Consumer Awareness Campaign

In August 2022, we launched our exciting new campaign, “Credit unions. For real. For your future.” This campaign is our boldest and first fully digital campaign to date. The new campaign focuses on the older Gen Z and younger millennial population (18-39 years old).

This age range currently spends $143 billion per year and will be the largest consumer-spender generation by 2034. While this group is known for being practical with their money, MCUL understands there is a lack of awareness and knowledge of credit unions and how advantageous they can be to personal financial health.

Due to their practicality, these younger consumers have shown a willingness to add financial institutions to their existing ones if it will help them realize their financial goals. So, “Credit unions. For real. For your future.” will encourage them to understand Michigan credit unions and how they can be a valuable financial organization for their future.

The new campaign features a Gen Z spokeswoman in five video spots — each of which reminds her social media peers that instead of creating fictional social media lives, they can realize their real-life accomplishments with the help of their local credit union. Also included are billboards across the state and a digital and social media campaign.

Each asset of the campaign will direct consumers back to a new website, TryACreditUnion.com— a site featuring bold and bright graphics that will help them find a local credit union, ATM, or branch … and even a credit union career, as the site includes a job-posting board that includes all current Michigan credit union openings in an easy-to-use database.

2022 Media Plan
Millions of Michiganders have been exposed to the CU Difference, thanks to our consumer awareness efforts over the last 21 years. Specifically, in 2021, the CU Link ad campaign attracted almost 42 million digital video views with an over 79 percent completion rate. Equally as impressive, the campaign's social media presence (Facebook and Snapchat) generated more than 70 million impressions. Rounding out our 2021 media tactics, the display advertising portion of the campaign (billboard and GSTV) ended on August 31 with estimated impressions totaling 69 million and 530 thousand, respectively.

The ultimate objective of the media plan is to optimize target reach and involvement as much as possible, particularly for younger people who engage with different media forms simultaneously. We intend to research additional emerging media strategies in 2022 to increase engagement among Gen-Z members, resulting in greater credit union exposure for our primary target audience.

Full-Share Participation
For the past six years, 100 percent of Michigan credit unions have contributed to our consumer awareness campaign. We thank you for your commitment to our cooperative advertising efforts and ask that you continue to support the advancement of the credit union movement in our great state.

With engaging and modern messages that complement your marketing, the “Credit unions. For real. For your future” campaign engages with younger generations where they are and in a way that allows them to understand that credit unions are ‘For Real.’

Please join our cooperative awareness effort for 2023. Increasing your contributions to Full Fair Share tremendously expands the proven strength of the consumer awareness cooperative campaign to reach consumers, influencers, and lawmakers.

Full-Fair-Share Benefits for 2023 (benefits unlocked after $1M in total credit union FFS contributions reached)

• Marketing reimbursement in the form of a CUBE TV gift certificate
• A copy of the consumer awareness research report
• One complimentary registration to the virtual MCUL Marketing Conference (a $449 value)

Sign up for support today!

Together, we can continue to make a difference for Michiganders. Your Full Fair Share contribution will help us reach millions of Michigan residents and raise their awareness of the credit union difference. Please join the CU Link cooperative awareness effort in 2022 by pledging your support today!

For more information, visit MCUL.org/CULink or reach out to CULink@MCUL.org or your League Representative.