PLANO, Texas — With Valentine's Day upon us, what says love more than mobile deposit capture?
Catalyst Corporate Federal Credit Union here is leveraging the most romantic holiday on the calendar with its "Capture My Heart" promotion. Nearly two dozen of its member CUs are taking part this week, as people are being asked to draw hearts on checks they are depositing via their credit union's mobile capture service. Members who do so become eligible to win a $100 gift card that will be awarded to a member at each participating credit union.
Catalyst Corporate said it sponsored the campaign to help its CUs boost member awareness and usage of their mobile deposit service offerings.
Participating CUs range in asset size from $20 million to $1 billion. They have been using customizable "Capture My Heart" marketing materials provided by Catalyst Corporate in the weeks leading up to the promotion.
Renee Amato, vice president and chief marketing officer for $346 million LA Financial Credit Union, Pasadena, Calif., said the "Capture My Heart" promotion has been enthusiastically received.
"Since the campaign was announced to our members, we have had 86 new sign-ups for our anytimeMobile product. That is more than double our normal activity," Amato said in a statement.
LA Financial CU used an e-mail blast used to promote the campaign. The e-mail had a 22% percent open rate and a 2% click-through rate to download the app. "Both of those stats are outstanding," Amato said.
LA Financial CU currently has 4,852 mobile capture users.
In Austin, Texas, $1.1 billion A+ Federal Credit Union, which counts teachers and students among its membership, is using "education" as part of its mobile deposit marketing strategy.
To prepare for the Capture My Heart promotion, A+FCU created mobile deposit subject matter experts at each of its branches to "start conversations" about the service, said Twila Gamble, digital marketing manager. To help jump start those conversations, staff members handed out packets of Valentine's heart candy with Capture My Heart fliers attached. The credit union also put posters in each of its 18 branches and sent an e-mail blast to members.
After just a few days of promoting, A+ FCU members had drawn hearts on more than 100 checks they deposited electronically.
Gamble said the credit union will be able to track the number of newcomers to the service. "I expect we will see more new users," Gamble said.
In Baton Rouge, La., more than five dozen members of $452 million La Capitol Federal Credit Union added hearts to checks they deposited electronically earlier this week.
The credit union announced the promotion via its newsletter, on its website and "Facebooked it to about 800 friends," according to Carla Corkern, vice president of e-commerce.
To prepare for the weeklong promotion, Corkern said La Capitol held a training session with front line staff to remind them about the app process. "We put up signs in the lobby to provide downloading information," she said. "The campaign fits in so well with Valentine's Day. It was easy to implement and helps us to promote our mobile services."
Catalyst Corporate said more than 50 credit unions are using its mobile capture service, "with dozens more in the pipeline." The corporate said its mobile capture product allows CU members to deposit checks anywhere, anytime using smart mobile devices.
