What is “unbanking?” It’s a marketing term created by various credit unions (and perhaps some banks) for use in ads, brochures and other creative materials. Some use “unbanking” as a conceptual platform and wrap all their brand messages around it, while others use it to make a singular, standalone statement, perhaps just in a tagline.

“Unbanking” isn’t necessarily the opposite of “banking.” It’s a philosophical rejection of those (frustrating) things that often plague consumers’ banking experiences. In this day and age, when bankers are reviled more than big tobacco lawyers, it’s easy to understand why a financial institution would want to distance itself from the nasty taint of big banks. Many banks and credit unions looking to keep Wall Street at arm’s length simply go negative and bash the snot out of competitors. The message behind most anti-big bank campaigns isn’t more complex than “We don’t have a jet.” So what?

But “unbanking” creates this same kind of separation and engenders the exact same sentiment in a much more engaging, evocative and positive way. “Unbanking” lets a financial institution say “We’re not like big banks” without having to dwell purely on banking’s ugliness. And heck, let’s admit it…it’s just more fun than dragging the other guy down.

So join The Financial Brand, take a look at how a few credit unions using the concept of “unbanking” in their marketing.

Harborstone Credit Union

Harborstone is one of the oldest retail financial institutions to use “unbanking” in its marketing, and quite possibly the first. The credit union first introduced the word back in 1993, then received an official USPTO trademark for “The Unbank” in 1994. If they wanted to, they could probably create a mountain of legal problems for any other financial institution who may be tempted to use “unbanking.” It appears, however, that as long as no one treads on their turf, Harborstone seems content to share its trademark with others.

The credit union still actively uses “unbanking” today. Its slogan, “Choose the Unbank,” is central to a current ad campaign, and they even have a microsite: choosetheunbank.com.

Northwest Georgia FCU

This credit union uses “Un-banking, Unbelievable” as a tagline that anchors all its marketing materials. But they didn’t stop there. Their entire creative platform is built around “un,” Headlines incorporate just about every “un” word under the sun: “Undeniable,” “Unmistakable,” “Understatement,” “Unexpected,” “Unshaken,” “Unsung,” “Unreal,” “Understood,” “Unafraid.” The ad agency, Third Degree Advertising, describes the work as “un-corporate, un-stuffy, and a little bit unexpected.”

NORTHWEST GEORGIA CREDIT UNION – UNBANKING. UNBELIEVABLE.

“From hard hat wearers to do-it-all homemakers. To say you work hard is an Understatement. So why are you playing games with a financial institution that doesn’t work as hard for you? Get Unstuck with a not-for-profit credit union that helps folks and families like yours to hang on what you’ve already hard-earned. Unbank with Northwest Georgia Credit Union. Where the difference is unmistakable. Northwest Georgia Credit Union. Unbanking. Unbelievable.”

Connex Credit Union

This is another credit union that takes its unbanking seriously. They have an unbanking microsite (www.unbanknow.org), a toll-free unbank “emergency hotline,” and their slogan is “Unbank with us.” They have unbanking ads promoting Unbank Checking, call themselves “the unbank,” and have various unbanking messages splattered throughout their primary website. They even set out to recruit a Gen-Y summer intern with the lofty title “VP of Unbanking.” Note the use of a bloated, slab-face “U” as a graphic design element in some pieces.

Fed Choice Credit Union

The first section in this credit union’s “About Us” page is a section titled “The Un-Bank,” where they define their unsurpassed experience, uncommon benefits, unbelievable convenience and unbeatable service. Fed Choice is also using the “un” concept in ads.

People’s Trust FCU

“Happy Un-banking” is the slogan this credit union uses to deliver marketing messages with a little levity. They have a design style and overall copy tone that appropriately matches their tagline.

Fort Financial FCU

Fort Financial uses the tagline, “Unbank Your Life.” The credit union decided to secure an official USPTO trademark on the slogan in October 2009. Except for tacking the tagline onto marketing materials, it doesn’t appear that they explore unbanking and what it means in any great depths.

SkyOne FCU

There isn’t much material from SkyOne available freely on the web, but the credit union is clearly taking the “unbank” message to the market. Using the tagline “Unbank Yourself,” SkyOne runs with the “un” theme in headlines, although they’ve added a twist. Instead of using the predictable “un” words, they’ve opted to coin some new and rather creative verbs. SkyOne’s loan offers invite consumers to “unhide the fees,” “unmuddle the terms,” “unlimit your rewards,” “unaccept excessive penalties,” “unhike the loan rates,” “unwaste your time,” “unpeddle the pricey extras,” “uninvolved the middleman,” “unraise your payments.” It’s a fresh angle and good copy.

Federal Savings

At one point in time, a company called Federal Savings used “The Unbank” as its slogan. Apparently they were indeed an “unbank”… they were fraudsters offering CDs with a bazillion-percent APY.

The Unbank Company

This Minnesota-based check-cashing store has been in business since 1984. You’ll notice in the photo below that it is right next door to its sister company, “The Unloan” store. It’s shocking that Harborstone Credit Union, who holds a USPTO registration for “The Unbank” would let this slide.

unbank.com

The much-coveted URL unbank.com belongs to a bank who couldn’t care less about the whole “unbanking” thing. University National Bank in Kansas has owned the savory domain since 1996. Some people might confuse this with the “U.N. Bank,” which doesn’t exist – the United Nations calls it the World Bank. There is, however, a U.N. credit union (unfcu.org).

Plenty of financial institutions describe their service as “warm, friendly and personal.” But basic courtesies like a smile, a hello and a thank-you barely get you to first base. There has to be more to building relationships than waiting for tellers to remember the names of those customers who come in to conduct a high volume of costly transactions. Isn’t there?

Well here is an excellent way to spark conversations in your branches that is both simple and effective: In the workspace next to every teller and service representative, place a medium-sized placard with a mini-biography of that employee’s life, interests and hobbies.

Each employee only needs to pick five profile questions that they would be comfortable revealing, choosing from a list of maybe 10-20 options. Some suggestions include:

• Favorite movie
• Best vacation ever
• Last book I read
• Kids
• Pet/Dog
• What I do for fun
• Favorite station
• Food I can’t live without
• Favorite TV show
• Celebrity I’d most like to meet
• Where I went to school
• Years in the area
• Nickname
• Favorite band

You can think of additional profile questions to use if you’d like.

HR can screen employees’ answers to make sure no inappropriate material gets shared.

