What’s trust got to do with it? Who needs trust when trust can be broken? (Shout out to Tina Turner!)
The credit union movement talks a lot about trust, and for good reason. For decades, it has been one of our greatest differentiators. Credit unions have traditionally earned that confidence by building relationships, showing up in our communities and putting members first.
But lately, I’ve been thinking about how much the landscape of trust has changed.
Think about your own habits. How often do you Google something versus just asking another human? How often do you ask ChatGPT a question? Or, how about this one: How often are you just scrolling and suddenly stop because someone explained something in a way that felt simple, relatable or useful?
Relying on technology this way is not just for the young. We are all doing it. My parents ask Alexa several questions a day to the point that she must be exhausted. Melding trust into the digital space brings important implications for our movement and how we position ourselves for the next generation of members.
Increasingly, humans are relying on information shaped by creators, influencers, peer recommendations and the content people interact with every day. In fact, according to research the Michigan Credit Union League (MCUL) conducted in 2025, 76% of Gen Z now uses social media for financial advice. In many ways, trust has become about being discoverable. And it’s often about showing up in the moments where people may not even realize they’re looking for answers. Translation: we have to show up in peoples' phones.
A big part of the reason credit unions have traditionally won the trust battle is because credit unions already have many of the qualities younger consumers say they are looking for in a financial partner: authenticity, community, purpose, human connection. Those are not things our movement has to manufacture. We are solid here.
However, we’re currently competing with fintech apps, digital-first experiences and an endless stream of content that shows up in consumers’ lives every single day. In order to win in this environment, we need to make sure we’re visible and present in places where key financial moments are taking place.
Becoming more discoverable
Across Michigan, we are seeing credit unions start to adapt to this shift by experimenting more with short-form video, leaning into storytelling and member experiences, and finding ways to make financial education feel more conversational and less institutional.
Christian Financial Credit Union told me that they recently began testing creator partnerships for the first time, working with a couple Michigan-based social media creators to produce short-form content. The campaigns generated nearly 20,000 combined views across platforms and also created measurable awareness results, including new members who specifically cited social media—and in at least one case, the creator’s videos directly—as part of their decision to join the credit union.
“As credit unions, we can offer a lot of value to younger Michiganders, but they don’t know about us,” said Rebekah Monroe, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Christian Financial Credit Union. “The trust isn’t something we as a brand have with them yet, so partnering with an influencer can speak to them in an authentic way that can get us exposure where we wouldn’t have received it otherwise.”
Next, the credit union plans to work with “mom influencers” to help build awareness around a new online youth account opening experience designed to allow parents to open accounts for their children digitally.
This work isn’t really about chasing trends or trying to produce one viral video after another. It’s about recognizing how people discover information today and understanding that awareness and trust-building increasingly happen long before a member is ready to open an account.
Or, as Rebekah put it, “Doing nothing is not an option if we want to survive to see future generations of credit union members.”
Financial Plus Credit Union also began exploring influencer content this past winter. The credit union partnered with a local creator who had already built a substantial audience across Instagram and TikTok, including strong visibility within the communities FPCU serves throughout Michigan.
According to the Public Relations & Social Content Creator at Financial Plus Credit Union, Madeline Mason, the local connection mattered just as much as the audience size.
“Because of the influencer’s scale, many people in our surrounding area saw the content and came into our branches talking about how cool it was that we worked with a ‘local celebrity,’” Madeline told me. “That kind of reach and visibility can’t be understated, especially when trying to connect with younger audiences.”
She also emphasized something I think many credit unions are beginning to realize: “On social media, if an influencer people trust also trusts you, and is vocal about it, that’s priceless.”
At MCUL, we’ve been evolving our own approach through our consumer awareness campaign, Try a Credit Union. After years of a more traditional awareness effort, with high-production commercials and digital ads with actors, we’ve shifted this year toward creator-led storytelling and community-centered content.
A big part of that shift has been getting out into communities across Michigan and creating content around real moments and real people. Instead of scripted messaging, we’ve been focusing more on authentic conversations—asking people about their experiences with credit unions, what they value most or even just capturing fun, unscripted reactions in the moment.
Some of the strongest engagement we’ve seen so far came during Detroit Tigers Opening Day. Rather than producing an expensive commercial, we created lighthearted street-style content centered around credit unions by talking directly with fans, asking simple and entertaining questions and letting real personalities drive the conversation. What resonated most wasn’t polished perfection, but just people being their relatable selves.
One of the more interesting findings we saw in our research was that 57% of consumers are adding financial relationships instead of replacing them entirely. That alone creates opportunity for credit unions. We don’t have to become someone’s only financial institution overnight. We can become part of their financial ecosystem by showing up consistently and meaningfully in these moments that matter.
An approach for everyone
The good news is, since consumers aren’t looking for high production value, this work doesn’t require massive budgets or a complete marketing overhaul. It also means this approach is accessible for credit unions and leagues of every size. This is something you can begin doing right now. It does not have to be intimidating or expensive. In fact, this is one of the more attainable marketing strategies available to you right now.
The process can start simply by identifying local content creators, spending time understanding the type of content they produce and reaching out to start a conversation. Many creators are already talking about topics like budgeting, home ownership, small businesses or everyday financial stress in ways that naturally align with our movement.
Madeline from Financial Plus reminded me that this isn’t just about choosing the person with the largest following. It’s about finding creators whose audience, voice and content genuinely align with your brand and community. The more authentic the connection feels—both for the audience and the creator—the more natural and effective the partnership becomes.
Consumers can tell when something feels forced. The goal is not to turn creators into polished advertisements for credit unions. It’s to work with trusted voices who can help introduce our movement in ways that are genuine and relatable.
Credit unions don’t need to change who we are. We just need to continue adapting how and where we show up. We need to continue to tell our story to the next generation. We cannot rest on the trust we have built but need to double down on talking about it and embrace new ways of doing so.
Thanks for reading.
