While many people are barely starting to think about holidaydetails and getting winter clothes out of storage, credit unionmarketers seem to have a firm grip on their plans for the fourthquarter. They're keenly aware they'll need to cut through thebarrage of advertising hitting all media as the quarter rollsalong. The good news is they indicate their budgeting is trackingaccording to plan.

Amber Danford, SVP of marketing and business development at the$796 million Texas Trust Credit Union in Mansfield, said the fourthquarter will focus heavily on online account openings, which havebeen available on the cooperative's website but haven't been fullypromoted.

Danford said she plans on using a mixture of traditional anddigital media, and working to build identity in new markets. InOctober, Texas Trust will be involved in community festivals thatare popular in the areas served by the credit union.

One factor that will perhaps boost the use of digital media isthe credit union is now a sponsor of the University of Texas atArlington's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. That agreementgives the credit union promotional rights through the university'sathletic programs.Danford said Texas Trust will also market acollege checking account and a variety of UT Arlington brandeddebit cards that will provide a cash reward to the university, plusfinancial tools and resources to support the UT Arlington StudentMoney Management Center, which educates students about money,savings and credit.

Alice Melzer, marketing director at the $31 million in PortWashington Federal Credit Union in Port Washington, N.Y., said thefourth quarter will pretty much match the first in terms of how thefinancial institution will get the word out. The strongestmarketing attribute has been word of mouth, however, PortWashington also puts out a small amount of print media and thendeploys a follow-up.

“In December, for example, I may send out a holiday card. InMay, I visited many, many real estate agents, so I am now followingthat up with very selective email,” she explained.

In the fourth quarter, Port Washington will market personalloans as well as youth accounts for students returning to school.There will also be a focus on holiday accounts.

Read more: SkyOne pushes auto loans and credit cards…

The $420 million SkyOneFederal Credit Union in Hawthorne, Calif., will push auto loans andcredit cards, as it did in the first quarter, said Astrid Rives,chief marketing officer.

“Those are flagship products, so we're trying to attract newmembers to those products as well as existing members who currentlydon't have them with us,” Rives said, adding SkyOne is alsofocusing on its checking program to increase engagement through theuse of debit cards.

“So, we're working on some promotions to entice members whoactually have a checking account but may only do one or twotransactions a month,” Rives said. “We'll have incentives based onhow many times they use their debit card.”

The credit union is shifting away a bit from print, but stillwants to reach members who like to touch and hold a promotion, shesaid. At the same time, SkyOne is using a lot more online marketingincluding email, its website and social media, which has cutpostage costs significantly.

“We've allocated a few more dollars for the end of the year, sowe're actually looking pretty good right now,” Rives said. “We'reon target with our marketing budget and have what we need for therest of the year.”

Rives figured SkyOne probably uses more electronic media thanother nearby credit unions because members, who work in a varietyof aviation-related jobs throughout the nation, are verymobile.

“It's really about cutting through the clutter,” she said aboutQ4. “I know it's kind of a cliché, but it is true. So we're takinga hard look at our messaging and our design, and trying to make itstand out a little more than the credit union next door.”

Read more: Xceed goes after the unbanked…

The $970 millionXceed Financial Credit Union in El Segundo, Calif., will continueto rely heavily on targeted marketing in Q4, said Paris Chevalier,vice president of marketing and communications. The credit unionconcentrates on communicating with members electronically,obtaining e-mail addresses and sending highly targeted messages.Remote deposit, she added, has also really taken off. There's alsoan effort to make sure direct mail is headed for the rightaudience.

“We're really working at putting more money back in members'pockets,” Chevalier explained. “I think almost any member would bereceptive to improving their financial situation.”

There will be a major focus in Q4 on working with Xceed's SEGsto reach potential members who may be unbanked, she said. Thecredit union did a study on what members would pay if they used acheck-cashing service versus what Xceed offered and found theycould save $50 to $75 a month.

Much of the Q4 marketing at the $1.35 billion Gesa Credit Unionin Richland, Wash., will tout a revamped credit card program with arewards feature, said Brian Griffith, assistant vice president ofmarketing. Twenty percent of the membership has the cards and theyshould be attractive to people anticipating holiday spending,

As one of the larger financial institutions in the state, Gesaprobably has a wider advertising reach than others: “We all kind ofwatch each other and mix it up a little bit.”