Countless consultants are telling financial institutions to embrace social media and “join the conversation.” But how many have mastered the basics of face-to-face relationships? Shouldn’t that come first?

Any bank or credit union struggling with on-boarding or cross-selling should give this a try. It’s fairly intuitive to see how slice-of-life biographical profiles of your employees would trigger lively, engaging customer conversations. Anything can happen when customers get comfortable with employees after finding some common ground. But don’t just dump a bunch of placards on everyone’s desks and expect magic things to happen. You have to train staff on how to maximize these conversations and turn them into opportunities. Otherwise, you’ll do nothing more than increase your average time-per-transaction.

If you expand the program to include every employee from the CEO on down, you’ll likely witness the team-building benefits that come when co-workers forge deeper interpersonal relationships.

This simple-yet-effective relationship-building tool would work for just about any size financial institution, but it is perfectly suited for smaller, community-focused banks and credit unions — especially those who aspire to be viewed as neighbors or friends, which is a smart strategy because people have such low opinions of bankers these days. It’s a good idea to distance yourself from the greedy, stingy, no-good image bankers have today by “humanizing” your staff (and, by extension, your brand’s image).

Barclays has introduced 56 Sage Street, a free, online, single-player money-management game built around an interactive virtual city. The big, Flash-based game is intended to help the European banking giant reach younger consumers.

Game Design

When 56 Sage Street begins you have just arrived in the city, with only £4 in your pocket. You make money by taking various jobs, but you have to start out with lowly positions like dish washer and pizza deliveries. You can’t get any of the really good jobs until you improve your appearance and reputation, which takes nicer clothes and a fancier apartment, which, of course takes more money. Therein lies the challenge.

The game is named after the address of the fictional Mr. C., an ailing millionaire who lives at 56 Sage Street within the make-believe city. If you complete all the tasks in the game, Mr. C promises to bequeath his empire to you.

The game board is a sizable, scrolling, left-to-right three-dimensional map that you explore with your character. You start out in the poorest part of town and advance your way through a total of four “levels” as you accrue more and more money, ultimately ending up in the swanky subdivision called Silvergate. In total, there are some 100+ interactive nodes in the game, including hotels, restaurants, night clubs and various other businesses.

BARCLAYS – 56 SAGE STREET
A one-minute unnarrated video overview of the game

BARCLAYS – 56 SAGE STREET GAME PLAY
The dark, moody world, which feels somewhere between Sim City and a
Playstation game called “The Getaway,” will likely appeal to younger players.

BARCLAYS – 56 SAGE STREET GAME MAP
This map only shows 16 of the some 100+ interactive “hot-spots” one can explore.

One interesting aspect of 56 Sage Street’s game play is the game clock. Every day, you wake up at 8:00 a.m. The clock advances 15 minutes every time you visit one of the city’s interactive nodes, no matter what you do (or don’t do) at that location. Additional time is run off the clock for jobs you accept and tasks you complete. Every day ends at 11:30 p.m., at which point you must find a hotel, apartment or park bench and rest until 8:00 a.m. the next day. Your character recharges his or her energy and appearance at varying rates depending on the quality of the accommodations you choose (or what you can afford).

There are three arcade-style mini-games within the game. The mini-game in Tony’s Café tests your cooking skills on a short-order grill, the Jolly Roger mini-game tests your reflexes ala Guitar Hero, EWM Solicitors tests your typing skills, and the final secret challenge tests whether you’ve got what it takes to run Mr C’s empire when he is gone.

BARCLAYS – 56 SAGE STREET MINIGAMES

The mini-game in Tony’s Grill (top two images) is a mad race to keep up with the breakfast orders pouring in. The Jolly Roger mini-game replaces a keyboard for a guitar in a ‘Guitar Hero’ style game. And the EWS Solicitor mini-game is a dictation test.

There are 50 different awards you can earn as you play the game, an idea which feels remarkably similar to the kind of badges Foursquare users accrue.

The game includes a mobile phone interface that you can use to help you navigate the game and keep track of your money. If you need any help, there’s a guide for the phone, an overall game guide and FAQ.

Anyone registered on Facebook can save their game, and, if you feel like it, share your progress with a status update. There’s also a Twitter tie-in, but it’s relatively weak.

The game was designed by international ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty in conjunction with B-Reel.

Game Play

56 Sage Street is not terribly challenging, but it is somewhat fun to play and has the potential to become addictive. Be advised though: If you make it to the end, prepare to be frustrated. If you complete all the tasks Mr. C assigns you, you’re told to go to his house because there’s something he wants to give you. Even though the house is clearly indicated on the game map, the interactive marker appears to be missing, so you can’t win the game.

As with all games, half the fun is figuring out how to beat “the system.” And in that regard, 56 Sage Street is no different. There are easy shortcuts one can use to accrue money faster than the game designers intended (e.g., playing the mini-games over and over, or repeatedly taking the overtime shift at the fireworks factory). Kids these days adopt the hacker’s mindset when playing video games, looking for any opportunities to “break the rules.” Much like Matthew Broderick’s character in the movie War Games, the challenge of deciphering the game’s design is what many players of 56 Sage Street will find most alluring. How can I “game the system?”

Ultimately the game has a lot more to do with budgeting and money management than it does with banking. Many of the lessons it teaches about how to use a retail financial institution don’t align with how things work in the real world. For instance, you cannot make deposits via your in-game, virtual mobile phone nor online at any of the game’s internet cafes. You can only make deposits in branches… but branches are only open from 9:30 to 5:30 p.m., so if the game clock says 9:15 and you’d like to make a deposit, tough luck: you can’t.

What’s worse is that you can only deposit £80 at a time, which is very frustrating when you have a £280 paycheck and £40 in daily automatic debit deductions. It takes “15 minutes” of game time with each visit you make to a branch, plus your energy takes a one-point blow every time you do so. So if you want to make a £800 deposit, you’ll have to make 10 stops at a branch, which takes 2.5 hours of “game time” and 10 “energy points.” The level of irritation this causes is probably a good representation of the vexing “rules” and aggravations consumers have come to expect when dealing with real financial institutions.

Analysis and Perspective

For all the talk in the financial industry about “engaging young consumers on their terms,” few banks and credit unions truly grasp what that really involves. “That means I need to be on Facebook, right?” For most organizations, their youth strategy is little more than lip service, but Barclays is stepping up — nay, stepping out on the ledge — to put its money where its mouth is. At the very least, Barclays deserves praise for its willingness to pioneer and innovate.

