Community Financial Credit Union

A much loved credit union with 13 locations across Michigan, Community Financial has proudly served its members for over 65 years. Finding themselves poised to enter a new phase of rapid growth, the credit union was in need of communications that would capture the attention of consumers in a highly noisy market while also positioning the organization as a better choice for financial services. The brand therefore sought out and engaged Prager Creative as Agency-of-Record, looking to the agency to help establish a solid foundation for ongoing success and lead the way through this new period of growth.

Recognizing Community Financial’s competition existed beyond credit unions and included national banks as well as fintech alternatives, our key objective was to elevate their communications to the same level as their much bigger counterparts. And while the brand had done an excellent job emphasizing their community commitment, they lacked messaging that clearly demonstrated the financial advantages that they offered. Underpinning this was a common credit union issue: not many people understand what a credit union is, let alone the benefits they provide. This was amplified by brand’s naming convention, where they had come to be known as amongst the community as simply “Community Financial”.

After extensive analysis and through a highly collaborative process, Prager Creative worked with the Community Financial team to establish a new brand platform to be rolled out over an initial 12-month period. By first identifying their key strengths and opportunities for positioning — as well as defining the appropriate tone of voice — we crafted the “Banking That’s” platform. This approach not only allowed the brand to leverage the exceptional equity they had already built, it also enabled incredible flexibility in rolling out campaigns with a strong core message. Most importantly, however, the platform gave consumers a clear and compelling understanding of what the brand represents today, and firmly established the organization as a major player in the leagues of big financial institutions.