Unbank?

Thanks to everyone for their support and votes throughout the first stage of the competition! I’m excited to represent the Northeast in the Next Top Credit Union Exec challenge and look forward to the next several months of further work and communication on my project.

The only part I’m not looking forward to is how much I’ll be shown what I know is already the challenge – people in a younger demographic really don’t know what a credit union is and more so, that they really don’t have a lot of intentions to find out.

Throughout my blog and video posts I’ll take a look at this elusive “younger market” (for me and my credit union that pretty much encompasses anyone under the age of 35, but the definition is less important than the general concept.) I’ll get out and talk to this group and without any prompting, get their initial and honest reactions about credit unions, what they are, what they stand for and what potential they represent. My best guess is that most, if not all, of them won’t have a clue. And potentially more importantly, won’t know why they should care.

The project I described in my initial NTCUE entry is really focused on the day-to-day efforts of my job in 2010 (and really beyond that.) It’s not something I created for this program, it’s the actual challenge and project I’ve been given for the year. I’m encouraging people to “Unbank with Connex.” Much of that is focused on a way to inform these “younger people” about credit unions.

So throughout the process I’ll check in with blog posts and videos on:

• What does this group already think or know about credit unions? (trust me, they’ll be entertaining)
• Why is it important that the industry change the way they think?
• What am I doing about it specifically in my project?
• And what elements do I think others can take from that to benefit the industry?

I’ve got some ideas for great prompting questions I want to ask this group. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to ask in my travels!

Amy
Regional Finalist – Northeast