Financial institutions have been toying with online interactive games for nearly a decade, so in that sense, Barclay’s 56 Sage Street isn’t a new concept. In fact, Barclay’s rolled out another Flash-based game called Water Slides in 2009. What makes 56 Sage Street so remarkable is its size and scope; this free game is almost as good as some that cost money. But the game probably also cost at least £200,000 to develop, plus who knows how much more to promote.

Will Barclay’s yield the results necessary to justify this huge roll of the dice? Only time will tell. So far, the game has been “liked” by over 500 people on Facebook, but are these the young people Barclays is targeting? Or are they older video game fans and designers from around the world?

Overall, the Barclays brand isn’t very prominent in the game, something sure to please gaming purists as much as it aggravates branding consultants. There is a small, omnipresent logo at the bottom of the screen, but branches within the game’s cityscape are almost completely unbranded. Architectural cues, along with the bank’s signature blue, have been eschewed presumably to preserve the game’s integrity. Little icons of the Barclays crest denote branch and ATM locations. Other than that though, there is almost zero connection back to Barclays or its website. It’s a soft sell at best — perhaps a little too soft — but better for Barclays to err on the side of caution than risk a backlash. After all, if the game reeked of marketing, no one would play it.

There is one thing people of all ages will probably realize when playing 56 Sage Street: Life can be very repetitive. You get up, eat, exercise, go to work, eat, come home, eat again, then go to bed. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Adults will likely recognize the daily tedium for what it is and acclimate quickly. However, younger people, for whom the game is designed, might find the mundane repetitiveness boring…or worse, downright frightening. Despite the game’s limited value as a banking simulator, the game is a fairly accurate representation of the responsibilities most young people should expect as they enter adulthood.

One major aspect of the game isn’t immediately apparent. 56 Sage Street embeds a clear (if not unintentional) message about upward mobility. You’re expected to pursue a bigger, better, more expensive life. The lesson that may make some parents uneasy is that there is no such thing as “good enough.” Your clothes, your appearance, your reputation — indeed who you are as a person — is almost entirely defined by how much money and possessions you have. Happiness, it would seem, is tied directly to your wallet… and always seemingly one step beyond your reach.

Mystery Monkey Tour Contest

Financial Institution: GTE Federal Credit Union
Microsite: www.GTEFCUMysteryMonkeyTour.com

An escaped Rhesus Macaque monkey in Tampa then evaded capture for over a year, traveling across tree tops and through backyards spanning three counties and over 400 square miles. Along the way, the wily monkey accrued a sizable following, becoming a celebrity of sorts, with around 79,000 Facebook fans.

Capitalizing on the media frenzy fueling the monkey’s fandom, GTE Federal Credit Union launched an online “Mystery Monkey Tour Contest.” The contest gave clues to the monkey’s whereabouts via GTE FCU’s Facebook account. The first person to “find” the monkey at four different locations correctly gets a $1,500 cash prize! Anyone who joined during the promotion got a Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay T-shirt.

MYSTERY MONKEY TOUR CONTEST
Promotional copy states, “Now’s the time to get your game on
in the ultimate contest between man and monkey!”

Pros:

• Tapping the local zeitgeist is a perfect strategy for community-based financial institutions. Nothing says “We’re Local!” like a campaign referencing something the rest of the world isn’t a part of.
• You couldn’t come up with a better name.
• It’s a fun idea.
• It generates a level of name awareness that outweighs the investment.
• The t-shirts are pretty cool.
• The credit union made a donation to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary.
  

Cons:

• There is no product tie-in or offer (note: the credit union may be sending email marketing messages to participants).
• Any connection to the credit union’s brand strategy or its identity isn’t immediately obvious.
• The contest is structured as a “race.” The contest ends as soon as someone submits the correct answer.
• Only one winner. No drawing for other participants, some of whom may have invested themselves emotionally in the contest.

Best Staycation Ever

Financial Institution: Orange County’s Credit Union
Microsite: www.staycationcontest.org

This very simple and straightforward promotion asked participants to submit a photograph and 50-word description of their best staycation ever. The sole winner of the $1,000 cash prize was determined by a public vote at the staycationcontest.org microsite. The contest was open to anyone 18 or over living in California.

James Flores, the CEO of Subcat Marketing who developed the contest for Orange County’s Credit Union, tells the story well. “This was their first foray with an online contest like this. Prior to the campaign, the credit union had no social media presence. Our recommendation was to use the contest as a way to not only cross-promote their loan products (which was the credit union’s original vision), but as a way to start an online dialog with members, and take a step into the world of social media and word-of-mouth.”

The contest yielded over 5,000 unique visitors and around 300 photo submissions. Participants’ photos represented staycations in some 190 different California communities.

BEST STAYCATION EVER CONTEST
“Just what is a ‘staycation?’ It’s that close-to-home kind of vacation –
a destination within driving distance.”

Pros:

• The concept of staycations supports credit unions’ mission of thrift (albeit a bit indirectly).
• The microsite is both well-designed and maintained.
• The site has embedded banner ads promoting loans and membership. There is one for auto loans and another asking visitors to find out how they can join Orange County’s Credit Union.
• Social networking tools for Flickr and Twitter are incorporated.

Cons:

• Some people don’t like staycations (the word and/or concept).
• There could have been a 2nd and 3rd place prize. Maybe a camera?
• They barely dipped their pinky toe into Twitter. How aggressively have they pushed their Twitter presence in offline channels?

Do Something Good Today

Financial Institution: Legacy Community FCU
Microsite: dosomethinggoodtoday.com

Legacy Community FCU spent six weeks running around the communities it serves buying people things like gas, haircuts and lunches. It’s a popular PR stunt that’s fairly effective at generating positive word-of-mouth buzz (Alta One Credit Union did something similar with its Good Deeds Done Daily promotion back in 2009.)

DO SOMETHING GOOD TODAY
The microsite features a cadre of do-good videos — lots of smiles and thank yous.

Pros:

• The concept is simple and appealing. Being nice to people is a good thing to do. The credit union left an indelible impression on those whom they surprised. Most probably thought it was the highlight of their day, maybe even their whole week.
• This kind of stuff generates the absolute best word-of-mouth buzz you could ever dream of.
• There’s great PR value in a financial institution trying to make the world a better place. News outlets are thirsty for feel-good stories to counter-balance all the negativity. Despite rampant cynicism, people still like hearing feel-good stories.
• Filming good deeds becomes great footage for TV spots.
• There’s a simple form right on the homepage so people can easily nominate a good deed. There’s also an email opt-in form so you can stay abreast of all the good deeds. Burying these forms even one page deep would reduce utilization drastically.
• The “Live Tracker” maps out where good deeds have been done in real time.
• The microsite incorporates Facebook and Twitter social networking tools.

