OREGON CITY, Ore. — Fifty is turning out to be fabulous for Clackamas Federal Credit Union–with a new look and feel it has truly reinvented itself for the future.
"I joined the credit union three years ago as vice president of lending and when I was lucky enough to be named CEO I realized that with our 50th anniversary celebration coming up it was the perfect time to redefine our values and reinvent our image," said CFCU President/CEO Diann M. Owen-Gaines. "We never went through branding and our Web site, logo, collateral and image were just outdated and we realized to take our credit union to the next level we needed to focus on our strengths."
Recognizing the need for a full-fledged strategic brand analysis process, Clackamas FCU turned to local Portland, Oregon-based full service marketing firm AntHill Marketing to lead the effort.
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"We liked the firm's outside the box innovative ideas and they had a lot of the same feelings and outlook we have," said Owen-Gaines. "It was also very important to us to find a local firm. We thought they would be more vested in us and could really get to know us. It's made a difference to us being able to constantly meet with them in person throughout this process."
Taking an in-depth look at the credit union's history, current perceptions of not just members but staff and board, and where the credit union wanted to be in the future, the process went beyond just a marketing strategy to clearly defining CFCU's image.
"For us it was vital that everyone within the credit union: the management team, staff and board were involved from the start last September," said Owen-Gaines. "Right away it was evident that the buy in was crucial and it was a long process and a really great experience. We learned a lot and one thing I was thrilled about is that overall we do share the same philosophy, outlook and hopes for the future."
She adds that the branding process helped the team find its collective voice while reinforcing its connection to Clackamas County. What they discovered is that for CFCU it boils down to place, people and pride. Place is embodied in the credit union's history in Clackamas County. People are what drive CFCU because without its member base, there would be no credit union. And pride is showcased not only in the services provided but in how the credit union gives back to and partners within the local community.
"It's all about streamlining our processes and further improving our services.
Our new tagline Share the Wealth sets the tone for who we are: an institution that's part of the county, that's made up of neighbors, and that's run by local residents who have a stake in each member's financial security," said Owen-Gaines.
In addition to a new tagline, logo, collateral materials and signage the credit union has been focused on living its new, redefined culture. For example it completely revitalized its Web site from a fresh new look with images of flowers that grow locally to focusing on member convenience in managing their finances by making navigation within the site simple and easy.
In addition, staffers now have corporate-wear that sports the new logo, branches are being updated and plans are underway to diversify the branching strategy and two newly named community development officers are delivering the CFCU message right into the community.
The CFCU billboards and ads also draw from the local talent pool by showcasing real members.
"We wanted to reinforce our ties to the community and what better way than to incorporate not only local images like the flower featured on our Web site instead of stock photos, but also have our actual members be a part of our campaigns. It helps convey the look and feel that yes we are a part of this community," said Owen-Gaines.
The first ad featured one of CFCU's founding members who is on its board of directors, the second, one of its small business owners and the next spot taps two of CFCU's younger college-age members to let people know anyone in Clackamas County can join the credit union.
"It is really exciting for everyone involved and a great way to share how the credit union has partnered with individuals in the community and helped in their ability to be successful," said Owen-Gaines. "So we are really playing into the fact that we've been here for 50 years and we are here to stay. It is a long and ongoing process."
Recognizing that a shift in brand culture takes years to develop and nurture, a small tangible goal set for 2007 has been to increase members by a net average of 100 new members a month–which Owen-Gaines says CFCU has met since rolling out the new image in April.
"The member response has been great and our development team has been instrumental in providing direct feedback, and we have plans to include surveys and questionnaires to take an ongoing pulse on how well we are doing," said Owen-Gaines. "This is one of the fastest growing counties in Oregon. There is a huge influx of people moving in so the potential for growth is huge. One thing we didn't do a lot of in the past is talk more to our local media about all that we do to help in our community–donating not just money but volunteering our time as well to make a difference in people's lives. That's been one of many changes we've made in this branding process and there is more to come."
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