So far, the idea of creating a provocative new name–Wildfire Credit Union–is producing plenty of local and national buzz and a trigger for youthful attention,  said managers of the $523 million CU of Saginaw, Mich. 

“We wanted to come up with a short, distinctive name that shows passion and energy and Wildfire seems to work out nicely,” explained Linda McGee, vice president of marketing for the renamed Communications Family CU.

 Some members, she said, did express puzzlement at a name “describing a devastating event” but on the other hand the name also denotes “rebirth and growth,” a message the CU seeks to spread as it expands into two more central Michigan communities, Midland and Bay City.

The 31,000-member CU, which formally debuted the name last month, has been running a TV/newspaper ad blitz promoting the name switch with the campaign slated to end by Nov. 30.

The CU’s vendor on the name change, Weber Marketing Group of Seattle, said the moniker was selected, in part, to appeal to a college-age crowd demonstrating vigor and excitement.

“We think ‘wildfire’ is as unique as the ‘red canoe’ and that has produced big membership gains for that credit union,” said Mark Weber, president, in touting his firm’s success with a well publicized Washington State 2007 name switch involving Weyerhaeuser Employees CU of Longview becoming Red Canoe CU.

For the Michigan CU, the Communications Family name was as much a mouthful as Weyerhaeuser  “and it always took a long time to write it all out,”  quipped McGee.