Young & Free - Are you the voice of Alberta's under 25 crowd?
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About Young & Free Alberta and Media Centre

The Young & Free Initiative is a platform designed to help define freedom for Northern Albertan youth and provides fun and educational resources to help and challenge young people to move towards that freedom. Young & Free comes to life in an online environment where meaning happens amongst thought-provoking, relevant and empowering dialogue.

The Purpose

  • Give Northern Alberta's under 25 crowd a voice and place of their own.
  • Empower members of this group to define and find freedom.
  • Provide free and relevant advice.
  • Find a spokesperson from within this group who will listen and be an ear to what’s going on about topics that are important to youth.
  • Help Common Wealth Credit Union learn from the under 25 crowd to help the credit union design better products and services that this group needs.
  • Raise Common Wealth Credit Union's profile to get on young people’s consideration list for possible financial institutions.

General Information

If you are looking for more information about the Young & Free Program, please contact:

Tim McAlpine
President & Chief Strategist
Currency Marketing
604-792-4053 ext. 62
» E-mail Tim at tmcalpine@currencymarketing.ca
» www.currencymarketing.ca

 

If you have a Young & Free Alberta media question, please contact:

Rebecca Eras
Account Executive
Brookline Public Relations
403-538-5641 ext. 108
» E-mail Rebecca at reras@brooklinepr.com

Support materials for editorial use

  • PDF | DOC | Young & Free Backgrounder
  • PDF | DOC | Young & Free Fact Sheet  
  • PDF | DOC | Young & Free FAQS  
  • PDF | DOC | Jeff Mulligan Bio  
  • PDF | DOC | Eric Dillon Bio  
  • PDF | DOC | Ken Sutherland Bio
  


HEAD OFFICE
Atrium Centre 
5012 - 49 Street
Lloydminster, Alberta
780-875-4434
» Google Map

TOLL-FREE CALL CENTRE
1-877-606-6333

E-MAIL
service@commonwealthcu.net

WEBSITE
www.commonwealthcu.net

Jeff Mulligan
President & CEO
Common Wealth Credit Union

Want to send Jeff an e-mail? Go for it. We'll make sure he gets it. » E-mail

  • PDF | DOC | 07/10/2008 | CWCU Wins Prestigious Awards for Young & Free Initiative
  • PDF | DOC | 12/10/2007 | CWCU Selects Young & Free Spokesperson 
  • PDF | DOC | 11/21/2007 | CWCU Picks Top 3 Candidates for Young & Free Spokesperson 
  • PDF | DOC | 10/23/2007 | CWCU Extends Deadline for Young & Free Search 
  • PDF | DOC | 10/03/2007 | CWCU Launches Young & Free Search  

 

08/15/2008 | VRL Knowledge Bank | Web 2.0 in Financial Services

By Ray Cain

Common Wealth Credit Union launched its Young & Free Alberta campaign in late 2007, with the goal of extending its reach among the youth demographic. While the campaign is based around a free account for 17-25 year olds, it has been designed to have a much broader appeal. The idea was to put the brand first and the product second. Tim McAlpine of Currency Marketing, who designed the campaign, says that he looked at what young people are currently connecting with and aimed to find a link back to banking.

Inspired by the popularity of reality TV talent shows such as Canadian Idol and American Idol, the initial phase of the campaign was a video contest in which candidates vied to become Common Wealth's spokesperson for young people. The spokesperson would be Common Wealth’s "eyes and ears on the ground" and help the credit union create relevant products and services for the youth market. Applicants’ video submissions were posted on YouTube, and three finalists were selected by the credit union. The winner would be chosen by popular vote, submitted via the Young & Free website. The finalists launched multimedia campaigns to attract votes which included the use of podcasts, blogs, Facebook groups for their supporters, and mainstream media coverage. The winner of the contest, with 49% of the vote, was 19-year old Larissa Walkiw, from St.Albert.

The Young & Free site features daily blog posts from Larissa on all sorts of topics, video and photo collections on YouTube and Flickr, and a user-generated calendar of what’s happening in Alberta. The "Free Stuff" section has a list of free (or almost free) things available to youth in Alberta including specials, coupons, and two-for-one deals. Free advice is provided in the "Makes Cents" section, a collection of links and resources to help users make sense of their financial lives. Another section introduces the Young & Free account.

Common Wealth's approach is to let the Young & Free spokesperson and other Young & free members drive the site’s content and the direction of the campaign. "The approach fits the culture," says Kim Crockett, Common Wealth's Product Development Manager. "So often we are accustomed to working out a gameplan. But in this case we have turned so much of the creativity and value over to the end user – the Young & Free member – to what do they want and need. They will drive a lot of this. We will adapt and adjust. I wouldn't want to say that its scary, but it is uncharted territory."

To allow Young & Free to take on a life of its own, and minimize the potential risks that this level of openness implies, Common Wealth has made Young & Free somewhat separate from its regular activities. Crockett explains that the way that the young community wants to take the campaign may not be suitable for the broader credit union and its other member segments such as small business members or seniors. A degree of separation allows the campaign to fully serve the specific community it is intended for while protecting the credit union from concerns over how this might impact on its overall service proposition and brand.

After just the first 2 months of the campaign there were close to 1,000 new Young & Free accounts and transition of existing customer accounts. Crockett says that on other measures, results may not be visible for a couple of years. One very important measure for example is how well the credit union retains these new members and continues to serve them as they move through the customer lifecycle.