Cons:

• There isn’t any strong call-to-action. What are visitors supposed to do? People should be encouraged to do their own good deeds for others while they are still feeling high on inspiration.
• It’s hard to link this type of initiative with the bottom line.
• You have to dig a little to find the best stuff: the gallery of videos.

Fascinating range of behaviors exposed by socio-pyschological experiment

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” Well in Australia, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In May, RaboDirect conducted an unusual social experiment to see how Aussies would react when presented with a tree full of money. The bank placed a tree full of $5 notes in Syndey’s Fleet Park, then used hidden cameras to record people’s reactions.

At first, people passed the tree without noticing. Then passers-by simply ignored the cash, while a few took pictures of it. But after a slow start, the tree was stripped bare in under three hours. Opportunists worked together and employed various means to maximize their haul.

RABODIRECT – MONEY TREE

The experiment revealed a fascinating range of reactions, something RaboDirect and psychologist Rob Hall broke down into the following six categories:

1. Lost Opportunity – The first 100 people passed without reacting at all. Even when a group of joggers noticed, they were too busy to stop. The first groups who eventually stopped to interact couldn’t believe it. They inspected the notes and took pictures, but left empty handed.
2. Follow the Crowd — Only once one brave participant started taking the money, did momentum gather. Legitimised by the crowd, a wide spectrum of behaviour ensued.
3. Frugality — Some took just one or two notes, satisfied by their modest and unexpected gains.
4. Opportunist — Consumed by the fantasy, a group of braver participants made the most of the opportunity by filling their pockets.
5. Employing Tools and Working Together — When the low hanging $5 notes were depleted, participants employed tools such as swinging coats and umbrellas, to help them reach higher branches. Teamwork also came into play as spectators formed human pyramids to reach the notes seemingly out of reach.
6. Altruism — Perhaps the most comforting observation from the participants was that of altruism. Taller participants shared their earnings with shorter spectators, while one gentleman on identifying the undercover observation team, requested his money be donated to charity.

The Money Tree experiment was developed by PR agency Zing. RaboDirect used the stunt as a PR ploy to drive to a microsite about the bank’s High Interest Savings Account, which is currently paying a variable rate of 6.40% on new deposits.

To celebrate the one-year anniversary of its website redesign, Belvoir FCU hosted a virtual scavenger hunt. In its Web Hunt 2010 promotion, Belvoir FCU strategically placed what it calls “slice of life” icons — each correlating with a specific product or service — on pages throughout its website. Users who chose to participate had to register, then find all 9 “slices” to be entered in the contest’s drawing. The contest ran for 45 days.

Belvoir FCU says over 1,000 people participated in the web hunt. A total of 134,380 users visited the credit union’s website during the contest, representing an increase of almost 40,000 visitors compared with one year earlier. During the 45 days of Web Hunt 2010, a total of 255,284 pages were viewed, nearly double the site’s traffic at the time the redesigned website was launched.

Bottom Line: If you think your website is easy to use and navigate, here’s a great way to put that theory to the test. It’s an excellent example of how financial engaging can be engaging for consumers while achieving important marketing objectives for your financial institution. It’s a game. It’s fun. People will do what you ask of them — in this case, learn about your products and services — if you make it enjoyable and offer something in return.

1. Read through the great prizes to see what you could be entered to win.
2. Click the enter now button and fill out the registration form so we can properly identify our winners when the time comes. By filling out your contact information, you will also be able to sign back into the Web Hunt and pick up where your last session ended. Just in case you don’t want to search for all 9 life stages at the same time.
3. After you complete your registration form, begin your search for “slice of life” icons throughout the Web site. These slices can be found on any page on www.BelvoirCreditUnion.org’s site. Be sure to look high and low for all the icons.
4. When you find each “slice of life,” the piece will illuminate with color. Then, simply click add to place the icon in your main pie chart full of life’s stages. Be sure to scroll over the icon to read valuable information!
5. Once you have found all 9 slices and they are added to your life stage pie chart, you will be entered to win the above prizes. In addition, your pie chart can also link to various products that each life stage represents for more information. Good Luck!

REGISTRATION FORM

GAME BOARD

A press conference staged for the introduction of “TD,” the bank’s new mascot. If there were indeed that many reporters at the event with their hands raised anxiously, the number one question was likely to be, “What the heck is it?”

TD Bank wants you to say hello to its new mascot. Named “TD,” the foam character is intended to support the bank’s retail branding efforts. TD describes the mascot as “fun, sporty and green.”

Key Question: What the heck is it? What conceptual significance or relevance does TD’s mascot have?

TD, which adopted the slogan “America’s Most Convenient Bank” after absorbing Commerce bank in 2008, says the mascot is a three-dimensional extension of the TD brand.

“He is a natural extension of our brand promise and possesses many of the attributes people love about TD Bank,” said Bharat Masrani, President and CEO at TD Bank.

Key Question: How does the mascot reflect TD’s overarching core brand promise of “convenience?”

The bank’s rationalization for its “TD” mascot strains intellectual scrutiny.

“He is family friendly, committed to serving communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, environmentally conscious, and sporty,” TD explained in a press release. “TD is known for its customer service, unparalleled convenience, and hassle-free products and services.”

Key Question: What does an inverted, green trapezoid have to do with environmental consciousness, customer service or hassle-free products?

“‘TD’ provides a unique way for the bank to engage and connect with its customers and fans of all ages,” Bharat said. “We look forward to introducing ‘TD’ to the communities throughout our footprint.”

“TD” will make appearances at several events throughout the summer, including the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship and the TD Bank Beach To Beacon 10K Road Race in Maine. “TD” will be seen at other bank functions like grand opening celebrations and employee events.

The “TD” mascot made his first public appearance Sunday, June 6, at the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship.

Key Question: What happened to previous TD spokespeople Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa?

TD is one of the 15 largest commercial banks in the United States with $160 billion in assets and 1,100 locations spanning from Maine to Florida.

Perhaps “TD” should hook up with Ms. Green, the M&M seductress.
Together, the pair could raise a brood of polygons.

