Members Do Not Care About Ownership or the Tax Exemption - Task Force Findings Validate Converting Credit Union Strategies

NEW YORK (7/2/08)--Membership Growth Task Force Chairman Dick Ensweiler presented the group's findings and recommendations to the Credit Union National Association's (CUNA's) Board Tuesday during America's Credit Union Conference & Expo this week in New York.

"Fifteen percent of potential members are actually members of credit unions, and it's not growing," Ensweiler, president of the Texas Credit Union League, said.

Potential members "are getting inconsistent messages about credit unions, and branding isn't the answer because credit unions want to do their own marketing to show they're unique from other credit unions," he said. Marketing messages emphasizing member-owner benefits and tax-exemption are not messages that resonate with potential members. "We need an awareness and image campaign" that should focus on "what people care about—trust, respect, or whatever the right message is today." (CUNA News Now)

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