ALBANY, N.Y. -
Less than two months later, Capital Communications Federal Credit Union secured the naming rights of the 810 WGY broadcast studios. The newly named Capital Communications Federal Credit Union Studios is located at the WGY broadcast center in Latham, N.Y.
"It was a pretty easy decision," said Judy Vopelak, vice president of marketing and business development for Capital Communications Federal Credit Union. "I was in radio a few years back, on the sales side. So I know the benefits. When I presented it to the senior sales team, they all nodded in agreement."
Clear Channel, which owns 810 WGY, has seven other stations in the Albany area, but this is the first one to be tied to a credit union, Vopelak said.
A Great Branding Opportunity
"It was something they wanted to do in this market," she said. "They presented it to us as a marketing package. We liked it primarily because we thought it was a great branding opportunity. We also liked it because it's so unique. And it's a locally well-renowned news and talk station."
At the top of each hour there is a message broadcast mentioning the credit union's name. A common one heard is: "When you need to know, it's 810WGY. Schnectady. Albany. From the Capital Communications Federal Credit Union Studios-your news starts right now!" The credit union is also plugged within commercial clusters several times throughout each day.
"They also help us promote some of our special events," Vopelak said, such as a learning session with an insurance adviser and an AARP Driver Safety Program.
The 53,000-member credit union was originally approached with the idea in late April/early May, Vopelak said. The deal was arranged quickly and the one-year commitment began on June 8th, with an on-air ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Vopelak said that it's still too early to know if the project will be beneficial for them.
"With this type of program, we don't expect immediate response," she said.
It's also difficult to measure the ROI for this type of program, Vopelak said.
Increased Awareness
"In this case we are hoping for an increased awareness. And branding-the name is said over and over," she said. "It will be measured by getting current members to participate in our special events. It's also a way to get the name out there and show up in a place people don't expect you to be."
Vopelak said they are not planning on using the broadcasting as a way to obtain new members. "We are still going to do our usual traditional advertising for that," she said.
Whether the project will be continued after the commitment ends in June of 2008 is still to-be-determined.
"We'll see what happens," Vopelak said. "We'll evaluate it at that point in time."
Capital Communications Federal Credit Union has more than $540 million in assets.
Clear Channel Clear Channel Communications Inc. is a global media and entertainment company. Based in San Antonio, Texas, Clear Channel's businesses include radio, television and outdoor displays.
For more resources
For more information on this story visit the following websites:
www.clearchannel.com
www.capcomfcu.org
www.wgy.com