In 2008, Forth Worth Community Credit Union launched a new brand platform developed by Third Degree Advertising. The agency says the strategy behind the “You’re Worth More” positioning was to differentiate Fort Worth Community from banks, and to overcome any perception that the credit union had lost their “personal touch.” Here is a selection of promotions the agency produced after overhauling the credit union’s brand identity.

BRAND BOARDS
These were used at the conceptual stage in presentations to capture the essence and idea of the brand.

‘Loans Worth More’

With an objective to increase Fort Worth’s home and auto loan portfolio in the first quarter of 2009, Third Degree developed a targeted direct mail campaign, paired with a loan-oriented microsite (LoansWorthMore.org).

LOANSWORTHMORE.ORG MICROSITE

Carefree Checking

Fort Worth Community has a long-term awareness campaign to help boost checking accounts, but without a hook like a high-yield interest rate, differentiation isn’t easy. However, Fort Worth found when they compared their fees to competitors like Chase, Bank of America and Navy Federal, they were a better value. Fort Worth positions their product as simple, absolutely free, with no fees and coupled with a “people-over-profits” branding message. Campaign elements include a microsite, carefreechecking.org, on-hold messaging, print, direct mail, outdoor, drive-thru banners, online ads, standees, HTML email and more.

LOANSWORTHMORE.ORG MICROSITE

‘Holiday Fast Cash’

In 2009, Fort Worth wanted to take a holiday loan promotion they had been doing for ten years and update it to fit their new brand. The Holiday Fast Cash loan is a personal/signature loan up to $15,000 at 7.9% for 12 months. The Holiday Fast Cash product was focused on current members who were most likely to get loans for their holiday shopping. Third Degree developed a “wind up” theme using imagery of wind-up toys, and messaging that played upon the urgency of the holidays. Deliverables included three versions of direct mail, outdoor boards, drive-thru banners, teller counter posters, newspaper ads, statement stuffers, standees and online advertising.

Women & Co., a financial education resource for women backed by Citi, is celebrating its 10th year with a new campaign that focuses on “women with rising financial influence,” the bank said. The ads highlight the unique lives of real women — actual Women & Co. members.

Citi interviewed over 1,000 affluent women around the U.S. about their financial attitudes and behaviors to help shape its latest Women & Co. campaign, ultimately choosing 33 women to feature in its ads.

“The Women of Women & Co.” campaign includes four print and digital executions.

Citi describes Women & Co. as “a vehicle for insightful women to build their financial knowledge, bolster their confidence and create financial strategies that will help them achieve their goals. Through access to education, resources, and a community of financially minded women, Women & Co. is the place where wisdom, wealth and women meet.”

Citi says women are creating and controlling more money than ever before. “In the wake of the recession, women are on the verge of outnumbering men in the workforce for the first time in history,” the bank said in a press release. “In today’s she-conomy, that means more women are not only driving purchasing decisions, but also are increasingly controlling the financial decisions in their household.”

Runs

Runs after 3 kids.
Runs a yoga studio.
Runs the finances for her family.
Runs back home to help out her parents.
Runs a marathon from time to time.
Runs what seems like a marathon every day.
Runs it all by her financial advisor, just to be sure.
——————–
Financial information and support for women who run the world they live in.

Learning

Learning to be prepared for anything.
Learning to stop worrying about the future.
Learning to trust her investing instincts.
Learning that experiences are more important than possessions.
Learning that there’s always more to learn.
Learning financial health is important for her wellbeing.
——————–
Life makes women wiser.
The Woman & Co. community helps make them stronger.

She’s

She’s managed two political campaigns.
She’s launching her own business.
She’s always got a “Plan B.”
She’s newly remarried with new financial goals.
She’s a widow writing a memoir.
She’s the CFO of her family, and manages every cent.
——————–
The financial realities of a woman’s life are unique.
Women & Co. helps her be prepared for anything.

Balancing

Balancing her dreams and realities.
Balancing ever-changing priorities.
Balancing the hope to retire with the fear of slowing down.
Balancing her family with her ambitions.
Balancing yesterday with today and tomorrow.
Balancing her checkbook, her assets, her time, her job.
——————–
Life makes financial demands.
Women & Co. makes financial sense.

This article is intended to help financial institutions maximize their marketing capital. It is an opportunity to weigh strategic priorities.

As you review this list, please realize that The Financial Brand is not saying, “Social media has no value.” But many of the items on this list have arguably more impact than what 98% of financial firms have been able to achieve with social media so far.

Please don’t feel bad if you don’t have many of these initiatives underway. It would be quite surprising if any bank or credit union has all of the following under control.

1. Define your brand — If you’re honest, you’ll admit your organization hasn’t really identified its true brand. An effective brand strategy should be able to align every aspect of your organization around one concept. Without an overarching, fundamental strategy, it’s hard to make any social media project fit with your brand or business model.

2. Develop a real Gen Y strategy — Don’t confuse “social media strategy” with “Gen Y strategy,” and vice versa. Social media is NOT a requirement to reach this audience. To successfully increase your Gen Y market share, you need a balanced approach that includes branches, products, events, financial edutainment, mobile banking, etc.

3. Develop a Gen Z strategy — When are you going to start planning for the next generation of banking consumers …Gen Z (or whatever term generational experts give Gen Y’s kids). In many ways, it’s too late to worry about Gen Y, as most of them already have basic banking relationships in place. Heck, in five years, the oldest members of Gen Y will be grandparents. It’s time to start worrying about what comes after Y. Don’t let Z sneak up on you the way Gen Y seems to have caught the financial industry off guard.

4. Non-traditional/guerilla marketing — Is your marketing plan on auto pilot? Do you just do the same things — newsletters, annual reports, the occasional print ad? If you’re looking to shake up your routine, you can try something arguably more fun and effective than online social media marketing. When was the last time you tried anything fun and crazy like setting up a “Banking Confessional” on the street or hosting a Guitar Hero duel? Financial marketing doesn’t have to be dull.

5. PFM — Few things have made as big a difference to consumers over the last couple years — from a practical perspective — as the introduction of online Personal Financial Management tools. These tools aggregate information from multiple financial institutions into a single view enabling consumers to track spending and manage all of their money online. Companies offering online PFM services like Mint, Geezeo and Jwaala have taken the financial industry by storm.

6. Develop an attack plan for a failed competitor – It looks like 2010 is on pace to match the number of banks that failed last year. Are there any distressed competitors in your market(s)? Be prepared and have a plan. You’ll scoop up a lot more business than anyone else — far more than your fair share. Take a look at how one credit union turned a bank’s demise into a golden opportunity.

