What’s the difference between Betty White and your brand?

No matter the conference, there’s at least one speaker emphasizing the need to “reach out to the younger generations.” And no matter the speaker, you find yourself nodding in agreement. But how do you do it?

Just ask Betty White. With a career that now spans seven decades, how could she be as popular now with eighteen year olds as she is with eighty year olds? Don’t you wish you could accomplish the same for your brand? You can. Just follow in the steps of Betty White.

1. Recognize your roots: Betty White had her first heyday in the 70’s as the star of the Mary Tyler Moore show and in the 80’s in The Golden Girls. White won a special place in the hearts of many Boomers and Gen X’ers in those roles. It’s very comparable to the heyday of your credit union. When many credit unions started in the 70’s and 80’s, those longtime members still remember how you helped them and made a difference in your life to this day. Those stories shouldn’t be forgotten, tucked away in a box until your next big anniversary.
2. Make a comeback: Ask any millennial today if they know that the Mary Tyler Moore show is and you’ll probably get a blank stare and a shrug. So how do THEY know who Betty White is? And what makes them lover her so much today? White made a comeback. She didn’t play to the audience who already knows and loves her. White made her comeback when she starred as a foul-mouthed football player in a Snickers commercial aired during the 2010 SuperBowl. That appearance exposed White to a brand new generation in a role that played to their preferences and spoke their language. Too often credit unions, and many other longtime brands depend on their heritage and “walking up hill both ways barefoot in the snow” stories that the younger generation just doesn’t understand. In comparison, instead of being the Betty White of banking, we end up being more of a Judy Garland who wandered into a self-inflicted life of exile from popularity. What’s the key to your comeback story at your credit union or business? How can you introduce yourself to a whole new generation on their terms, in language they understand, in a medium they pay attention to, listen to, or watch?