As the number of ­members using online bankingcontinues to grow, credit unions are capitalizing on that trend byinvesting in solutions that have expanded opportunities tocross-sell products, increase brand awareness and enhanceservices.

Online banking adoption among members averages about 38% acrosscredit unions, which is projected to increase to 48% this year,according to a Filene Research Institute report. Credit unions arealso expected to increase their investment in online capabilitiesby nearly 6% in 2013.

The $803 million, 54,939-member USAlliance Credit Union is ramping up its investment inMicronotes, an emerging online application that conducts short,predefined question and answer interviews with members while theyare on the credit union’s site to determine their interest in aproduct or service.

In February, the Rye, N.Y.-based USAlliance said it conductedtest marketing campaigns using the online tool that was introducedto financial institutions in 2009 by Micronotes of Cambridge,Mass.

The Mirconotes icon is unobtrusive yet noticeable, parked on theleft side of the screen so that it doesn’t interfere with members’transactions, according to the credit union. To test members’response to Micronotes, USAlliance identified 11,958 members whowould likely sign up for mobile banking, online statements or applyfor a car loan, mortgage or credit card.

Fifteen percent clicked on the Micronotes icon and participatedin the interviews. Of those members interviewed, 50% or 1,098members became qualified leads. Eight percent of those membersapplied for and received a loan product, according toUSAlliance.

“The response rate was so astronomically different thantraditional marketing campaigns,” said Kevin Randall, USAlliancevice president of electronic ­systems. “We have not ­experiencedother media that can produce that type of (response rate)result.”

In downtown ­Tampa, Fla., the $1.8 billion, 156,451-memberGrow Financial FederalCredit Union has caught the attention of many passers-bywith its new branch because it features an interactive augmentedreality technology that projects a virtual money machine on asix-screen HD video wall on the branch’s exterior wall.

Augmented reality is similar to an electronic ­billboard withtouch screens and motion reactive video, or sophisticated­gesture-based technology, which enables pedestrians to interactwith what they are looking at such as graphics, images or videothat appears on the HD wall.

Grow Financial said it is using the virtual money machine as anew digital marketing tool by ­enticing nonmembers and members toplay a video game on it and open new accounts.

Consumers can choose to ­either play for $25 to open a checking­account, $100 for a new auto loan, or $300 for a new mortgage.Once a selection is made, money floats from the sky and theconsumer catches as much as he or she can. When the game is over,the money machine collects the consumer’s email address and printsout a voucher to open a checking ^­account or to applyfor an auto loan or mortgage.

Since the virtual money ­machine went live in late September2012 it has collected nearly 4,000 email addresses as of earlyApril. As a result, the ­credit union is following up on newbusiness opportunities.

“We wanted the virtual money machine to bring awareness for ourbrand, and I think we definitely accomplished that,” said AdrienneDrew, a marketing ­communications specialist at Grow Financial.

The only problem is that many of the interactionswith the ­virtual money machine occurred ­after business hours orduring the weekend when the credit union was closed so the consumerwas unable to retrieve its voucher ­immediately, Drew noted. GrowFinancial is considering opening a branch with a virtual moneymachine in a local popular shopping mall where there is moreconsumer traffic during business hours.

Another piece of the marketing equation that many credit unionsleverage is to promote their attention to delivering superior­services to members.

The $5.8 billion San Diego County Credit Union said it strives to stay ahead ofthe customer ­service delivery curve by ­tapping technologies tocreate a distinguishing banking experience that will make apositive impression on members and non members. To support thisgoal, SDCCU launched a chat service for mobile banking membersseveral months ago, which is similar to the credit union’s desktopchat service.

The live chat button, provided by vendor LivePerson Inc. in NewYork, appears on a SDCCU mobile site. When a consumer clicks on theicon, they are connected to an agent for a real-timeconversation.

Heather Moshier, SDCCU ­executive vice president, said membersand non-members love the new service.

“Generally, consumers visit sdccu.com to look for products,services or rates,” Moshier said. “They’re happily surprised that(they) can chat with a live representative without having to make acall.”

Moshier said though SDCCU is not using live chat for marketing,it is helping to enhance member service satisfaction because mobileusers, who are generally on-the-go, can get quick answers throughlive chats, which makes it easier for them to do business with thecredit union.