The CU Difference campaign has always sought to raise public awareness of the many advantages of belonging to a credit union, focusing on better rates, lower fees and free ATMs throughout the world. In the 2010 campaign, we're taking this concept one step further by showing current and potential members another key reason why credit unions are different — at a credit union, as an owner, you are in control.

Don't just save your money. Own your money. Join a credit union.

The underlying message is one of personal control, member-focus and value. The campaign makes heavy use of TV, radio and Web to get the message out. This distribution strategy helps us reach more people, particularly the hard-to-reach 18-34-year-olds who are just beginning to establish their financial habits and relationships.

Goals

While a key objective of the CU Difference Campaign is to drive membership growth, improving perception of and knowledge about credit unions (e.g. member owned, financially insured) is just as important. As a result, the campaign appeals to and has relevance for potential and existing members alike. The goals of the campaign are:

• Increase credit union membership growth
• Improve awareness and perception of credit unions among consumers and lawmakers
• Improve awareness of special credit union programs, especially those developed for people of modest means
• Position credit unions as progressive and solid