» Visit VRL Knowledge Bank website

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08/15/2008 | CU Newswire | Young & Free Goes Texan

By Donna-Lane Nelson

Lake Jackson TX: The Common Wealth Young & Free program is going to Texas. The Texas Dow Employees CU (TDECU) with over 125,000 members, launched what they described as the much sought-after Young & Free program, a financial management package designed to engage 19 to 25-year-olds. Tim McAlpine of Currency Marketing, who worked with Common Wealth CEO Jeff Mulligan on the program, made this comment on the cross border transition. "From a Canadian credit union perspective, I think an interesting story is how we have formed a very unique and innovative partnership with our founding partner, Common Wealth Credit Union, to roll this out beyond their credit union. It takes a very progressive and cooperative organization to realize that something that they have been instrumental in creating and that has been so successful and won so many awards can have a life beyond their own organization. Most organizations are programmed to hold on to their innovations with an iron fist. In this case though, Jeff Mulligan and CWCU have demonstrated the true essence of cooperative movement." TDECU has an exclusive for the state of Texas.

» CU Newswire website

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08/13/2008 | Grande Prarie Daily Herald Tribune | Older teens need financial education

College can thrust students into new world

By Darrell Winwood

Larissa Walkiw is like most 19-year-old girls. She likes pop art, hates litter, says Muppets creator Jim Henson is her hero and likes to spend time with her friends. Until recently, Walkiw also knew very little about how to manage her money and was too nervous to even ask about it.

"I'm not ashamed to say I was taught very little. I think there are very few young people comfortable with their financial habits," she says.

Her experience is hardly unique. Growing up, youth are taught how to add, subtract, even do advanced algebra – but balancing their bank account remains one of those experiences many are left to figure out on their own. As school is set to resume in a few weeks, college students in their first week back can face a gauntlet of credit card companies seeking to sign them up, not to mention student loans to process and tuition to pay. For some, they will be living on their own for the first time. The experts say leaving students to figure it out on their own can be a risky thing.

Alison Braaten, director of Money Mentors, a branch of Credit Counselling Services of Alberta, advocates teaching youth and adults alike more about how to be financially healthy.

"A lot of them (students) haven’t had solid training in financial matters. I do see young people ... who say I wish I had known before I went to school."

With student loans, young people can get a large infusion of cash at the start of the year and don’t always grasp it has to last for months or the entire school year.

"Some just don't think that far ahead," said Braaten.

Walkiw, fortunately, now knows better. The St. Albert resident has spent the summer working as the spokesperson for the Common Wealth Credit Union’s Young & Free program, a initiative to reach out to younger customers. She has toured Alberta talking to youth, blogs on financial issues and helps other people her age get the right answers on money questions. It's been an eye-opening experience, she says.

"I didn't feel comfortable (before) asking basic questions because I felt I would seem stupid," she said.

But there is help available for students and parents to get a better financial education. In Grande Prairie, one of the first places college students can go is the GPRC Students' Association.

Jessica Bull, vice-president internal, is an accounting major studying for a bachelor of commerce degree and agrees most students don’t always grasp money matters.

"Some do and some don’t. I’ve known some people who have gone to college and can't handle money and some people who haven't gone to college and can,” she said. "I think (help) is offered but ... people maybe think they know about it."

Bull said college students are constantly marketed to and pushed new products to buy but there’s little that can be done to stop that.

"I think (marketing) is overdone, but it’s not something that can be helped. Eventually you're going to be exposed to it."

Some tips for students include learning how to budget by making a list of all their expenses and income and trying to draw up a basic spending plan. Plan ahead by flagging dates where major payments are due such as rent and tuition. Perhaps most important, don't be afraid to ask questions or take the time do some research. There are plenty of good resources for learning how to invest money or learning basic budgeting, said Braaten of Money Mentors, who recommends using cash whenever possible to reinforce costs.

Walkiw now budgets her money and feels more secure knowing she understands financial issues.

"There's a lot young could be doing but aren't," she said.

For more information visit www.youngfreealberta.com and www.creditcounselling.com.

» Original article

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08/11/2008 | The Bankwatch | Young & Free Alberta for Common Wealth Credit Union

By Colin Henderson

Took another look at Common Wealth CU site, Young & Free Alberta. [hat tip azaroff.com] This is a highly novel and fresh approach top finding and retaining new customers. It is novel because they have managed to integrate the bank account with what is primarily the social site.

The site and the products are built around people starting in financial life, and includes credit cards and student cards designed for them.

Young & Free Account

If you are between 17 and 25 years of age, you qualify! No fine print; no exceptions. Fill out the form below and we’ll contact you to get you set up, or you can visit any of our branches to open an account.

» Original post

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07/11/2008 | CU Newswire | Young & Free Spokesperson Off to University

By Donna-Lane Nelson

Larissa Walkiw, the first Young & Free Spokesperson for Commonwealth CU, has spent the last few months breaking ground in new ways and using new media to attract the young to the CU. Now she is off to a new challenge at Ryerson University in Toronto in September to being a degree in filmmaking.

She is still posting regularly and one of her recent posts brings budgeting advice that is simple and effective.

