fifty employees.
The Money Mammalsâ mascot, Joe the Monkey, then followed up with branch visits for a more personal touch. So by building both program knowledge and brand awareness, Great Lakes made sure its staff was in the sharing, saving, and spending smart spirit!
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Letâs Get Digital: Kansas-based Garden City Teachers Federal Credit Union also opted for an April launch, and it chose to spread the word about its youth program by utilizing digital assets.
For starters, Garden City updated its siteâs homepage to ensure its new program was front and center. It featured a colorful banner that served as an inviting call to action to open a youth account, and it created a splash page containing direct links to money-smart resources for younger children, tweens and teens, and parents.
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Whatâs more, Garden City harnessed the power of QR codes to draw members to its online content. (Did anyone think QR codes would ever make a comeback? 𤡠Thanks, COVID!) Specifically, it incorporated custom codes on both sides of the takeaway pictured below:
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Assistant Manager Nicole Dyer related that employees distributed this resource both throughout the Garden City branch and with their membersâ monthly statements. The QR codes have allowed parents and other interested parties to easily transition from a printed piece to the institutionâs digital materials, which have been optimized for mobile use.
In fact, 75% of visitors to Garden Cityâs youth program site have accessed content via mobile in the past 90 days. So such an adaptation has allowed the credit union to meet its members’ financial education needs whenever and wherever they are.
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Everythingâs Bigger in Texas: Deep in the heart of Texas (I couldnât resist!) is Hockley County School Employees Credit Union, who chose to launch its youth program in August to coincide with the new academic year.
A small-town institution with a “go big or go home” approach, Hockley has focused on community outreach to spread the word about its new youth accounts. Just check out this snapshot from a recent local parade!
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Hockley employees donned youth program t-shirts and festooned their float in brightly colored decorations to reflect the energy surrounding their launch. They even included a 6-foot banner advertising their new youth accounts. Talk about making an impact!
Interested in other ways to share the money-smart message? Hockley also supports its local high school team. (Go Lobos! đş) And you might consider partnering with a civic organization, public library or scout troop. Whatever path you chose to pursue, being present in your community demonstrates that you are dedicated to the “people helping people” credit union philosophy.
I hope this edition of “Marketing Manatee Musings” has provided some food for thought if youâre considering revitalizing your youth program. And if youâve recently done so, then feel free to reach out to share the tactics you used. Who knows ⌠Maybe youâll find them featured in a future installment of this very newsletter!
Until next month, hereâs to putting our best fin lit flippers forward.
Erin Primâ
Marketing Manatee