SACRAMENTO, Calif.–The $7.9-billion The Golden 1 CU has been welcoming 6,000 new members each month in 2012, which CEO Donna Bland said is a marked improvement from the 2,000 to 3,000 it used to see each month.
“Our numbers continue to grow for both new members and new accounts,” she said. “We have a strong marketing and cross-sell program for those that visit branches, and an e-mail marketing program. We make sure we have a good array of products for the new members to utilize. We have a number of online tools, including mobile deposit, which we rolled out last year. We promote convenience, we have free checking that is really free and we make sure we are present in the community.”
Golden 1 recently canvassed a number of its branches to ask people why they were switching to the CU. Bland said the most frequent answers were the value the credit union brings and its “strong reputation” in the marketplace.
“They come to us for those but they stay because of our service,” Bland declared. “The meaning of 'credit union’ is really starting to resonate with people. More and more often they realize we have their best interests in mind.”
To keep the positive buzz going, Golden 1 recently rolled out a scholarship program for its members. Bland said the program will benefit 30 members this year, and a total of 120 over the next four years, for both two- and four-year California colleges.
“We are investing in California’s future leaders, and consumers want to know we are giving back to the community
in meaningful ways. This program
does that.”
