Indianapolis – November 30, 2012 – Passing the proverbial torch, the 4G working group from Ignite, an Indiana Credit Union League innovation program, has handed over the reigns of its shared branch Facebook page project to shared branching vendor Credit Union Centers (CUC). The Facebook page was developed as part of a yearlong project from the 4G group as part of the Ignite program. The goal of this project is to help boost the visibility and benefits of credit union shared branching – particularly with university-based credit unions. Now that a year has passed, 4G has transitioned management of the page to CUC to maintain and continue promoting shared branching via this 900-million-member social media network.
CUC’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/cusharedbranchingin) is complete with videos of shared branch benefits, client case studies and testimonials, advice articles on how shared branching can enhance member service, client conversation, and, of course, the thousands of branch locations the network covers nationwide.
According to Energy Plus Credit Union Operations Analyst Cari Palmer, a 4G team member who helped create and maintain the original page, the group chose shared branching as its project to help promote this service across a new media channel – along with educating credit union staff and members on how shared branching works.
“Our group felt that shared branching is a great resource to credit unions and their members; however, it’s unique nature makes the program seem too good to be true,” explains Palmer. “The marketing challenge of the program is to inform members about how they can visit any location regardless of the name on the door and use it like their home credit union.”
The 4G group also felt that shared branching is a particularly valuable service to those credit union members who belong to university credit unions or are students living on campus. CUC provides branch locations for members to use on nearly every major college campus in its market. With that in mind, they saw that social media would be an ideal way to reach out to those student members and help them connect with shared branching centers in their areas.
Once the Facebook page was created, a few templates for contests and discussions were also developed. After a year (Ignite projects are capped at one year), it was time for CUC to take over administration and run the page as its own. The page will also allow credit unions that belong to the shared branching network to tag Facebook posts via their own page and thereby create more free marketing tools that CUC can distribute.
“This venture into social media, thanks to the 4G Ignite team, is very exciting for Credit Union Centers,” says Credit Union Centers EVP/CFO Dan Davis. “We realize what a powerful and still growing channel social media is and we intend to take full advantage of it. Again, thank you to the 4G Ignite group for kicking off this project and providing us with a successful transition. We look forward to connecting with many more members via Facebook to promote the numerous advantages that shared branching provides.”
The four participating credit unions within the 4G Ignite group include:
Crane Credit Union ($403 million; 30,156 members; Odon, IN)
Energy Plus Credit Union ($27 million; 4,189 members; Indianapolis, IN)
Finance Center Federal Credit Union ($433 million; 45,951 members; Indianapolis, IN)
Interra Credit Union ($599 million; 49,528 members; Goshen, IN)
About Ignite
Ignite promotes innovation for Indiana's credit unions. Ignite team members consist of volunteers serving two year terms and working in teams to develop new products and services for Indiana credit unions. Ignite is focused on developing innovations that can help credit unions better the financial lives of their members. For more information, visit Indiana Credit Union League’s Ignite page.
About Credit Union Centers
Credit Union Centers (CUC) is a CUSO wholly owned by its member credit unions. CUC provides delivery channel solutions that complement a credit union’s growth, income, and expense strategies. Through a single interface, CUC member credit unions have access to a growing number of delivery channel solutions, including the CO-OP Shared Branching’s network of more than 4,500 credit union shared branch locations nationwide (more than 300 in Indiana/Illinois combined). Working with CO-OP, CUC also offers call center services, mobile banking, and remote deposit capabilities. For more information about CUC, visit www.cucenters.com.