Growth strategies

The Kansas CU Association is preparing to embark on a lengthy branding campaign.

The challenge in recruiting young people in the coveted Generation X and Y were on full display during a live focus group here last.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Piedmont Advantage CU will enter nearby Wilmington with the acquisition of East Coast CU, a $9-million credit union with a single branch.

FAIRBORN, Ohio – Wright-Patt CU has launched the fifth year of its Savings Race, this time with a grand prize of $10,000 going to a college-bound student to help them pay tuition costs.

LIVONIA, Mich. -- The Michigan CU League is expanding its $100,000 Save to Win lottery this year by adding more $10,000 prizes and by offering the SaveUp Rewards program as an adjunct.

WASHINGTON – The end of the elections season and impending lame duck session of Congress have done little to lessen the bankers opposition to the member business loan bill, even as the credit union lobby tries one more time to get a “yes” vote in Congress on legislation to raise the MBL limit.

EL PASO, Texas -- GECU is looking for good-looking El Pasoans to participate in a photo shoot for new a new marketing campaign.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – One lucky member of CommonWealth One FCU won a seven-night cruise for two to the Bahamas valued at up to $3,500.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Lucky students at the University of South Carolina are looking for “The Garnet Ticket” in the daily campus newspaper, the Daily Gamecock, a 13-week promotion enabling winners to exchange the ticket for $100 in cash from Carolina Collegiate FCU.

NEW YORK – The vast majority of credit unions with a social media program, 94%, say they have a Facebook page, but a growing number are planning a Twitter campaign, according to a new study issued by Financial Brand, an online marketing publication for credit unions and banks.

What was initially dubbed a “Hackathon” actually turned into a game of “Knockout” here, as 100 CU technology execs competed to create innovative tech concepts over a 48-hour period.

Wright-Patt CU believes strong member growth is due to the everyday good work it does, as opposed to the bad practices of banks.

Credit unions added more members–nearly 2.15 million–in the one-year period of June 2011 to June 2012 than they have added in any June-to-June period over the past 13 years.

Joe Kelly, CEO of $36-million S.T.A.R. Community CU, said membership growth is finally slowing down after substantial growth from October 2011 through May of this year.

Spokane Teachers Credit Union has seen its membership hit 110,000 in recent weeks after starting 2012 with 100,000.

San Diego County CU has posted exceptional numbers since Bank Transfer Day, with Executive Vice President ofMarketing and Business Development Nathan Schmidt noting its numbers are roughly three times better than that of the credit union community as a whole.

More members, 7.5% loan growth and a better PFI score than a year ago are all benefits Pennsylvania State Employees CU has seen from Bank Transfer Day.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, $3.7-billion Patelco Credit Union is still seeing a “Bank Transfer Day Effect” long after the actual day itself.

NuMark CU was a big booster of Bank Transfer Day, and one year later membership has increased by more than 7%, nearly double the previous year’s gains.

Matadors Community CU has seen a slight uptick in membership and deposits this year, but is attributing that growth to savvier consumers.