With $50,000 on the line, Michigan CUs go all-in on the #KiKiChallenge

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A Detroit credit union’s social media challenge has morphed into an industry-wide philanthropic initiative.

Just as the “Ice Bucket Challenge” from a few years ago raised awareness – and, to a lesser degree, research funds – for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease), the “KiKi Challenge” could see Michigan credit unions raise as much as $50,000 for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.

Joumana McDad

In early July, Instagram comedian theshiggyshow was filmed dancing to the Drake song “In My Feelings,” incorporating the rapper’s lyrics into the routine with driving motions, heart signs and alternating dice rolls. Viewers around the world picked up on it, creating their own versions of it and leading to the hashtag #KiKiChallenge, thanks to the opening line, “KiKi, do you love me?” The exact spelling of the challenge’s namesake is unclear, so some videos have used #KeKeChallenge or #InMyFeelingsChallenge as the hashtag.

Enter One Detroit CU, which needed just three days to plan, record, edit and post its own version of the challenge, leading to a string of credit union responses. According to CEO Hank Hubbard, One Detroit initially launched the project as a way to hopefully “increase brand awareness, especially in the neighborhoods of Detroit where understanding of credit unions isn’t very strong.”

The video, posted to the credit union’s Facebook page, quickly gained momentum, having already reached about 13,000 individuals, garnering 110 shares and 6,000 views on Facebook.

Hubbard told CU Journal his staff loved the concept of the challenge and on the day of the shoot, “six of them piled into my office to practice [the dance] with me.”

Drake did not respond to Credit Union Journal’s request for comment before deadline.

Romulus, Mich.-based Public Service CU also took up the challenge in an attempt to boost brand awareness.

“Even if it’s not related to pushing a product, if we can get the name of credit unions out there by participating in something that’s already had some viral tendencies bigger than us, then we’re absolutely on board to do it,” said Nadine Hohnke, assistant marketing manager at the $273 million-asset institution.

Incentive to participate

With the phenomenon gaining steam, the Michigan Credit Union League latched on, adding a philanthropic incentive for CUs to participate – a pledge from CU Solutions Group to donate $500 to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals for every credit union in the Great Lakes State that participates.

“The challenge to Michigan credit unions runs through the end of the year, with the goal being to gain enough participation to raise $50,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network’s Credit Unions for Kids initiatives,” said Shawn Glinis, editor at large for the Michigan Credit Union League.

In other words, the goal is to have at least 100 credit unions participate in the challenge for the remainder of the year.

Credit unions so far appear to be taking up the challenge with enthusiasm – and it’s spreading well beyond Michigan. One Detroit CEO Hubbard said he has even thrown down the gauntlet to a CU in Liverpool, England.

“You never know what will strike a chord with people,” he said. “In this case we had some fun and I think through that we were able to convey some of our personality, share the credit union feeling of people helping people, get our brand out there, [and] poke at our friends to do the same.”