Fourth Quarter 2008

iBelong to build on success with safety and soundness

As credit unions are keenly aware, the economy and financial landscape have been constantly changing. In light of the anxiety shown by consumers, one exciting update to be undertaken by the iBelong Campaign is the addition of an advertising component that will strictly address the safety and soundness of Illinois credit unions.

During its November board meeting, the Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) Board of Directors approved a $320,000 contribution for the 2009 iBelong Campaign, and with this generous support, the campaign will now be able to fully fund this new component in the early days and weeks of the new year.

This campaign will be a great complement, and addition to, continuation of the positive image and awareness advertising that will be used by iBelong once again in 2009.

New radio spots for the safety and soundness campaign have already been developed. You can check these out on iBelong’s Web page on ICUL’s Web site. Related TV spots are also currently under development.

In addition, to help ensure statewide coverage, iBelong will be implementing a focused Search Engine Marketing program that will guarantee 1,800 click thrus to the iBelong Illinois web site over a three month period. Specifics of this plan include:

Search Engine Marketing – through all major search engines, people all over the entire state of Illinois will be reached; we are guaranteed 1,800 click throughs to the campaign Web site.
Behavioral-Targeted Advertising – banner ads will reach people all over the state of Illinois who have shown interest in credit cards and mortgages/loans over the past 8 weeks. We reach these people specifically, because the ads are shown based on the IP address. We are guaranteed a combined total of nearly 500,000 impressions.
Geo-Targeted Advertising – banner and cube ads will appear for visitors from major markets for a combined total of over 1.5 million impressions. Total impressions per market range from about 100,000 to 800,000.
Our value-add online advertising will generate a total of 300,000 free impressions. All results will be tracked and tracking will be further enhanced with the use of Google Analytics.

In 2008, as a result of more than $845,000 in support from ICUL and Illinois credit unions, the campaign reached a total media value of $1.2 million – 40 percent in added value! Other highlights of the 2008 campaign include:

Outdoor – 103 billboards on roadways in 19 counties and 12 major markets in Illinois; average over-ride 2- 4 weeks; some are still posted;
Print – 2,220 newspaper ads proposed in 270 newspapers reaching 3 million readers each run; 2,260 actual;
Radio – 4,400 ads proposed on 90 stations statewide; 5,251 actual; some are still running;
Cable TV – 5,500 proposed spots on six popular cable networks throughout the state; 6,460 actual;
Campaign Web Site – credit union web sites received 2,200 click throughs via the campaign’s Zip Search feature;
3,300 searches with http://www.findacreditunion.com (available via the campaign Web site);
Statewide membership increase – 31,662 (NCUA 5300 Report data Q4 2007 - Q3 2008);
PR Activity – As part of the campaign, Shred Month was held in June 2008 to help extend the life of the iBelong campaign and add credibility to the message sent through the advertising. Due to the popularity of this project, this event was held again in October (specifically targeting International Credit Union Week): 69 Shred Day events were held by 74 CUs representing 21 of ICUL's 26 chapters and received extensive PR coverage!

While the campaign is off to a running start in 2009, continued voluntary support is critical to make the second flight happen. The opportunity has never been greater to increase awareness of credit unions and promote our movement as a stable place in which consumers can save and borrow their hard earned money.

Full support of and participation in this initiative by credit unions will help ensure positive growth in credit union membership in our state for future generations. Your participation in this program allows for maximum coverage and exposure for the campaign. With full participation from Illinois credit unions, we anticipate that our positive message about credit unions will reach our target market in every corner of the state so that nearly 70 percent of the population of Illinois – peak borrowers (females, ages 25 - 44) – will hear our message four or more times by the end of the campaign.

Extra Bonus for Participating Credit Unions –With your participation at the minimum suggested pledge amount for your credit union’s asset size, you’ll receive the following:

Listing on the iBelong website (www.iBelong.org) –which will assist consumers in finding your credit union via an extensive search engine maintained by the ICUL.
Discounted media buys –access to discounted media rates as negotiated by our media buying firm, HGadgroup; and
Supplemental campaign materials –Connect your credit union’s brand to the iBelong awareness campaign with advertising materials to complement your own marketing plan.

If the campaign meets its fundraising goal of $620,000, we will be able to secure 91 billboards, over 4,300 radio ads and 5,300 cable TV spots. This coverage will be available throughout the entire State of Illinois. For your reference, all credit unions were mailed a letter and invoice as part of the annual dues mailing that included many of these details, as well as a request for support in 2009.

“But we will be able to accomplish these results again in 2009 only with full support from our credit unions,” said Carl Sorgatz, committee chairman and ICUL League Director. “Again, if you have not already, please plan to support the 2009 iBelong Campaign and watch for more details in the coming weeks. We look forward to your participation!”