» CU Newswire website

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07/10/2008 | Business Week | CWCU Wins Prestigious Awards for Young & Free Initiative

Young & Free Receives Unprecedented Industry Recognition with Twelve Awards


Common Wealth Credit Union (CWCU), Alberta's fourth largest credit union, collected a whopping twelve awards for its innovative social media initiative, Young & Free, launched in fall 2007. Young & Free, the first free financial management service package for young Albertans, engages Generation Y through an interactive website that is populated with blogs, vlogs and polls on everything from finance to pop culture, courtesy of the 19-year-old Young & Free "Spokester", Larissa Walkiw. It is the first initiative of its kind in the finance industry and is being recognized as a leader throughout North America and overseas.

"We are extremely proud to have won these awards and to have our efforts acknowledged in this way," said Jeff Mulligan, president and CEO, Common Wealth Credit Union. "The fact that Young & Free has been this well-received from both young people and industry demonstrates the success of the program."

Throughout May and June 2008, Young & Free was recognized by the Credit Union Executive Society (CUES) Golden Mirror awards, Marketing Association of Credit Unions (MAC) awards and the Canadian Marketing Association of Credit Unions Achievement in Marketing Excellence (AIME) Awards.

Out of 900 entries, Young & Free won three first-place Golden Mirror Awards for image enhancement campaigns over $700 million, segmented campaigns and public relations all assets categories.

The MAC awards recognized Young & Free as Best in Show out of 400 entries, along with presenting three Gold Awards for programs over $500 million category for editorial public relations, websites and market segment program, respectively.

And the credit union marketing awards season finished with five AIME awards; one Gold medal for new product launch and three Silver medals for coordinated campaigns, radio and websites, as well as the People's Choice Award.

The Young & Free website, www.youngfreealberta.com,

attracts an average of 300 hits a day and has resulted in more than 2000 Young & Free accounts with total funds held at more than $2 million to date.

The Young & Free platform is a truly unique program, as it's built for and with young people's input. It's free from any unnecessary service charges, thereby allowing more resources for 17 to 25-year-olds to protect, manage and save their money.

» Original article

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06/04/2008 | CU Times | Canada’s Common Wealth Credit Union Wins MACQUEE Award20

By Heather Anderson

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Common Wealth Credit Union of Lloydminster, Alberta, added the Marketing Association of Credit Unions’ MACQUEE Award to its trophy case at MAC’s annual conference award dinner May 22. The $1.6 billion Common Wealth picked up three CUES Golden Mirror awards last week.

The winning Young & Free checking promotion relies heavily upon technology and social media, and produced 319 new members from September 2007 through January 2008, boasting an ROI of 359%.

Common Wealth hired Chilliwack, British Columbia-based agency Currency Marketing for creative and strategy assistance to promote the account to the finicky Gen Y audience.

The promotion featured a provincewide search for a spokesperson between the ages of 19 and 25 who would essentially work as a part-time business development representative, communicating with potential young members in person and online. Three finalists were selected from video entries, with 19-year-old visual artist Larissa Walkiw selected as the winner after a fierce online voting competition.

“We really hit the jackpot when we found Larissa,” said Nala Henkel, vice president of strategy at Currency Marketing.

“She’s an amazingly talented person, and one of most important things about her is she’s an unbelievable communicator. She’s a visual artist, so all the graphics and visuals you see online are her work, and she comes up with some of her own promotion ideas.”

Walkiw is the creative genius behind the promotion’s YouTube video, in which the artist uses simple stick figures to explain the differences between credit unions and banks. The video, which Henkel calls “the video seen ‘round the world”, has 20,000 views on YouTube.

Young & Free’s use of the Internet and social media was essential to connecting with its target market, Henkel said. Walkiw posts daily blog entries on a specific Young & Free Web site (www.youngfreealberta.com), and also makes use of Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube to promote the account and Common Wealth membership.

“One of the things we quickly discarded was to make the site it’s own community, because it didn’t make sense,” Henkel said. “That market is already using these existing social media sites, so it made more sense to go to where they are.”

The strategy expert credited Common Wealth President/CEO Jeff Mulligan for his courage in granting creative blogging license to the quirky, 19-year-old new hire.

“It was a long process to get them comfortable with it,” Henkel said, “but Jeff had a vision of providing service to this age group, and the program complimented that.”

The promotion also included direct mail, in-branch artwork, new member packages, a referral program and outdoor advertising. Walkiw also travels throughout the province in a company car, equipped with a laptop, camcorder, phone and a paid gas card.

Henkel said the young spokeswoman will focus more on sales during the second half of the year. Finding a way to open new accounts on site in real time is at the top of Common Wealth’s business development to-do list, she said.

In addition to 319 new members, nearly 1,000 existing members switched to the free checking account as of January. Common Wealth spent $315,000 during that time.

» View original article

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05/30/2008 | CU Newswire | Young & Free Does it Again

By Donna-Lane Nelson

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – It used to be another day, another dollar. Now it is almost another day another award for Young & Free Alberta (www.youngfreealberta.com), the Common Wealth CU pioneering youth program. This time it took top honours in four categories at the MAC Awards at the annual MAC Conference held in Newport Beach CA. In addition, Young & Free Alberta took home the Best of Show, the prestigious MACQUEE Award, competing as one the top five campaigns among the over 400 entered.

"To be included as one of the five international campaigns nominated for the MACQUEE Best of Show is an amazing accomplishment. To actually win it, is absolutely amazing," notes Tim McAlpine, Chief Strategist at Currency Marketing, the agency responsible for developing the Young & Free Alberta program.

