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Case Study

Common Trust Federal Credit Union

Launching a Local Credit Union Into a Regional Brand

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Overview

Formerly Woburn Municipal Federal Credit Union, the client team was looking for a partner to help manage member marketing and growth. With a recently amended charter and a goal to reach newer communities, Stirling Brandworks initially led the credit union through a name change and go-to-market plan to engage potential members. The first output of the long-standing partnership was a new brand identity, Common Trust Federal Credit Union, and a clear vision to put that brand to work.

Key Services

  • Brand DevelopmentBrand Development
  • Identity + Logo DevelopmentIdentity + Logo Development
  • Website Design + DevWebsite Design + Dev
  • Video ProductionVideo Production
  • Digital MarketingDigital Marketing
  • Analytics + ReportingAnalytics + Reporting

Our Approach

The thoughtful approach to this rebrand began with uncovering what current members loved most about their credit union. Stakeholder interviews paved the way for a new brand strategy and a multi-faceted marketing campaign, including TV ads, geofencing, and behavioral targeting.

Stirling’s efforts resulted in click-through rates five times higher than the national industry standard, driving new customers into the credit union’s offices and leading to a 20% increase in business growth.

20%
Increase in Business
5x
National CTR Average

Creative

A Familiar Brand’s New Identity

Considering the brand’s ambitious growth goals, and target communities, they needed a name that had flexibility. Through a research and discovery phase, Stirling ultimately recommended Common Trust Federal Credit Union as a brand name that would resonate with current and future members. Once internal stakeholders were aligned, a campaign and brand tagline was created: “Familiar Faces, Invested In You.” We introduced the concept with a video campaign unveiling the new brand and addressing member concerns.
branded business cards and letterhead

UX/UI

A New Website For A
New Brand

In conjunction with the brand launch, we developed a user-friendly website to showcase the new brand and provide members with a wide range of secure online services, including loan applications, banking, and bill paying. Content sections were also designed to support video, animation, and blogging to deliver a polished audience experience.
a screenshot of a video ad

Marketing

Getting To Market And Proving Value

Using a mobile advertising tactic called “geofencing,” we served targeted ads to prospective members visiting nearby banks. The goal was to position Common Trust Federal Credit Union as a better alternative to the customer’s current financial institution. The ad messaging leveraged special rate promotions and drove users to conversion-optimized landing pages.

As a result, over forty people visited the branch after being exposed to an ad at another bank within a 3-month period.

Following the success, Stirling launched behavioral targeting within the existing membership base to provide financial-related content with enticing promotions to cross-sell services.

Creative

Spreading The Word To The Right Audience

To reach an expanded audience, we produced a cross-channel launch campaign anchored by four regionally-targeted television commercials. Each TV spot highlighted stories of Common Trust employees helping members to achieve their life goals, promoting what the credit union can make possible.

The ad campaign aired across over twenty-five networks, including CNN, Food Network, Fox News, E, and ESPN.

Marketing

Becoming A Trusted Resource For Members.

Across all channels, we established an ongoing communications strategy to make engaging members as seamless as possible.

We positioned the Common Trust brand on social media as a trustworthy resource for increasing financial literacy, paired with timely communication about promotions, updates, cancellations, and events.

Paired with email marketing, members received consistent messaging - everywhere.

Clients Review

"Our business increased 20% since we started working with Stirling Brandworks."
— Jim McCorkle, President and CEO, Common Trust Federal Credit Union

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