You may not have heard of the American Consumer Council -- you have now. Or may have already. These folks have nearly 150,000 members nationwide and are a direct conduit to credit unions, fueling the industry with potential members. It is one of the largest consumer organizations in the nation.

So we invited the ACC's (not Atlantic Coast Conference) President/CEO Tom Hinton on the show to discover more about this organization, which happens to be in San Diego. So naturally, I ventured down the freeway to ACC's HQ and interviewed Tom on how this organization benefits consumers and some of its current issues -- one of those dealing with the NCUA on associational SEG issues.

We get to the bottom of this issue and more with Tom. So take a few minutes and enjoy our chat with Tom and see how this group can help grow your credit union.

Visit:
americanconsumercouncil.org

I am attending the highly entertaining and insightful CU Water Cooler Symposium in Austin, TX, this week and just happened to run into Mr. James Marshall of The Cooperative Trust. So I thought I would grab the organization's leader to hear the recent news regarding CUNA becoming a backer of The Cooperative Trust to ensure Crashers can continue making a huge impact on credit unions nationwide. Why? With the average credit union member's age hovering at 47, this industry has to get younger -- now.

CUNA's backing raises the organization's credibility and ability to fulfill its mission of making this industry younger for longevity. So I hope you enjoy our impromptu chat with Mr. Marshall and see how you can step up to help this group exceed their goals -- which is ultimately beneficial for our industry.

Visit:
trust.coop

You may remember last winter when we spoke with American Community Project's Dan Emery just as he and Myles Chung started on their cross-country venture to bring our domestic hunger awareness top of mind in the United States. Yes, in our country (the land of "plenty"), there are people going hungry. That's not good.

So Dan and Myles decided to spread the word across the country, starting out in Maine earlier this year and traveling to all 48 states in 48 weeks. Oh, and they are trekking nationwide on scooters. Yes, scooters -- that go no faster than 30 mph. Despite the speed issues, the "scooter dudes," as they have been nicknamed on various stops, have managed to stay on course with their mission -- which is credit union backed. Well done, CUs!

We caught up with Dan in the state of Washington and discussed his latest adventures, as he and Myles prepare their return trip to Maine. He is also very thankful for all the credit unions that have stepped up to support this cause. And, if your credit union still wants to participate, you can. Just go to their Facebook page or website, listed below, and donate.

And, once again, many thanks to CU Grow's James Robert Lay for bringing Dan's trek to our attention.

Visit:
acproject.org
facebook.com/AmericanCommunityProject
YouTube: American Community Project Exploring Hunger

Short on time? Watch the trailer below.

From Bootstrap of the Year to Marketer of the Year to Brand of the Year (and plenty more!), the 2014 CUES Golden Mirror Awards certainly does not disappoint this year. To get an inside look at this year's banner crop of GMAs, we invited CUES' John Pembroke on the show and discussed many of the winners -- along with why they won and results garnered from these top marketing efforts. We also talked about trends John noticed in this year's award submissions as well as what credit unions can learn, implement, and emulate from all the winners.

And I must say, each year the industry marketing campaigns keep getting better and better. It's no wonder the credit union message is permeating throughout the nation at a rapid clip these days. So enjoy this interview and keep up the good work CUs. Great examples, all of them are.

Visit:
2014 CUES GMA Winners

Short on time? Watch the trailer below...

Video marketing today is growing in importance -- like grabbing a grande latte at Starbucks to kickstart your morning. Pretty important. With the increasing ease of current video production tools (you can shoot, edit, and post from your mobile) and their decreasing costs, it appears video is becoming a primary part of one's marketing quiver.

To support this claim and provide more details and helpful advice, we invited Digital Brew's Michael Cardwell on the show. Michael has been shooting and producing videos for corporations for years -- credit unions included. So he knows this market well, along with its messaging and its all-important target: the ever-evolving membership demographic.

In our chat, Michael also provides some successful video examples for credit unions to emulate when venturing down this visual medium. He also lists a number of proven online video rules to live by to produce effective productions, so viewers will remain engaged and act on the messaging.

A highly informative and entertaining talk with Mr. Cardwell on this growing trend of which all credit union marketers should take note. Enjoy! And let us know what your credit union is doing on the video production front. We would be glad to share what works and what doesn't work.

Visit:
digitalbrew.com
Space Coast Credit Union novella

Short on time? Watch the trailer below...