DUBLIN, Ireland — Psychographics sounds like a movie about anartist gone mad, but it is another way to reach target audiencesthat goes beyond traditional demographics. Psychographics findscommon interests of members and designs products and services thattouch those interests giving emotional value to the purchasingdecisions.

Two credit unions, one from the United States, the ChristianCommunity Credit Union, and one from Australia, mecu, have hadstrong bottom line results from just this type of approach. JohnWalling, CEO of CCCU, and Robert Allen, mecu group manager ofoperations, discussed how they made it work for them at WOCCU's2006 World CU Conference.

CCCU started as a credit union for Baptist ministers, a limitingcommon bond, according to Walling. Slowly it broadened itsmembership to cover any Christian living in the United States. Partof membership requirements is to sign a statement of faith.However, that in itself does not delve into the psychographicconcept. What does make the CU a psychographic marketer is its loanpolicies. Fifty percent of its portfolio goes to members, but 50%goes to ministries and organizations it partners with reflectingChristian values. CCCU tells its members it is “Putting your moneyto good works” in all its marketing literature.