Young & Free Alberta was recognized with a Gold Award for market segment program over $500 million category, Gold Award for editorial public relations program over $500 million category, Gold Award for websites over $500 million category and the Best of Show MACQUEE Award for coordinated campaigns.

Using a microsite, social media and traditional marketing, the Young & Free Alberta program searched for a Generation Y spokesperson in conjunction with the launch of a new Young & Free Chequing Account. Dubbed the "voice of Alberta’s under 25 crowd," the Young & Free Spokesperson creates YouTube videos, posts daily blog entries and attends youth events to connect Common Wealth Credit Union with young people.

The MAC Awards are awarded at the Marketing Association of Credit Union Annual Conference, recognizing top CU marketers in North America.

» CU Newswire website

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05/23/2008 | CU Times | Canada's Common Wealth CU Wins MACQUEE Award

By Heather Anderson

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Those Canadian stick figures on YouTube scored another big U.S. marketing award.

The Marketing Association of Credit Unions named $1.6 billion Common Wealth Credit Union of Lloydminster, Alberta, this year’s MACQUEE Award winner at the group’s annual conference award dinner last night. Common Wealth’s Young & Free checking promotion, which relies heavily upon technology and social media, had just picked up three CUES Golden Mirror awards last week.

Common Wealth hired Chilliwack, British Columbia-based agency Currency Marketing for creative and strategy assistance to promote the account to Gen-Y.

The cornerstone of the promotion was a province-wide search for a spokesperson, someone between the ages of 19 and 25 who would work 20 hours per week for the credit union, communicating with potential young members in person and online. Three finalists were selected from video entries, with 19-year-old visual artist Larissa Walkiw selected from an online voting competition.

Walkiw is the creator of the popular video that promotes the account and the credit union difference. The video, which uses simple stick figure artwork, has been viewed more than 20,000 times on YouTube.

» Original article

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05/16/2008 | CU Newswire | Young & Free Takes Three CUES Golden Mirror Awards

By Donna-Lane Nelson

Young & Free, The Common Wealth CU pioneering youth program, took top honours in three categories at the Golden Mirror Awards announced at the CUES Experience Conference in Minneapolis.

Young & Free received first place in the co-ordinated campaign category for CUs with assets more that $700 million, first place in the segment marketing category for all CUs and first place in the public relations category for all CUs. More than 900 entries were submitted to the 2008 Golden Mirror Awards from North American CUs.

The Young & Free Alberta program used a microsite, social media and traditional marketing to search for a Generation Y spokesperson in conjunction with the launch of a new Young & Free Chequing Account. Dubbed the "voice of Alberta’s under 25 crowd," the Young & Free Spokesperson creates YouTube videos, posts, daily blog entries and attends youth events to connect Common Wealth CU with young people.

The Golden Mirror Awards are awarded at the CUES annual marketing conference, recognizing top CU marketers in North America.

Currency Marketing worked with Brookline Public Relations, DSA Media and K1 Technology to execute all components of the Common Wealth program.

» CU Newswire website

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05/07/2008 | MAC Network | Finalists for 2008 MACQUEE Profiled

From a pool of over 400 entries nationwide, judges have selected five campaigns to compete for the MACQUEE, MAC’s Best in Show in its 2008 Awards Competition. The winner will be announced on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at the Newport Beach Marriott in Newport Beach, CA during MAC’s 22nd Annual Conference. Finalists include: Bellco CU (Greenwood Village, CO), Common Wealth CU (Lloydminster, Alberta), Kern FCU (Bakersfield, CA), US Federal CU (Burnsville, MN) and Wescom CU (Pasadena, CA).

Young & Free Product Launch &
Spokesperson Search

 
• Market Segment Program
• Common Wealth Credit Union
• Assets: Greater than $500 million
• Jeff Mulligan, CEO
• Currency Marketing, Agency

Many credit unions talk about the importance of attracting the youth sector as members. Those that are truly serious about it should look closely at Common Wealth CU’s innovative use of social media and technology.

According to Jeff Mulligan, Common Wealth’s CEO, it’s a turbulent time for youth in transition—better known as the 17 to 25 year old segment. “No one is listening to them, or valuing them as a consumer in our market place. We wanted our CU to be an organization that was committed to fostering a dialogue with this group and give them a product that will help them get a firm footing in the world,” said Mulligan.

In this case, the product—a free youth checking account called “Young and Free” for Northern Alberta’s 25 and under group—was hardly a new concept. The strategy for targeting this group was quite a bit more innovative—Common Wealth sponsored a province-wide spokesperson search to find someone who could engage this group in conversation about their financial needs. To promote the search, they set up a special microsite and then drove traffic to it by establishing a presence on various social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. The site was also used to conduct final voting among three finalists and was the subject of a number of TV and newspaper stories across Alberta.

The winner, 19-year old visual arts student Larissa Walkiw, received a one-year contract with Common Wealth, was provided a leased vehicle, digital video camera, phone and MacBook laptop to utilize as a means of connecting with her age group. A dedicated branch employee from the Young & Free target audience supports Larissa, providing administrative backup at the organizational level. Her responsibility in the 20-hour per week post is to continue to bring the Young & Free brand to life, through blogs and podcasts—or in other words, “talk, type and tell good stories.”

