Just where Bank Transfer Day left off, the industry's co-op adcampaigns are getting revved up this spring in the South andMidwest with the Mississippi Credit Union Association debuting itsfirst major blitz this week.

In launching a three-month radio campaign, the Mississippi tradegroup said it has licensed the “Credit Unions: We're Giving Banking a Better Name” brand from the League ofSoutheastern Credit Unions allowing the spillover from the LSCU'songoing runs in Alabama and Florida to be broadcast concurrently inMississippi.

The 15-30 second spots will be running in eight differentMississippi markets. The LSCU campaign was recommended by anassociation marketing task force which looked at various co-op adefforts from peer leagues across the country, said Charles Elliott,president/CEO of the MCUA.

Meanwhile, the Indiana and Kentucky leagues are collaborating in2012 on their startup of the “iBelong” ad campaign, licensed fromthe Pennsylvania Credit Union Association. There are 54 CUs inIndiana and eight in the Louisville, Ky., market taking part. Thatcampaign includes TV, radio and billboard placements with voluntarycontributions from participating CUs.

The Indiana League through its service subsidiary iscontributing $106,000 for the media buys.

The awareness message has included more than 3,600 TV spots;2,200 radio spots and 68 billboards, said the Indiana league.

In Pennsylvania, the PCUA said it continues to get favorablepublic response to the “iBelong” campaign now running in sevenmedia markets on a $900,000 budget, with CU contributions solicitedon a voluntary basis.

The PCUA ran into a series of disaffiliations two years ago when it insisted onmandatory assessments, which followed the same experience asCalifornia which also dropped the required dues rule.

PCUA officials said because of the high cost of advertising inthe Philadelphia market, there is an “iBelong” void but it is beingcompensated by results in other areas.

“Credit unions felt the cost would be prohibitive so we aresimply not in Philadelphia,” said Michael Wishnow, PCUA senior vicepresident.

Since the launch of iBelong in July 2007 Pennsylvania CUs havewitnessed a gain of 203,000 members and with the campaigncontributing to the surge which came during last year's BankTransfer Day promotions.

“That was the perfect storm,” Wishnow said.

The LSCU and the New Jersey Credit Union League said they, toohave enjoyed robust gains from the co-op awareness efforts.

LSCU said its research shows an 8% rise in Florida and a 6% risein Alabama on CU awareness since its latest campaigns began lastyear.

“When bank-only customers – those without any credit unionrelationship – saw an ad, 20% researched a credit union. Whenprimarily bank customers saw an ad, 34% researched a credit unionwith 14% saying they have moved their money to a credit union,” theLSCU said.

Third quarter Call Report data show that 48,000 new membersjoined a CU in Alabama and Florida, as compared to an average of20,000 members in the previous two quarters, the league said.

“Google Analytics show that 65,000 consumers visited www.betternameforbanking.com,the image campaign website, which is a phenomenal number for afour- to six-week campaign,” the league said.

The LSCU said its co-op image campaign is set to run again inMay with new TV ad, plus radio, billboard, online and websitecomponents.