Earlier this week, Xtend, Inc., a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, successfully launched its new CU*OverDrive marketing service by rolling out the first of twelve monthly campaigns for its credit union clients. The first campaign to be launched is a New Member Switch Kit/Refer-a-Friend offering that was designed in collaboration with fellow CUSO CU*Answers. Eleven credit unions participated in the product launch, which included over 70,000 statement inserts, home banking messages, marketing collaterals, cross-sale scripts, and the opportunity for follow-up outbound calls through the CUSO’s Xtension Call Center.
Xtend Communications Manager Julie Gessner is excited about the launch. Gessner says, “CU*OverDrive has been something that has been in our thought processes for several years, but over the past several months it really began to take shape. We had four different business units of two CUSOs working together to prepare for the launch. It seems like everyone is talking about collaboration these days, but this launch really demonstrated how CUSOs working together can make a difference. It feels good to get this first one under our belt. We have eleven more to go in 2010, and we plan to offer an even wider menu of campaigns in 2011.”
The credit unions participating in CU*OverDrive receive a full year of marketing campaign coordination and execution. In addition to the New Member Switch Kit/Refer-a-Friend offering, the service includes targeted lending campaigns (home equity, auto refinance, skip-a-pay, contingent liability), delivery channel campaigns (Email, Bill Pay, and e-statement contests), and other member outreach campaigns (member survey, shared branching, credit unions vs. banks).