As I've spoken with industry folks about the feasibility of anational credit union campaign, the response is often the same: “Itcan't be done. It hasn't been done. It should not be done.”

I'll be the first one to say it would be difficult, complex anda monumental feat, but not impossible. Most important, it needs tobe pursued, and now is the perfect time.

There are no problems … only opportunities

When I started graduate school in early 2006, I had a professorwho started our very first class with a profound perspective. Hetold us, there are no problems in the business world. The hurdlesand obstacles we face are really just opportunities to find ways toovercome those obstacles. So, to simply toss aside a nationalcredit union campaign as unattainable is giving up on anopportunity.

Building on BTD

Bank Transfer Day on Nov. 5, 2011 was the grassroots awakeningthat made us all realize that consumers were ready for a change.Before that, we could've thrown $80 million at a national effortand the results would have been mooted by the fact that consumersweren't ready. But as discontent for banks grew and consumerssearched for options, credit unions emerged with their white hatsto save the day … for those who were paying attention.

Now that credit unions offer most of the same products andservices as banks and as consumers struggle to search forsolutions, now is the time to help credit unions soar. CUNA hasonce again ventured into making a national brand for the industrywith “United for Good.” The timing is great and we should applaudour colleagues in Madison for making it happen. After all, creditunions today are far different than they were even 10 years ago.Most of the pieces of the puzzle are here and the timing is rightfor “United for Good.” But there is still something missing.

Fuel to make it fly

Combining the brand with the awareness continues to be themissing component. Building a national brand is not the issue.Making that brand heard and visible is the missing piece. It's onething to build a rocket, but it needs fuel to make it fly. 46 days of perspective and Costco hotdogs

For years it's been said we need to attract more Gen Y members.In fact, it's been said for so long that we've started calling themMillennials because the generation has now gotten older and we needto include more people in it. Born on the cusp of the generation,by just 46 days, I find myself among the Millennials and have aslightly different perspective than the 47-year-old who is theaverage credit union member.

When the idea of a national credit union campaign was raised atthis year's CO-OP THINK 13, Chip Filson adamantly responded that anational campaign was not needed, that it would be expensive. Hisplan? Individual credit unions need to attract new customers bypreaching the benefits of membership. I can steadfastly affirm thatthe whole idea of membership doesn't resonate with Gen Y.

Ask anyone in my generation why they shop at Costco. It'sbecause they have good prices … and $1.50 hot dogs. They won't tellyou they shop there because they value the idea of being a member.All they know is their $35 is due at the end of March, so add it tothe total so I can come back and save. With Bank Transfer Day, wetold people to switch to a credit union. With Don't Tax, we'retelling people to stick by us. However, what we're not tellingpeople is what a credit union really is.

A national campaign would be expensive

Yes, it would be very expensive. Bill Cheney, president of CUNA,has estimated that such an effort would carry a price tag around$80 million. However, the opportunity cost would be greater if suchan opportunity is not seized now. Discontent for banks combinedwith a lack of knowledge about credit unions means we have a goldenopportunity now and there may not be a better time in thefuture.

A national campaign would be complicated

This is the No. 1 objection I hear from everyone I talk to abouta national campaign. But there's a method to the madness. With morethan 7,000 credit unions, we can all do our fair share tocontribute. How do we make it fair? Three ways:

• Exclude credit unions with low capital (<6%)
• Base contribution on asset size
• Weight the contribution based on media's Designated Market Area(DMA)

By taking these three elements into calculating a fair formula,it makes the process of paying for a national campaign fair nomatter what your asset size or where you're located. The cost ofmedia, whether it's TV or radio, is based on population and theeffectiveness of media in that market. The bigger the audience, thebigger the price tag. Which means the contribution cost of a creditunion in North Dakota should rightfully be lower than a creditunion in Los Angeles. The audience and cost are bigger in LA, soyou really do get what you pay for.

Let's work cooperatively

There is a lot to consider moving forward, but we need to dojust that … move forward. CUNA has done a fantastic job of buildinga brand in United for Good, and the infrastructure in asmarterchoice.org. We'vebuilt national brands before and we've launched national campaigns.Unfortunately, they can't work independent of each other. Both needto be done at the same time.

Vince Lombardi, the famously successful coach of the Green BayPackers, said it best. “We would accomplish many more things if wedid not think of them as impossible.” If we are going to be acooperative movement then let's work cooperatively to keep themovement going.

Toby G. Hayes isvice president of marketing at Cabrillo Credit Union inSan Diego.