7. Matrix mail — This is more than sending out a few letters and postcards every month. This is a highly-targeted, strategically-segmented approach to communications with your customers or members. The entire audience should be classified based on tenure of relationship and the products they already hold. Each segment you define should receive a strategic sequence of communications — one for people who have online banking but not billpay, one for those who have billpay but not mobile banking, another for those with term deposits that will expire soon, etc. If you have less than 25 different targeted messages, you still have some work to do.

8. Redesign your website — Your website is increasingly the first experience consumers have with your brand. What does it say about you? If you haven’t fundamentally redesigned in your website in the last five years, you’re way overdue for an overhaul. If you have 50+ links on your homepage, it’s time. And you know whether your website looks up-to-date…or like dung.

9. Secure your trademarks — It doesn’t take a lot of time nor cost a lot of money to pursue federally registered trademarks through the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. At least start with your name, logo, slogan(s) and branded products. It may not seem that important, but protecting your hard-earned brand equity can be worth millions of dollars in legal battles down the road.

10. Online chat — Why should consumers who prefer online channels have to sacrifice access to the information and answers they need? With live online chat, you immediately address the needs of people who are interested in your products and services. It’s simple online conversation (like AOL Instant Messenger) that helps you simulate the dialogue that would naturally occur in your branches.

11. Optimize your website — The web is the most important channel for financial institutions today. The public has been actively using the internet for more than a decade now. People have become savvy and more finicky. Just being “faster” doesn’t cut it anymore. They expect everything in an instant. And yet you still run across bank and credit union websites that run like mud. Robbie Wright recently optimized TheFinancialBrand.com and cut load times by 60-85%. That means a lot to impatient people who are now sensitive to time in milliseconds.

12. Selling inside the online banking firewall — You have captive, engaged users inside a a trusted platform you control. If you aren’t using your online banking platform to promote your products, services, special deals and other marketing initiatives, you’re leaving easy money on the table. The publishers of Netbanker.com have an entire report dedicated to this subject. If your online banking provider limits you, it’s time to think about dumping them.

13. SEO/Adwords — What’s the point of having a beautiful, streamlined website with online chat if no one can find it? The ROI on Search Engine Optimization is measurable, and you can refine an AdWords strategy with precision down to the penny.

14. Remote deposit — There are so many different ways you can provide remote deposit options, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be doing it already. The more people you have making mobile- or online deposits, the fewer costly transactions you’ll have to process in your branches, and the more people you’ll have on your online banking platform.

15. Mobile banking — Does Gen Y really want to “engage” with your financial institution on the latest social media platform? Or would they prefer you give them maximum freedom and flexibility to manage their accounts wherever they go and with whatever device they prefer (or have handy)? Which leads us to…

16. iPhone app — Here’s a simple question. Which do you think your boss would be more impressed by: (A) 750 people following you on Twitter, (B) 750 fans/likers on Facebook, or (C) 750 people using your iPhone mobile application?

17. Online advertising — Hey man, it’s not the 90s anymore… It’s time to get with it. Big or small, no matter what size your financial institution is, there is an online media plan that will work for you. You could probably take your entire print ad budget and shift it online.

18. More creative savings accounts — Savings is the new craze. But why does saving have to be so boring? For instance, consider goal-based savings and automatic savings plans like BofA’s Keep The Change, Wachovia’s Way 2 Save and Citizens Bank’s GoalTrack Savings. And how about prize-linked savings?

19. High-interest, online checking accounts — This is a classic quid-pro-quo. You pay people an interest rate they really love, and have them adopt the habits you’d like them to have in exchange. By requiring people to actively use online banking and their debit cards, you can afford to pay above-average rates.

20. Brand training for staff — You can tell staff that your brand is the most important thing in the world, but it doesn’t mean anything if you aren’t rewarding them accordingly. When was the last time you had a training session deliberately connecting to your brand strategy? Does HR use your brand to guide its policies and decisions? Remember that your brand is built by what you do/deliver, not by what you say/promise. It’s vital that staff be on board all the way.

21. Intranet — Even if you already have an employee intranet, it probably isn’t being utilized to its maximum potential. Or perhaps you have one that isn’t capable doing what you need. And if you don’t have one, you should get one. Employees complain endlessly about how little communication they get. Tackling the problems with your intranet may seem easy to dismiss as a lesser priority, but this is one area that can help get everyone on the same page (literally).

22. New core data processing system — If you thought the idea of wrangling with your intranet sounded unsavory, then you will have even less of an appetite for this initiative. The truth is that most financial institutions are handicapped by legacy systems. These systems are often kept alive with a crude form of life-support and band-aids. How many times has your team been excited about a new product or innovation only to be shot down by your core system’s limitations? Changing a financial institution’s data processing system is never pleasant, but if it’s holding you back you need to bite the bullet.

23. Online newsroom — Create a page on your website consolidating news, events, press releases, major promotions, etc. Allow comments and provide an RSS stream. Some people might call this a blog, but it isn’t really one. You’d keep it real professional. You could call it an online newsroom.

24. Strategic branch makeover — A substantial chunk of Gen Y uses branches every month, so you should use MERCHANDISING in your branches specifically to target this audience. Are you using branch MERCHANDISING to promote products and services designed just for Gen Y? Also deploy Gen Y-specific sales training and in-branch promotions.

25. Open new branches — Branches may be getting smaller, but they are no less relevant. Opening more branches has continued to be one of the most reliable ways for financial institutions to grow new banking relationships. Now is the right time to reevaluate your BRANCH NETWORK. Where should you open new branches? Are there any unprofitable locations that should be closed.

Eastern Florida Financial Credit Union – Barf bag

This clever mailer invites people to “bring unused bags to one of our conveniently located branches to get $425 with these valuable coupons.” READ MORE

County Bank – Biscuits for Breakfast

This clever campaign, targeting businesses in the bank’s area, offers new business customers a free biscuit breakfast for up to 13 people — delivered right to your doorstep — as long as you’re willing to meet with a Countybank representative. READ MORE

Small businesses could hit the microsite and pick their fixin’s.

Prospera – Frozen direct mail

Prospera mailed nearly 4,500 packages to a pre-qualified list culled from the credit union’s 60,000 members. Each recipient received a follow-up phone call from Prospera. The message: ““Paying taxes is a big headache. That’s why we’re freezing them for 10 years.” READ MORE

The O Bee Amazing Money Maze

The credit union’s name, “O BEE,” is the centerpiece of a massive, 6-acre maze made from corn plants. They call it “The Amazing Money Maze.” READ MORE

There are two small bridges running from left to right in the center of the maze.

