The old saw directs people who want to succeed to “fish where the fish are.” In the case of $3.1 billion Wescom Credit Union, it is “fishing” in one of the biggest ponds available – the seven counties comprising all of Southern California.
Not surprisingly, that gives Wescom 22.5 million potential members to market itself to, putting it fourth on the list of credit unions with the greatest number of potential members according to third quarter 2016 call reports.
Deena Otto, senior vice president of marketing and administration, and Tamar Atamian, advertising and business development manager, noted Wescom is a community-chartered credit union that currently serves Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Diego counties.
“The last major changes to our charter were in the early 2000s, with the addition of San Diego and Santa Barbara counties,” said Otto, adding Wescom does not yet have a branch presence in the latter two counties.
“As is the case with most credit unions, membership growth is a major initiative for Wescom,” said Otto. “We execute a number of programs around brand awareness, community outreach and other marketing campaigns to support membership growth.”
For example, Wescom is in the second year of partnership with UCLA Athletics and The Rose Bowl Stadium as the official financial institution. UCLA plays its home football games at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
“This partnership aligns us with two iconic Southern California organizations and gives us access to UCLA students, alumni and brand exposure at all Rose Bowl Stadium events,” said Atamian.
In spring 2016, Wescom launched a community advertising campaign called “Did You Know.” This campaign was designed to reach consumers within the CU’s service areas through targeted radio and out-of-home advertising. It promotes the advantages of banking with a credit union.
“In addition, we rolled out a mobile branch that we call Big Blue,” said Otto. “Big Blue is a self-contained financial center that we use for a variety of community events in Southern California, including UCLA football games. It helps our staff engage with potential members.”
