WESTBROOK, Maine-A campaign led by Synergent and Weber Marketing has helped teach Maine CU members and potential members the benefits of shared branching.
The new initiative, which featured radio and television ads, lobby promotions, an online contest aand newspaper inserts, was created based in part from results of a 2009 survey that highlighted the importance of shared branching, and the opportunities it offers to the state's CUs.
The campaign kicked off with a contest between CUs to highlight the top ten reasons to use shared branching; Community CU, based in Lewiston, won the contest with a film, put together with an old-fashioned, black and white movie look, that featured 10 different ways Shared Branching benefits members.
The CU won a prize of $500 to share with a charity of their choice. Maine State CU won a separate contest that challenged CUs to find members to share their favorite shared branching moment. Synergent considered the campaign a success, noting an increase in shared branching transactions during the two-month initiative.
"I think it has definitely created awareness among credit union members that they can do their business wherever it's convenient for them," added Wendy Brochu, Marketing Representative for Maine Education CU. "It sends the message that credit unions are strong and we are all working together to meet the needs of all of our members."
