JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-One credit union has found success using remote controlled drones to highlight branch locations and promote the credit union.
121 Financial CU here has implemented robotic, remote-controlled drones as part of its advertising campaigns. Cindy Breslin, VP of marketing at the 37,000-member, $437-million credit union, explained that the CU picked up the strategy after working with 4th Dimension Studios, a Jacksonville-based production company. During a visit to 4th Dimension's studios to film a regular commercial, Breslin said the company introduced her to the idea of the using drones for some of its filming needs.
"It was so amazing, and we sat down and tried to brainstorm how we could use it for the credit union," said Breslin. "The most obvious way was to show all of our locations. Our commercials are geographic, in that they only air in the specific geographic area where that particular branch is, so the commercials we were shooting went perfectly with this."
The current commercial strategy was revamped to include video of each location, along with member testimonials.
Breslin said that the drone helicopter is "maybe the size of a desk," and requires two people to operate it-one to monitor a video screen that shows what's being filmed, and another to actually control it "to make sure it doesn't run into anything." Breslin was unsure of how high it can fly, but noted that the 4th Dimension staffer who runs it "has to have a pilot's license to operate it. That's why there's not so many around here."
Eight Videos Filmed
121 has filmed eight videos using the drone technology, including ads featuring all of its branches and one video promoting a car sale it hosted. One video even includes footage as the drone files through a branch's drive-thru, and Breslin said that footage will be used to help promote remote deposit capture and that members no longer need to use the drive-thru to deposit checks.
Breslin estimated that each commercial costs about $2,000 once the cost and labor to film using the remote controlled drone is taken into account. Prior to using the drones, 121 Financial's commercials cost about $5,000 each, because they often involved site visits, hiring actors and more. The new strategy has spiced up what was a "kind of bland" ad strategy. "To me, these are actually fairly cheap," said Breslin.
The drones have also helped reduce costs inside the credit union. Breslin noted that many employees "float" from branch to branch, and previously had to be driven around town to see new branches before they started work. "Now we don't have to take them there, we just show them the video," said Breslin. "We're saving money on gas costs and training time."
The Takeaway
Members also appreciate the video, she said, since they can see the branch and know what to look for when they're driving there, such as whether or not it's a free-standing facility or part of a strip mall.
121 will continue to look for ways to utilize the footage it already has, as well as finding new opportunities to use the drones, said Breslin.
"The takeaway is to be open and be flexible," she said. "This is not at all the design of the commercials we were filming, but we just saw the opportunity and totally revamped it, and it's perfect."
To view some of the video filmed with the drone helicopters, visit: www.121fcu.org/locations
