With so many people out and about enjoying the summer weather, it may seem counterintuitive to launch a credit union marketing campaign.

But the Maine Credit Union League sees the summer months as a perfect opportunity to market the credit union convenience over the radio waves.

People cooking up barbecue on the grill, boating on the lake, tanning on the beach or hanging out on the deck or pool enjoy listening to the radio.

According to the Maine league, research shows that radio listening in the Pine Tree state increases during the summer. In addition, the state has a higher average of radio listeners per capita than a number of other states because of Maine's rural population.

As a result, the Maine league said it recently launched a multi-week radio buy that highlights the SurF Network with more than 230 surcharge-free ATMs, the largest network in the state.

Throughout the month of July, about 2,000 paid and no-charge 60-second commercials are airing throughout the state. The campaign also includes numerous billboards, taglines and other mentions that were negotiated as part of the buy adding up to nearly $85,000 in value-added exposure of Maine's credit unions.

Some of the value added components of the campaign include news and weather sponsorships, prominent website placement, social media messaging, and live and recorded mentions associated with popular contests and promotions.

Debra Trautman, the league's vice president of corporate marketing, said the radio campaign promoting the SurF Network will also target people on the go who are probably looking for a nearby ATM.

“Spots airing as part of the campaign not only tout the surcharge-free ATMs and their locations throughout Maine but also promote shared branching and mobile as a value of using a credit union,” Trautman said. “The messages strongly reinforce the convenience of credit unions.”

She also said that since the radio ads began airing earlier this month, the league has seen an increase in visits to its consumer-focused website, maincredunions.org, a positive sign that consumers are listening while enjoying the summer sun.