The Ugly Truth

When Point Mugu FCU made the switch to a community charter, it was confronted with an ugly fact about that community: practically no one knew of the credit union's existence.

As a result, PMFCU Marketing Director Dick Cooper hired a local research and media buying company to help spread the message about PMFCU's community charter.

"We're the orchestra and he's the conductor," said Denise Bean- White, president of Consortium Media Services, Oxnard. "We researched demographics and presented a media plan to deliver the marketplace to him in the ways he wants." The company took charge of creative development as well, shaping the look and sound of radio, television and newspaper advertising in order to attract the diverse mix of county residents.

"Everyone can belong to the credit union," Bean-White said of the 750,000 Ventura County residents. "We made sure that the media message was broad-based."

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