Young & Free’s “Guitar Hero” Cage Duel Truck

Two Guitar Hero players are pitted against one another in a truck that’s one-part cage-fighting arena, one part human fishtank. Currency Marketing came up with the idea while planning TDECU’s rollout of “Young & Free,” a popular Gen-Y “challenge marketing” program for credit union in the U.S. and Canada. READ MORE

Two college students — both majoring in Guitar Hero — face off inside a mobile Gen-Y “Thunderdome.”

BofA – “Now Prove It”

BofA, an official NFL partner, kicked off the 2008 season with its “Now Prove It Challenge” contests at various stadiums around the league. Fans competed in endurance contests to see who could outlast the others by continuously touching a giant 20-foot inflatable BofA jersey. The last fan standing won a pair of tickets to every 2008 regular season home game of their favorite team. READ MORE

How long would you touch a giant inflatable jersey to win season tickets?

Coast Capital – Super huge “thanks-for-nothing” card

Coast Capital Savings invited people in British Columbia to add their signatures and messages to an 8′x10′ cheeky “thank you” card “congratulating” big banks for the $3 billion in fees that they charge Canadians annually. They obtained people’s signatures by trotting the card out to public spaces. READ MORE

An 8′ x 10′ card signed by hundreds of people really makes a statement.

TD Bank – “Random Acts of Convenience”

In TD’s “Random Acts of Convenience” initiative, the bank gave away free umbrellas, cups of coffee, premium shopping bags and gift wrapping during the holidays. They delivered pizzas and did people’s laundry, also for free. One lucky winner could choose a free personal chef, chauffeur or house cleaner for a year. The bank regularly gives away suckers and dog treats. READ MORE

Mmm, yummy…free pizza, wrapped and delivered in a TD-branded box.

AltaOne FCU – “Good Deeds”

In the weeks leading up the to the grand opening of a branch, the credit union sent out a street team to conduct random acts of kindness such as paying a family’s dinner bill, or surprising a local fire department with a free lunch. The hitch? No one knew AltaOne was behind all the good deeds until the night of the grand opening. READ MORE

Mrs: “Honey, who were those nice kids?” Mr: “I dunno, but they just bought us lunch!”

First Ontario – Outdoor visual metaphors

FirstOntario Credit Union recently launched a classic guerilla marketing campaign to reinforce a message of safety and strength. FirstOntario placed everyday items — such as bikes, park benches, fire hydrants and bubble wrap — in unexpected ways around key communities to drive home the message that the credit union’s short-term investments are “Extra safe.” READ MORE

Four redundant fire hydrants reinforce the message: “FirstOntario has guaranteed returns.”

Sydney Credit Union – “More Generous Banking”

SCU and rolled out a new brand theme, “More Generous Banking,” by sending out street teams across Sydney to conduct “Random Acts Of Generosity,” including giving out free coffees, free massages and — no joke — free hugs. READ MORE

Street teams giving out rubs and hugs directed people to the credit union’s new website.

Industrial Credit Union ATM spews random $50s

During the 2008 holiday season, the credit union randomly swapped $50 bills for $20s in an ATM at a new branch location. READ MORE

This direct mail piece went to over 5,000 households near the new branch. It unfolds like a gift.

Servus Credit Union – “The Feel Good Ripple”

The Canadian credit union invited people to share their “feel-good deeds” on a specially built Servus microsite (shown below). For each story someone shared, they were entered to win one of ten $500 donations. READ MORE

“Do something nice, then pay it forward.” The concept speaks to people’s inner hippie.

FirstBank – Small Businesss’ Business Cards

The bank managed to squeeze 500 business cards from its small business customers’ into displays inside a transit terminal. READ MORE

You know some people looked at the display and thought, “Hey, I need someone to _____.”

FirstBank – Billboards for small businesses

To show even more support for small businesses, FirstBank ran giant billboards advertising the services of its small business banking customers — folks like piano teachers and wedding singers. READ MORE

You can dial the phone numbers, but they go to a recording.

Fiserv, one of the world’s biggest information management companies in the financial industry, released the results of a study looking into the financial habits and influences of Gen Y. The survey, conducted in July 2009, involved 3,271 Internet-connected households.

The study’s most surprising finding? That the level of hype regarding the importance of online communities in Gen Y’s financial lives doesn’t match its actual influence.

Personal relationships and relatives dwarf other influences on Gen Y’s financial decisions by a factor of 6 to 1. Gen Y relies on information it finds on bank and credit union websites more than twice as much as they rely on input and information from online communities. Gen Y is only slightly different than Gen X in this regard. Indeed if social media was any less influential, it would be essentially irrelevant.

Among the other findings in the Fiserv study:

• 80% of Gen Y has used online banking within the past month.
• One-third of Gen Y has conducted mobile banking activities in the last month.
• 43% of Gen Y plan to perform mobile banking activities in the next year.
• The most common financial activity Gen Y plans on using their mobile phone for is checking account balances (32%).
• Members of Gen Y conduct a larger number of monthly debit card transactions than average (14.1 vs. 10.6)

It’s interesting to note that in the study, Fiserv defines Gen Y as those ages 21-29, an eight-year segment. Gen X is defined as 30-44, a 14-year span. And Baby Boomers are cover a 19-year period including those ages 45-64.

Social media’s lack of influence isn’t the only surprise finding in the study.

Finding: 48% signed up for a credit card online.

That means 52% didn’t. That means most were either filling out paper applications, visiting a branch or using the phone.

Finding: Gen Y said they do not keep file cabinets full of financial records. Instead, they prefer organizing their finances electronically. They also prefer e-bills and e-statements instead of the traditional paper formats.

This isn’t a big surprise. Researchers tend to chalk this up to Gen Y’s concern for the environment, but isn’t this more the practical consequence of growing up digitally wired than it is about being eco-conscious? Young people are increasingly accustomed to managing their lives with computers — calendars, to do lists, class assignments, reminders, party invites, etc.

Finding: 75% of Gen Y consumers have a savings account, 5% higher than any other generation.

Fiserv suggests this could be tied to Gen Y’s “proclivity for responsible financial management.” Perhaps… But how many Gen Y savings accounts (1) were opened by their parents, (2) are the obligatory “share draft” accounts credit unions require, and/or (3) have less than $25 in them?