While the early stages of the campaign were directed at creating awareness of the Young & Free checking account and selecting a spokesperson, Mulligan indicates that the member acquisition will be the focus for the remainder of 2008. Judging from the initial results, Common Wealth should not be disappointed with the youth segment that they are aiming to capture.

» Mac Network website

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05/01/2008 | Alberta Venture Magazine | The New Influencers

Social media has changed the marketing environment. Now millions of ordinary people are determining what people say, think and buy.


By Eve Lazarus

Larissa Walkiw, 19, loves hanging out with her friends, surfing the web, and wearing skinny-leg jeans. She’s pretty much your typical teenager. And that’s exactly why Common Wealth Credit Union picked Walkiw to be its youth spokesperson. Each week she cranks out four blogs, creates a video post and represents the credit union at various events across Alberta.

It’s a brave leap of faith for a conservative financial institution to take, given that there are no restraints that might make the conversations boring or unauthentic to the under-25 set. Walkiw gets to do whatever she wants.

Last year Common Wealth executives examined their member base and realized that 17-to 25-year-olds made up only 10% of their total membership, completely out of whack with Alberta’s demographics. CEO and president Jeff Mulligan felt the Lloydminster-based credit union should do something to target this specific age group and regenerate its aging membership. “They [the under-25 set] are making countless decisions far sooner and at a far greater magnitude than generations before them,” he says.

The challenge, says Mulligan, is reaching this seemingly unreachable Generation Y, building brand awareness, while at the same time having 400-odd staff members pull behind you. Mulligan is a plugged-in 48-year-old, but it quickly became apparent to him that if the credit union wanted to reach people under 25, it would have to offer a product with benefits.

Common Wealth partnered with Currency Marketing, a Chilliwack, B.C.-based advertising agency to do a brand audit and identify ways to connect with the target audience. To his dismay, Currency president and chief strategist Tim McAlpine discovered that Alberta financial institutions were pretty much ignoring the needs of youth. “Unlike B.C., where there are a number of credit unions that have an under-25 free chequing account, there was no product in that space in Alberta,” says McAlpine. The agency and Common Wealth quickly launched Young & Free, a free chequing account targeted towards 17- to 25-year olds.

The next step was to find a spokesperson. Instead of hiring an actor, the credit union launched a contest, letting the under-25s pick their own spokesperson. The winner would blog on a regular basis, post video clips to the company’s newly created microsite, promote Common Wealth around the province and essentially work for the credit union 20 hours a week for one year. In return, he or she would receive a car, an Apple MacBook computer, a digital camcorder, camera, and a phone. “Right away we were letting the 17-to 25-year-old demographic have a say about who was going to be their spokesperson in our organization,” says Mulligan.

The credit union’s microsite, Youngfreealberta.com, quickly became the information hub for the product launch and the spokesperson search. Common Wealth received 15 applications, most of them 60-second YouTube video clips and one blog post. While candidates tried to win over voters during the two-month-long contest, they generated a ton of publicity for the credit union. Runner-up Paula Mickelson recruited DJs from a Lloydminster radio station to promote her campaign. The local newspaper profiled Mickelson in a full-page article and she was interviewed by the city’s local TV station. At the close of the contest, November 2007, Walkiw, who had created a podcast, thank-you video and attracted more than 200 friends to her Facebook page, received the most votes and was declared the Young & Free spokesperson.

With its highly branded campaign, Common Wealth managed to generate a decent amount of success in the online medium, specifically within its targeted demographic: under 25-year-olds. By introducing a dialogue between brand and consumer, Common Wealth got consumers to pass back information to friends and colleagues, not only about the new account but about themselves, through social media marketing.

Social media refers to a broad spectrum of online communities ranging from blogs and podcasts to Internet sites like MySpace.com and Facebook.com. The latter dominates social media sites in Canada with 7.6 million members over 18 and another 1.7 million under 18. In other words, almost one-third of the population of this country is on Facebook.

David MacDonald, vice-president of consumer research at Environics Group in Toronto, says that while online users are generally younger, things are starting to change. “People online are very socially engaged,” says MacDonald. “They are in charge, they like to go out and do their own research and confirm their questions or find out about products and features and brands from circles that they otherwise wouldn’t have contact with. In a sense, social media is an expansion of word of mouth only it’s not face-to-face.”

The concept of combining social media marketing with non-web marketing is one whose time has come. Telus recently had over 100,000 downloads after it advertised its new Fish Bowl application on social media sites. The application allows users to customize a fishbowl and add fish, representing the friends included in their Telus “MyFaves” cellphone plan. “That was great for them because they had their brand and messaging in front of people who wanted it, downloaded it, and played it,” says Robert Jenkyn, vice-president of on-demand media at Media Experts in Toronto.

The ultimate goal of any social media marketing is to create a campaign that will spread from person to person, with very little advertising through traditional channels. The onus is then on the advertiser to create an interesting and engaging piece that people willingly view. Dove Evolution, a video showing how an average-looking woman could be transformed into a supermodel, scored 1.7 million views on YouTube and garnered dozens of international awards. The piece was delivered through YouTube only, costing the company virtually nothing to distribute.

