USF Federal Credit Union

USF Federal Credit Union

Client: USF Federal Credit Union
Industry: Banking/Brokerage/Insurance

Challenge:

USF Federal Credit Union (USFFCU) was chartered in 1959 to serve the financial needs of the staff and faculty at the University of South Florida. In 2008, the executive board approached HCP for a corporate snapshot. They needed a strategy for increasing credit union membership and enhancing awareness among prospective members.

Solution:

Prior to developing a long-term strategy, HCP conducted comprehensive interviews with board members, students, alumni, university staff, and credit union staff, to determine what the current perceptions were of the credit union. Feedback revealed that there was a disconnect between the credit union and the university; many students, alumni, faculty and university staff that were prospective members did not know about the credit union or understand the value of a credit union membership.

Following these preliminary interviews, HCP developed a strategy that would place the credit union “in front” of its prospects. The first stage of this was to involve the credit union in campus and surrounding area activities that the prospective members actively participated in. The credit union became involved with orientation week, Taste Of, the Bull Market, and various Campus Activities Board events. HCP also negotiated a sponsorship between the credit union and USF Athletics that included pre and in-game exposure, ticket giveaways, ticket advertising, and more, for home games at Raymond James Stadium.

To reiterate that the credit union could be a part of college life and beyond, HCP redesigned the credit union’s website and collateral, to feature images of prospects taking part in various daily activities both on and off-campus. HCP negotiated a rotary billboard program to utilize the same imagery. This program gave the credit union exposure that expanded beyond a static billboard agreement, and at a lesser cost.

HCP also helped the credit union to expand its footprint on-campus through additional ATM locations and by building affiliations with the growing USF Health program. This program houses faculty and staff with a low turnover rate, and students that are destined for a long-term relationship with their college and community.

Most recently, to build a stronger sense of engagement between the credit union and its prospects, HCP launched a social media strategy that integrated Facebook, YouTube and press releases, to raise awareness among affiliated business members, university employees, staff, administration and students.  This strategy was the “Are You the Best Bull?” social media campaign.

The campaign objective was to raise awareness of USFFCU.  HCP developed a fan page for the credit union, and then gave students, alumni, faculty, staff and other university employees the opportunity to create and upload a 60 second video to USFFCU’s fan page, that described how they saved money through the passing bear market and into the current “bull market”.  Utilizing gorilla and social media marketing, HCP engaged the community to get involved, passing out flyers, cards, t-shirts, Facebook requests, etc.