DALLAS — Much has been made of the importance of crafting a strong brand image to retain and attract members. But one credit union here is ensuring that every employee has an appreciation for its brand and can convey the message to the membership through special training exercises,
"The brand has always been important, this year we really made it important for the employees. It's definitely important they know what the brand is and they know how to portray it to the members," said Jenny Allen, marketing manager for Advancial Federal Credit Union. "The brand is everything — every touchpoint with which a member comes in contact is the brand."
Brand training covered everything from written and verbal communication to members, to how employee workspaces should look. Allen said the goal was to show employees how "every aspect of their work lives ties into the Advancial brand."
Staffers played branding games that tested their brand perception by matching company logos to their proper names and were given a brand manual as a reference. The manual provides both general guidelines and specific examples of what to do and what not to do when representing the credit union's brand. Allen said employee response was excellent, adding that staffers "really jumped on board" after participating in some of the activities and are not hesitant to come to the marketing department for further assistance if they are confused about a specific subject or scenario.
Even as the economy begins a slow recovery, consumers are still looking for financials they can trust and building a strong brand is vital in building that trust. Creating a "consistent experience" from one branch to the next and with every employee at the $825-million AFCU's call center gives them the impression that "they don't have to worry about Advancial," Allen said.
Members have not said a word about the new emphasis on branding, which is precisely what the marketing manager was hoping for. Allen said the initiative efforted toward a "seamless experience" for the membership where it did not notice the shift in employee behavior. "No news is good news sometimes," she added.
