Due to the expansion of members' use of Internet banking, bill pay and check card channels over the past few years, and the continuation of increased competition for members' loan, savings and investment business–from both traditional and nontraditional providers–credit unions are allocating greater amounts of budgetary funds to their marketing function.

Credit unions' average 2005 marketing budgets stood at over $95,000–nearly double the average budget of about $50,000 just five years ago. Marketing budgets rise dramatically with credit union asset size, as the numbers of members and array of services typically rise accordingly. Estimates include newsletters, e-newsletters, promotions, statement stuffers, direct mail pieces, advertisements, member education, lobby displays, posters, incentives, etc., and postage, if separate from account-statement mailings.