ProjectNewAge.com Blog

Focusing On Consumer Interests, Not Just Consumer Products

For years now, companies have developed websites that focus more on the broader interests of their consumers rather than their products in an effort to create communities around their brands and promote themselves as leaders in the industry. Here are a few examples:

• www.concierge.com is a travel website created by the popular magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, to encourage people to share their experiences with video and photos, interact with other readers and plan future trips.
• www.kraftfoods.com is a cooking website created by the consumer-packaged goods behemoth that publishes countless recipes for every meal and occasion, tips on getting kids involved in the kitchen, healthy living advice and a personal recipe box to save favorite recipes.
• Think.mtv.com is a news website created by the music channel to teach Gen-Y about the social issues facing their generation. The site allows visitors to meet and interact with other individuals and organizations, share and discuss user-generated content, and promote social change.

Sure...selling more magazine subscriptions or Jell-O pudding is the ultimate objective, but these websites allow consumers to become much more engaged with their brands and the lifestyles related to them, as well as build positive and memorable experiences.

Even credit unions are doing it.

Vancity, a credit union in Vancouver, British Columbia, launched the locally based, socially conscious, social networking site, www.changeeverything.ca, about two years ago. Since Vancity sees themselves as a “community-based financial institution that is as interested in making our community work as it is in making money,” building a social network around creating change in people’s lives, their neighborhood and the world seems like a natural fit.

GiveMe20.com follows a similar model. We believe that giving parents financial tools, tips and advice on educating their kids on smart money management will help everyone in the long run—from reducing family stress to shrinking teenage debt to increasing credit union membership.

Join in the effort for free! If you are a PSCU Financial Services credit union and haven’t already signed up to be part of the GiveMe20.com credit union search database, visit http://www.projectnewage.com today and click on the “sign us up” button.

New Research on Credit Unions and Young Adults

The Filene Research Institute, the independent firm that explores issues vital to the future of credit unions and consumer finance, has just released a new report titled, “Credit Unions and Social Media: Engaging Young Adults.”

In this report, Ben Rogers, driver of the Filene Research Institute’s CU Tomorrow project and director of the Institute’s 30 Under 30 group, outlines some important aspects of adding “social media” to your marketing mix, such as:

• Defining your business objectives
• Deciding on a message
• Understanding your audience
• Choosing the right media
• Managing and measuring your campaigns

Case studies are also included.

The report is free and is available to non-members. To download your copy, visit www.filene.org. Add it to your cart and download to your desktop.

Australian Credit Union Touches Younger Consumers With “Random Acts of Generosity”

The Sydney Credit Union has re-branded itself as SCU, launched an eye-catching new website and adopted the rally cry “more generous banking” to attract younger members.

As credit unions, we have always seen ourselves as more member-focused. Hence, SCU followed through with that positioning, promoting themselves as being more generous with their time, with their profits and with you.

To celebrate the launch and really drill home the point, SCU activated street teams throughout Sydney to conduct “Random Acts of Generosity.” What’s that you ask…well, for SCU, it included free coffee, free massages and FREE HUGS.

Interestingly enough, The Free Hugs Campaign, the social movement that has whipped around the globe and even made its way to Oprah (isn’t that how we judge bigness?), actually began in Australia. The Free Hugs Campaign all started with a YouTube video (with 32 million views to date) by the band, Sick Puppies, and created a movement all over the world where people hug strangers for the sole purpose of making each other feel better.

We think this is a good example of how a credit union can re-energize its brand and tap into a social phenomenon to increase relevancy, interest and general goodwill among its community…as well as connect with a “cooler” and younger target audience.

Is there a way for your credit union to borrow from popular culture movements in your marketing tactics?

To find out more about SCU and their re-launch, check out this article at the Financial Brand.