This year the MAC Conference (Marketing Association of Credit Unions) was held in beautiful San Diego. MAC never disappoints and this proved to be a great time networking with credit unions and vendors. Next year the conference will be in NOLA and we can’t wait to see what will happen there!

It was energizing to see marketers sharing ideas, vendors who were engaged and excited to learn, informative classes and speakers that left you inspired and wanting more. Here are my key takeaways from the week.

This year MAC opened the conference with a fun event at a Padres game. My coast-to-coast flight kept me away, but I heard it was a fun, albeit, chilly evening. Credit Unions and vendors alike had the opportunity to see each other in a relaxed environment and enjoy America’s favorite past time together.  

The next morning we gathered for breakfast and heard keynote Ron Tite talk about our stories and how powerful they are. He was so fun, exciting and totally on point. He touched the crowd with what we are watching on Netflix all the way to a Kleenex ad thanking a NICU nurse for their Tiny Miracles campaign. The entire room was in tears and definitely proved the point that we all have powerful stories, and stories have such an effect on brand and decisions. His talk was one that I will be referencing back to for quite a while.

Informative sessions were held throughout by vendors and credit unions to further educate everyone on data, analytics and member experience. They were all fun, engaging and thought provoking. The resounding message? The customer journey is the most important aspect of your marketing and having the data to collect customer insights is vital to online success.

The next morning we heard from keynote Sunny Lenarduzzi, the social media expert who spoke on the importance of YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. In an effort to reach all of her clients, she recorded a how-to video about Facebook and became an overnight YouTube hit! Sunny gave us insight about connecting with customers through social media. Sunny says it is all about the customer experience and the more they get to know you on a personal level, the better it is for your brand.

Several credit unions showcased their marketing campaigns and told us how they came up with their ideas, and how successful they were. CommonWealth Credit Union kicked it off and showed us how they received a 27% increase in checking accounts with their #relationshipgoals campaign. A definite win for them all around! Listerhill gave a dynamic presentation on their dealer campaign. They partnered with dealers in the area who brought cars straight to their parking lot! Members came directly to the branch, found the car of their dreams, got a great rate and loan approval. In the parking lot!

We look forward to continuing our involvement with MAC and are committed to making a difference in the credit union movement.  

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