DENVER — The media push by credit unions to reach a younger audience gets revved up this spring with an aggressive TV/radio/Internet campaign being led by the Colorado and Wyoming Credit Union Associations and targeted specifically to the 18-35 demographic.
Association officials were mum on many of the details of the co-op ad blitz, maintaining focus group research to develop a precise message and branding is still being prepared by a new Denver agency hired in January.
"Our plan is to debut our campaign in the middle of the second quarter with a very different and focused message," explained Karen Morgan, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the two associations managed out of Denver offices. Hired to handle the ad creation and focus research is the Amelie Co., which has done work for Westerra CU and Jeffco CU in Colorado as well as firms in the restaurant, entertainment, and technology fields.
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The CU co-op venture, which has been months in the works, is the biggest endeavor of its kind for the trade groups in years and reflects CU yearnings to sharply increase membership growth among young people.
Selection of the Amelie agency came following a bidding procedure completed in January in which 10 Colorado agencies made offers with four in the final pool.
In past years, co-op ads in the two states were done mostly on a chapter-by-chapter basis, but last year boards of the two associations agreed to channel reserve funds into ad projects rather than financing the cost through special assessment ala the California/Nevada CU Leagues, officials said.
The campaign will be geared "toward educating Colorado and Wyoming consumers about their financial services options," said a news release.
As in other states, research has shown that many consumers have become far more familiar with what a CU is, "but they still don't know why they should join one."
That will be a key focus of the branding message, said Morgan. –[email protected]
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