On the flip side, the brave new world of social media is fraught with risks for those who don’t take the time to understand it. Joe Thornley of Thornley Fallis, a Toronto-based public relations agency specializing in social media, points to Molson Canadian’s Campus Challenge last November: Molson’s stunt of asking university students to post “party photos” on Facebook back-fired when consumers accused the brewery of promoting binge drinking. “Marketers have viewed social media tools as just another channel like television, radio or newspapers and as a consequence totally violated people’s sense of what’s right and what’s trustworthy,” says Thornley. “Whatever actual results that these campaigns may have received in terms of conversions or track-through to actual sales were lost in the black eye that the corporation got by going into this world and not understanding the cultural mores and observing them.

Common Wealth’s Mulligan spent a lot of time assessing the risk of venturing into social media. The damage to the brand was Mulligan’s biggest concern. “What if somebody takes some of the dialogue on the website down a path that is absolutely contradictory to our corporate mindset?” says Mulligan. “Every time you create a spokesperson, whether you are hiring Tiger Woods or somebody from a rock band, you have to worry about that because now it is out of your control. Those were the biggest risks and of course the risk that we don’t connect – that we are wrong. But of course we found that we were absolutely right and all of the pieces lined up accordingly.”

The results so far are impressive. The credit union has doubled its 25 and under membership base. Young & Free account deposits were worth more than $1.1 million in the first three months of the program. An estimated $200,000 in unpaid media was brought in by public relations. As well, at the three-month mark, the microsite had 17,270 unique visitors and 15,460 viewers had watched the YouTube videos.

“Normally you would take a marketing program and say this is how it will be and this is how we will measure it and this is when it ends and this is when it starts,” says Mulligan.

He doesn’t view Young & Free as a campaign; it’s more about changing the corporate DNA. “This is a living, breathing, ever-evolving social network that’s going to help define and shape how we are valuable to that group. It’s a very different approach.”

» Alberta Venture Magazine website

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04/10/2008 | CreditUnions.com | The Gen Y Opportunity

Blogging for Gen Y: Time to Get Involved?

 
By Dane Coalson

The newest industry trend aimed at targeting Gen Y is creating a credit union-affiliated blog. Is this method effective? At this point, it is difficult tell, since even the oldest credit union blogs have been around for less than a year and most are still in their infancy.

Perhaps the most elaborate Gen Y blogging initiative in the industry is the independently branded “Young and Free” campaign from Common Wealth Credit Union in Alberta, Canada. The campaign was launched last October and an online video competition was held to allow the public to choose a spokesperson for "Young & Free." Their elected spokesperson, Larissa (age 19), works with the credit union, but has completely infused the campaign with her unique personality and controls the content herself.

Take a look at their site

What "Young & Free" Gets Right

  • No overbearing corporate presence
    • References to the credit union are slipped in subtly
    • Doesn’t disguise the affiliation
  • Although there is some financially-oriented content, it doesn’t take center stage
  • Informal, completely random “fun” content
    • Videos
    • Pictures
  • Has an authentic young and personal feel
  • Generates interaction through weekly polls and comments
  • The parent credit union offers a specific youth product designed for the audience
  • Unique site personality and creativity

Common Wealth’s Results: Common Wealth, working with a marketing and PR firm, managed to garner media attention and create large amounts of publicity around the program. Common Wealth set a goal of increasing their 17-25 year old membership by 10% over the course of the year, and they have nearly met this goal within 6 months of launching the program. Since the program’s inception, over 400 new Gen Y accounts have generated over $2 million in deposits.

Don’t Rush into the Blogosphere Yet!

The "Young & Free" campaign required a substantial allocation of resources and resulted from Common Wealth’s firm strategic commitment to reach out to younger members. This is a full time program, supported a young spokesperson whose primary responsibility is to generate content for the site and also receives support from a team of several other individuals. The program is also promoted by an outside PR firm.

Common Wealth has made a dedicated effort to the "Young & Free" program, and it seems to be paying off for them, but a program of this magnitude is beyond the reach of many credit unions. A more basic blog is unlikely to garner the attention and results that this program has. For many credit unions in the industry, it might be better to wait until the long-term results of blogging initiatives can be identified before creating blogs of their own.

There is no single magic bullet that will allow credit unions to reach Gen Y consumers, but it is clear that those who make a determined effort, through a wide variety of means and resources, are much more likely to attract these critical members.

» CreditUnions.com website

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03/30/2008 | W Comes Before Gen Y Blog | Y&F has Gen Y Woman at its Hub

By Roger Conant

It's early yet, but don't be too surprised if the Young & Free program from Currency Marketing has "young women" to thank for it's success. Young & Free Alberta is the first identifiable example of a credit union totally committing to a Gen Y marketing program. And already, there is increasing anecdotal evidence that the program is taking on strong tones of Gen Y women.

Take for example the fact that the Y&F spokesperson is a spokeswoman; and her credentials match exactly the profile of what a Pew Research study recently described as a "super-communicator". That same study, called Teens and Social Media, also revealed strong evidence that young women (to be exact, teenage girls) are emerging as a powerful force in social media. That evidence was recently showcased in a recent New York Times article called Sorry, Boys, This Is Our Domain.

Back to the Y&F spokeswoman. Her name is Larissa Walkiw, and as I mentioned, she is a perfect example of what Pew is calling a "super-communicator" in that she is 19 years old and blogs, creates content for the web, produces video and has a huge network of friends and family. My guess is that it was that huge group of friends and family who's votes produced her win (the voting was not even close). Stay tuned for more on this real world example that Gen Y women might very well be the key to Gen Y everyone.

» Original blog post

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03/06/2008 | CUES Management Magazine | PR Insights

PR Insight: 10 Tips for Getting Unpaid Coverage

Learn from the experience of the Young & Free Alberta campaign creators.

