Member Momentum
How a persona-driven content engine doubled application completions.
Client: First Financial Credit Union
Context: Regional CU ($2B assets),
an aging member base, and flat YoY growth
Objective: Ignite new-member growth and lift adoption of high-margin loan products. +10% new-member growth in 12 months.
The Challenge
First Financial’s membership skewed 55+, and younger prospects viewed the CU as “my parents’ bank.” Meanwhile, loan penetration in growth products—auto, personal, and credit-builder loans—lagged peers by >30%. The CU needed a data-backed growth engine to scale without ballooning branch costs.
Strategic Insight
Younger consumers are searching for moments that signal life-stage change—buying a first car, tackling student debt, planning a family. By mapping these pivotal moments to modern personas, we could position First Financial as a life-stage guide, not just a lender.
The Playbook
Refresh Personas
- Conducted 18-member interviews and data clustering of ~82,000 CRM records.
- The three underserved segments surfaced are Starter Strivers (18-24), Family Builders (25-39), and Career Advancers (40-54).
Develop a Life-Stage Content Hub
- Launched Member Momentum Hub—50 articles, 8 calculators, and 6 interactive guides mapped to each persona’s pivotal questions.
- A technical SEO overhaul (schema, Core Web Vitals) propelled 28 target keywords to Google page 1 within 90 days.
Develop Product-Specific Email Journeys
- Triggered behavioral sequences (e.g., abandoned calculator, branch Wi-Fi log-in).
- Dynamic content blocks pulled real-time rates and testimonials; average open rate 46%, loan application 8.3%.
Create an In-Branch Referral Loop
- Tablet kiosks let members share a pre-populated “Your Money, Your Moment” link, rewarded with fee credits.
- Tellers are trained to capture life-stage cues and tag CRM, feeding the email engine.
Overall Results
Member Momentum became the new model for product launches and engagement.
This credit union partnered with our fractional CMO team to address stagnant growth and efficiency challenges. Initially, new member growth was flat at 0.8% year-over-year, with 469 auto loan applications, a Net Promoter Score of 59, 74.62 organic website sessions per 1,000 members, and high acquisition costs of $148 per new member. After implementing our strategic marketing approach, new member growth increased 11% to 1%, auto loan applications surged 34% to over 630, NPS improved 20% to 71, organic traffic grew 22% to 91 sessions per 1,000 members, and acquisition costs dropped 31% to $102 per new member. This transformation demonstrates how data-driven marketing strategies can revitalize financial institutions while improving growth metrics and operational efficiency.
| Metric | Pre-Engagement | Post-Engagement | Uplift |
|---|---|---|---|
| New-Member Growth (YoY) | 0.8% | 1% | 11% |
| Auto-Loan Applications | 469 | 630 | 34% |
| NPS | 59 | 71 | 20% |
| Organic Sessions (per 1,000) | 74 | 91 | 22% |
| Cost-per-Acquired-Member | $148.00 | $102.00 | -31% |