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 staff and faculty’s financial needs at the University of South Florida. In 2008, the executive board approached HCP Associates for a corporate snapshot. They needed a strategy for increasing credit union membership and enhancing awareness among prospective members.

Solution:

Before developing a long-term strategy, HCP Associates 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 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 Associates developed a strategy that would place the credit union in front of its prospects. The first stage involved the credit union in activities on campus and the surrounding area 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 Associates also negotiated a sponsorship between the credit union and USF Athletics, including 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 Associates  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 Associates 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 Associates also helped the credit union expand its footprint on campus through additional ATM locations and 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 Associates 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 Associates developed a fan page for the credit union, and then it allowed students, alumni, faculty, staff, and other university employees 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 Associates engaged the community to get involved, passing out flyers, cards, t-shirts, Facebook requests, etc.

FCCMA Reconmmendation