By Tim McAlpine

How do you garner significant unpaid media attention for your credit union? Create a compelling good news story with multiple chapters.

Here's how our marketing agency worked with $1.6 billion (U.S.) Common Wealth Credit Union, Lloydminster, Alberta, to create sustained media interest that has resulted in incredible unpaid coverage for the launch of a free checking account. While free checking accounts in the U.S. are commonplace, that isn't yet the case in Canada.

Common Wealth CU approached us with a simple brief, "We want to launch a free checking account for the under-25 group and connect with the youth market in Northern Alberta."

Our solution was to name the new product Young & Free and create a fully integrated marketing campaign, combined with a spokesperson search to find the voice of Alberta's under-25 crowd. The campaign comes to life on a dedicated microsite at www.YoungFreeAlberta.com. Public relations has played a significant role in the success of this initiative.

Here are 10 tips for getting unpaid coverage and how we leveraged them in the Young & Free initiative:

Tip 1: It all starts with a good story.

People are drawn to a good story. Amidst the chaos and uncertainty of world events, we all take comfort in learning about something interesting and positive happening locally.

The standard practice in this case would have been to issue a press release to local media and trade publications, noting the features and benefits of the free checking account, and hope for the best. Instead, we started by crafting a compelling story.

We knew the account was for the 25-and-under group; we knew this group felt largely ignored; and we knew this group did not respond well to traditional advertising. We also knew this group was tech-savvy and proficient with social media. Here is the first paragraph from our launch press release:

CWCU introduces Young & Free, the first free financial management service package for young Albertans. The Young & Free platform includes a sweet package of free, unlimited banking services plus a much-anticipated Young & Free spokesperson search to find a savvy young person to represent and be the voice of 17- to 25-year-olds. Young & Free members will have access to a microsite jammed with helpful hints, polls, blogs and trivia to help them move toward financial independence.

Tip 2: Get your internal publicists talking.

Before going public, all 400 Common Wealth CU staff became Young & Free experts. CUES member Jeff Mulligan, president/CEO of Common Wealth CU, explained in person the program's importance to all staff. Each team member was trained and given a detailed information kit. It was extremely important to set the tone early on and build internal understanding and excitement for Young & Free. On the day of launch, all staff were encouraged to send an e-mail with a link to the www.YoungFreeAlberta.com microsite to five friends and family members. This helped to build early excitement.

Tip 3: Use adversity to your advantage.

Don't be afraid to go back to the media for help. We had allotted four weeks to attract 10 qualified applicants. After three weeks, we had three. Rather than quietly trying to minimize our challenges, we went out with another press release:

CWCU announced today it is extending the Young & Free Spokesperson Search for two more weeks to Nov. 9, 2007, to allow entrants sufficient time to produce and edit their video entries. "We are hearing from many would-be Young & Free entrants that they require more time to prepare their spokesperson video submissions so we've extended the search to November 9," said Jeff Mulligan.

Another round of local coverage in more than a half dozen community newspapers, one local television station and two regional radio stations enabled us to attract a total of 11 qualified applicants. We had built a positive relationship with the local media and they were willing to do what they could to help this story succeed.

Tip 4: Play within the "Small World Web."

The vast World Wide Web can be overwhelming. Credit unions typically put up a static Web site and fail to exploit the Internet's potential. Sites like Facebook, with more than 70 million members, are considered too big to bother with. However, when you get inside, you realize that this social network, more than twice the size of Canada, is just a series of small communities and inter-personal relationships. We set up a Young & Free Alberta profile on Facebook-an anonymous character that the eventual spokesperson would inhabit-and joined a number of community groups. We also befriended Common Wealth CU staff members to help subtly get the word out. This worked well, in combination with very targeted banner advertising, to entice a number of spokesperson applicants, including our eventual winner.

Tip 5: Enable conversation.

The focal point of the www.YoungFreeAlberta.com microsite is an interactive blog. In the first 120 days of the program there have been more than 100 posts with more than 400 comments. A bonus to this two-way conversation is how it has enabled our PR partners, Brookline Public Relations, to keep sending reporters back to monitor progress. This has resulted in significant additional TV, newspaper and blog coverage.

Tip 6: Three young minds are smarter than all the marketing strategy we could ever dream up.

Once we had narrowed the applicants to the top three, we encouraged each finalist to run their own aggressive two-week campaign. All three finalists had different ways of garnering votes: posting additional YouTube videos and blog entries, starting Facebook groups, arranging newspaper, radio and television interviews, recording podcasts and putting up posters. During this period, unpaid media reached a fevered pitch as all of Northern Alberta seemed focused on this little credit union competition. The tipping point was when the three finalists were interviewed live on a Canadian network TV morning show (akin to Good Morning America in the United States).

What we learned from this is when people are given the freedom to explore ideas and express themselves without boundaries, the sky is the limit. When you write your credit union's story, be sure to draw from your employees and members. Everyone has a story worth telling, not just the marketing and communications department.

Tip 7: Announce everything in a meaningful way.

The public voting came to a close and, after a very long and nerve-racking week for the finalists, the big spokesperson reveal happened on Dec. 10, 2007. Again, we pitched the local and industry media, which had been following the story, with not only a standard press release, but also with an exclusive video of an "Ed McMahon"-style unveiling of our chosen spokesperson, Larissa Walkiw. Larissa has been interviewed on three TV programs and featured in more than two dozen print and blog articles since being voted in.

