Challenge
Pulse Marketing Agency has been Bangor Federal Credit Union’s agency of record since 2014. Bangor Federal Credit Union (BFCU) was established in 1956 and currently services Penobscot, Waldo and Hancock counties. The marketing challenge was to increase membership and member engagement with multiple products, generate more loans, and increase brand awareness of Bangor Federal Credit Union as a local lender focusing on the financial growth of the communities it serves.
Approach
Our first step was to upgrade the content and design elements of all marketing materials. We did this by following brand guidelines that best communicated the professionalism and competency of BFCU as compared to other local financial institutions. We took over the client’s social media profiles on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, which we manage daily and post to twice per day, seven days per week. Since we began managing these social media pages, we have built a robust followership and keep engagement up with valuable information about financial fitness, promotions, and fun monthly giveaways.
Execution
Pulse has conducted a series of six focus groups aimed at understanding what people from different age groups would like to get from their relationship with their financial institution. The research was conducted over a period of three months and we were able to learn invaluable information about online banking preferences, how people in different age groups consume media, what is important to them in their relationship with their financial institution, and what it would take for them to move their accounts to a different financial institution. The information gathered has helped us better strategize our campaigns, and make changes on the website and on other services based on the feedback. 
Campaigns
Since 2014, Pulse Marketing Agency has developed an average of 10-12 campaigns per year. Each campaign has a specific goal and is focused on a specific product, promotion, or event. Multiple campaigns can run at the same time and target different audiences. For most campaigns we develop a set of marketing collateral materials, including a statement insert, a landing page for the promotion, cover banners for social media pages, slides for TV monitors located in the lobbies of branches, outdoor signage, looping slides for outdoor TV monitors, and Facebook, Instagram, and Google AdWords advertisements. During the past three years we have produced two video ads and two video tutorials for BFCU, along with radio advertisements. 
Events
In 2016 BFCU celebrated its 60th anniversary and the opening of a new branch in Bangor. We coordinated five weekly events aimed at engaging current members and attracting the community to visit the new branch and hopefully become new members of BFCU. To further assist Bangor Federal Credit Union with its marketing efforts, Pulse Marketing Agency offers BFCU with monthly reports detailing the results of their campaigns. At the end of each year, The Agency produces a strategy for the following year, including monthly activities, budget and goals. By the end of the month of January, Pulse provides BFCU with a comprehensive year-end report, which is also used to guide future campaigns.
Results
Since 2014, Bangor Federal Credit Union has experienced healthy growth in the areas where our marketing efforts were focused. Our close monitoring of our marketing efforts through monthly reports have helped us focus on profitable products and services, while increasing brand awareness through various community efforts, which have helped us engage with younger populations and attract new millennial members.
