BOCA RATON, Fla.-For Patelco Credit Union, preparing for Bank Transfer Day began long before 2011.
Several years earlier, Pleasanton, Calif.-based Patelco began running marketing centered on a message of "breaking up with your bank." That set it up for a 2011 rebranding that used the theme, "Bank on Trust," according to Sandra Scott, VP-card services and product management.
"We found we were not afraid to use the word 'bank' at a credit union," said Scott in remarks to CO-OP Financial Services' THINK 12 Conference.
Scott said that from a marketing perspective,the $3.6-billion Patelco recognized that Bank Transfer Day was about much more than just Patelco.
"It was for the people and for all credit unions alike," said Scott. "We knew we had to react immediately after the BofA announcement. We developed a campaign, 'No fee in Free,' and we wore buttons that said, "People, not Profit.' We would give one to anyone who would wear it. For our website banner we added, 'Thinking about Switching?' That got a lot of attention."
Like other panelists, Scott said social media was an important part of its Bank Transfer Day-related efforts.
Among the lessons learned by Patelco, which saw lines out the doors at most of its 40 branches on Bank Transfer Day, Scott said it realized it must always have marketing dollars available because it's impossible to predict when a Bank Transfer Day might happen.
