SAN JOSE, Calif. — If great-grandma blogged about money, she'd tell you to foreswear the credit cards and save for the things you want-or, better yet, put some aside for a rainy day.
Technology CU here took that savings philosophy from our forebears and updated it within today's social networking culture, in the form of the new "Grow Your Green" campaign and blog, which the $1.2-billion CU launched at the end of March, according to Kathleen Litman, VP-marketing.
"Some of our grandparents' belief systems and disciplines could serve today's generation very well," especially if they are re-imagined in an interactive, social-media context, she said.
The campaign-fueled by various social media in addition to the blog - encourages members to save at least $25 per month toward a goal. Incentives to participate include random monthly drawings for $100 and a $1,000 grand prize to a member-nominated "Super Saver" at the end of the campaign in December, Litman said. The CU is also posting videos members are making about their savings goals.
"Instead of buying that luxury item that you'd originally put on a credit card where you'd pay interest and go into debt, let's live with greater financial health and look back to our grandparents, who saved for what they wanted and felt the anticipation of reaching a goal," suggested Litman.
Of course, the campaign doesn't rest on that generation's communication channels, she added. Instead, campaign center is the blog, where members establish a profile that states their savings goal, how they'll reach it and what they're saving for. Fellow members can add their own goals or simply blog out with a pat on the back to another saver.
Then there are the 2.0 support channels, including a Twitter feed with already more than 50 tweets about Grow Your Green; pages on Facebook, YouTube and Flickr; and email updates. Traditional publicity, as well as a plantable paper card embedded with seeds for members who sign up at a branch, keeps triggering members to participate in the program, Litman said.
"We've got a lot of pieces working together to keep the interest high," said Litman. Although it's common for blogs to attract passive readers, Tech CU hopes its efforts will encourage members to "step out of the shadows" and state their savings goals, Litman continued. About 20 members are currently participating in Grow Your Green, she said.
The campaign is the perfect antidote to today's economic mess, she said. "Naturally, people are automatically saving because they're afraid right now. What we want to do is to keep saving at the top of our members' minds, and let them experience saving as part of a community endeavor and an online dialog" at the blog site.
Grow Your Green is attracting adults and children who are saving for everything from travel to iPods, hunting dogs and a blues amplifier, Litman said. "I'm wondering if anyone is going to go for the long-term goal - $5,000 towards a downpayment on a house or something.
"We just hope that someone doesn't post a goal and a video to save for plastic surgery," she joked.
Tech CU will spend less than $5,000 this year on the Grow Your Green campaign, said Litman. "Grow Your Green highlights Technology Credit Union's goodwill to help members save and positions us as social-media savvy."
Grow Your Green is not completely original. The campaign "took the bones" from the social-media savings campaign, "What Are You Saving For?" sponsored by Members CU of Winston-Salem, N.C., Litman said.