Grow4Students.org is a stand-alone banking website from Grow Financial built specifically for Gen-Y college students. The $1.8 billion Florida credit union essentially stripped down their primary website and reskinned it with a lifestyle veneer. The Grow4Students subsite focuses only on the products relevant to a college-age audience, packaged along with a few tips and advice.

The website has a wonderfully detailed interface, drawing heavily on Flash animations (sorry iPad users) to create an immersive, clickable environment with a genuine sense of discovery.

There’s actually a lot going on at this rather simple website. In fact, a young Grow Financial member should be able to find most of the banking tools vital to college students available right from the Grow4Students homepage, including secure access to online accounts.

The website has 18 different primary links:

Open Account (neon “OPEN” sign) – Visitors will be redirected to a PDF membership application that they must either bring to a branch or send in the mail. Sadly there is no online account-opening option.

Contact Info (yellow “don’t forget” PostIt) – Hours and phone numbers only. No email option or contact form. The site’s live online chat feature is another “contact” option missing here.

Branch & ATM Locations (roadmap) – Redirects to the main website’s branch locator.

https://www.growfinancial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=locations.main

Checking & Credit Cards (credit cards on desk) – A window pops up with basic information and facts on Grow Financial’s e-Checking account (paying 1.50% APY) and their Student Visa. Taking the next step redirects to the main website.

Student Loans (mail at far right) – Redirects to Grow Financial’s online Student Lending Center, a fairly robust microsite.

Auto & Renters Insurance (car keys) – Redirects to Quorum Insurance, presumably a CUSO, but there is no explanation about the relationship between Grow Financial and the insurance company. Is Quorum simply a third-party company Grow Financial is happy to recommend? Or is there a vested interest?

Videos (collection of DVDs far left) – Redirects to Grow Financial’s YouTube account with 10 videos mostly about college financing.

Blog (books on left) – The Grow4Students blog has financial tips and perspectives about college planning, college life and post-graduation.

Rewards (gift in the left front) – Three different rewards unique to college students: a $100 graduation bonus, a good grades bonus, and a 1.00% APR reduction on the Student Visa.

Upcoming Events (calendar) – Upcoming seminars, such as “How to Prepare, Pay and Stay in College.”

Contests (trophy) – Nothing happening. All it said was check back later.

Discounts (jar of coins) – Redirects to a site with some online coupons for a mix of companies — OfficeMax, Nutrisystem and Papa Johns.

Music Downloads (iPod) – When you open a Student e-Checking account or Student Visa, you get five free music downloads form Puretracks.

Mobile Banking (Blackberry) – Info about mobile.growfinancial.org.

Financial Calculators (calculator) – Redirects to calculators at the main Grow Financial website.

e-Statements (wad of trash) – Information and instructions about making the switch.

Live Chat (video interface) – Redirects to Grow Financial’s live, interactive chat subdomain. (No, it isn’t video chat, despite the video camera icon you click on to access it.) The service is available Monday through Thursday from 8-5, Friday from 8-6 and Saturday from 9-1.

FAQs (mug with pencils)

The dorm room interface is a fun metaphor, although not entirely practical. A site visitor might enjoy exploring the virtual Grow4Students world on their first visit, but they could get annoyed if they were looking for something quick and specific.

“From a design perspective I think the website looks great but I find it annoying to navigate,” says Ryan Gagné, General Manager of NOW-IC, an interactive communications firm for credit unions. “I don’t like how I have to navigate away from the website for more information, and the brand isn’t carried across.”

“Overall I would prefer a more traditional website that contains all the relvent information rather than always having to click off the site to get more information,” he adds.

Some in the industry have wondered if sites like Grow4Students signal the future of next-generation banking websites — a switch from Web 1.0 information portals to…well, something else. Financial institutions have been scrambling to build this kind of cool, custom, website, but only seem to do so for the Gen-Y segment. Why is that? With a few simple tweaks, there’s no reason websites like Grow4Students wouldn’t work for everyone.

The only thing that’s certain at this point is that online “best practices” are still being defined. In the meantime, banks and credit unions keep experimenting with innovative combinations of microsites, custom accounts, PFM solutions, mobile banking, blogs, forums and social media tools like Twitter and YouTube. The prize for the perfect mix — banking’s current Holy Grail, or so it would seem — is still up for grabs.

OnPoint Community Credit Union, based in Portland, Oregon, is looking to honor the area’s top educators with The OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education (http://www.onpointprize.com).

One Educator of the Year will have their mortgage paid for a full year, plus $5,000 donated to their school for resources and supplies. Three other finalists will each receive $1,500 for themselves and $1,500 for their schools.

The nomination form asks questions about the nominee’s creativity, enthusiasm, teaching methods and overall impact on students. Additionally, the contest calls for at least three letters of recommendation and a portfolio of the teacher’s work and accomplishments in order to complete a nomination.

The nomination period lasts 30 days. Nominations close April 16.

ONPOINT PRIZE WEBSITE

The site invites people to share their thoughts with a built-in comment box at the site’s homepage. There are also links to spread word of the contest through Twitter and Facebook.

A selection committee with chose a pool of semifinalists — called the Circle of Excellence — on May 17. The public can vote for their favorite teacher at the website in the project’s next phase. This Community Choice Winner will also get $1,500, as will their school.

OnPoint’s cash awards and contributions to schools will total nearly $45,000.

The selection committee will be picking the Educator of the Year and three other prize-winning finalists from the Circle of Excellence. An announcement will be made on June 4.

OnPoint, who changed names from Portland Teachers Credit Union in 2006, has the support and cooperation of local school officials. The school district will help facilitate portions of the contest.

OnPoint’s increased involvement in the educational community is sorely needed in Oregon. The state has been deeply impacted by the recession, and programs for kids and education have been affected more than others. Compounding the problem, WaMu’s once active and avid support for educational programs in Oregon vanished when the thrift failed in 2008.

The credit union has also established a media partnership with a local NBC affiliate, KGW Channel 8. Throughout the campaign, KGW-TV will run a series of promos to support the OnPoint Prize contest. The TV station also has an unusual banner ad for the program on its website (take a look).

OnPoint will also post updates of the contest on Facebook and Twitter.

OnPoint’s longstanding agency partner, Weber Marketing Group, developed the concept and website.

OnPoint plans to make the Prize for Excellence an annual event.

OnPoint Community Credit Union was founded by teachers over 78 years ago. The credit union’s unique Homeroom Loan enables teachers to get mortgages with no-down-payments and no mortgage insurance. Today the credit union has over $2.7 billion in assets and more than 200,000 members.