Numerica's 'NumNum' Site Targets Young Adults

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash.-Numerica Credit Union is reaching out to young members and potential members with a new website that offers financial tips and a chance to win a cash prize through a video contest.

The $1-billion CU's, www.NumNum.org, features member videos that discuss money, with the best entry each month will win $50. For each video submitted, Numerica will donate $10 to Spokane's Crosswalk Teen Shelter.

Kelli Hawkins, Numerica's PR coordinator, said NumNum was created in collaboration with Boom Creative, a Spokane-based marketing and advertising agency. The video contest kicked off Aug. 1.

"The goal is to provide a resource for the Gen Y age group they will actually use, not just get more attention on Numerica," she said. "It works for the different life stages people are going through. An 18-year-old who just graduated high school is a lot different than a 22-year-old who has been in college, and even more different than a 25-year-old who might be getting married and getting a house. There is quite a large age range in this demographic."

The NumNum site provides links to a variety of resources, Hawkins explained, and it will have a blog that will contain articles on saving money, tips on how to have a stress-free vacation, information on the recent financial reform bill and other topics that pertain to young adults.

Boom Creative helped promote the launch with a NumNum Improv Nite event, during which young adults were asked to talk about money. Videos from the event are posted on the site.

Numerica CU advertised the video contest in venues most likely to be seen by its target audience,

including its Facebook page and Twitter, as well as through e-mail blasts and on in-branch TVs.

The message, Hawkins told Credit Union Journal, is "Come to this page for financial resources."

"We want to get people more involved in a conversation with their credit union so they will come here first when they want to get a loan. And it is not just because we want to sell them a loan; we want to have a conversation about what they can afford. We want to be the first resource because we have their best interests in mind."

Part of that conversation is "Maddie," a cartoon Numerica describes as a young female in her college years who enjoys "hanging out and having fun and just being herself." Maddie, along with her pet turtle, not-so-coincidentally named NumNum, are prominently featured on the site in both sketch art and videos. The turtle offers tidbits of advice, such as "Save for a rainy day."

Maddie and her turtle are the creation of Chris Dreyer, a former underground cartoonist in the Spokane area who now works for Boom. He hand drew all the graphics for NumNum.org.

Hawkins said Maddie is a "character, not a person, who will be talking with young adults, not at them."

As the new school year is ready to begin, Numerica representatives will be visiting teachers in the area to spread the word about the site and the video contest.

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