Tip 8: Go around the world to be taken seriously in your own backyard.

Traditional media is fascinated with new media. Case in point, Larissa created a brilliant 90-second animated educational video on the differences between banks and credit unions. Because videos that are posted on YouTube can be embedded on other Web sites, a popular video has the potential of becoming a viral sensation. This video has been embedded on more than two dozen credit union Web sites and blogs and has been viewed more than 13,000 times. Once again, this gave our PR partner another interesting chapter to pitch the media and, sure enough, Larissa was asked back on TV to discuss her latest success.

Is there someone in your organization volunteering overseas? Is your credit union involved in an initiative outside of its marketplace? Has a key employee received national or international recognition for his or her achievements? Have you hosted a foreign exchange employee? Think about how you can package the interesting stories that take place within your credit union. This goes back to tip 1: It all starts with a good story.

Tip 9: Keep telling your story.

From the beginning, Young & Free Alberta was planned to be a multi-year initiative. We have engaged the media with a story that they will continue to follow with each new chapter. When we enter into the 2009 spokesperson search, we will no doubt follow exactly the same PR plan but change the content of the chapters.

Tip 10: Outsource when it makes sense.

You may not have to do everything yourself. If you are taking on a credit union-wide initiative above and beyond your marketing department's regular workload that has sizable goals, it may be a wise investment to bring in outside expertise. In this case, Common Wealth CU hired our agency, Currency Marketing, to develop a brand and launch strategy and we, in turn, partnered with an experienced PR firm, Brookline Public Relations, to spearhead all PR activity within the coordinated marketing program.

PR results

In the first 120 days of the Young & Free Alberta program, there have been 28 print articles, 11 TV segments and seven radio segments for a combined total of more than 2.1 million impressions and more than 400 brand mentions. These numbers do not include the more than 40 industry blog posts. The total unpaid local media value is over $180,000 to date. Not bad for a checking account launch. You can view all the media coverage at www.YoungFreeAlberta.com/about.

Final advice

Stop writing standard press releases and only presenting big checks to charity and start building compelling good news stories that can be creatively pitched in chapters. It is the ticket to positive, ongoing media coverage.

Tim McAlpine is president/chief strategist of Currency Marketing. You can subscribe to the Currency Marketing blog at www.currencymarketing.ca/blog.

» Visit CUES website

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02/22/2008 | CreditUnion.com | Young & Free Team Speaking at Conference

"Young & Free" Team to Make First Appearance at CUES® Execu/Summit™

 
Credit Union Executives Society

MADISON, Wis.—The Credit Union Executives Society is pleased to announce that Tim McAlpine, president and chief strategist, Currency Marketing, Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada; and Larissa Walkiw, 2008 Young & Free Spokesperson, Common Wealth Credit Union, Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada, will debut a session on social media and Web 2.0 at Execu/Summit 2008, March 2–7, at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort & Conference Center, Steamboat Springs, Colo.

» Visit creditunion.com website

 

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02/22/2008 | CU Newswire | Spokesperson to speak at CUES conference

Young & Free To Go South of the Border

 
By Donna-Lane Nelson

Larissa Walkiw, 2008 Common Wealth Credit Union Young & Free Spokesperson, will give a session on social media at the Credit Union Executives Society Meeting March 2 at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort and Conference Center, Steamboat Springs CO. The 19- year old will be accompanied by Tim McAlpine, President and chief strategist, Currency Marketing, Chilliwack BC. Their session is called: Engaging Generation Y on their Own Terms.

» CU Newswire Website

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02/21/2008 | CUES Nexus Connection Blog | Learning from Young & Free

Learning from Young and Free

 
Posted by Christopher Stevenson

Normally, I reserve more promotional blog posts for topics related to CUES Experience, but I have big news related to CUES' Execu/Summit that I have to share. (Bear with me, if you will.)

I can't think of better news. Larissa Walkiw, Common Wealth Credit Union's official Young and Free spokesperson, and Tim McAlpine, president/chief strategist of Currency Marketing (the driving force behind Young and Free), will be joining CUES at Execu/Summit in Steamboat Springs, Colo., March 2-7, to discuss how to engage Gen Y on their own terms. And who could be better suited to do it? In Tim's own words:

"Currency Marketing is in the middle of a wonderful social media experiment with Alberta's Common Wealth Credit Union. To promote Common Wealth Credit Union's new Young and Free account to Alberta's 17 to 25 crowd, Currency has created an integrated marketing program centered around the www.youngfreealberta.com microsite. The thrust of the program is finding and hiring a spokesperson from Gen Y to represent the product, the credit union, and their generation."

For the uninitiated, Larissa has generated quite a following in her short stint as Young and Free spokesperson. Through her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube videos like the one below, she's attracting the attention of the international credit union movement and proving that CUs can effectively use non-traditional marketing to attract the Gen Yers.

Many thanks to Tim and Larissa for agreeing to present at Execu/Summit! We're hyped to have you there.

» Original post

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02/14/2007 | CCA Cooperative New Briefs | Young & Free Program Overview

Common Wealth Credit Union Targets Generation Y


Common Wealth Credit Union employed some unique job search techniques to find a Generation Y spokesperson that would help it make the members of tomorrow, the members of today. By communicating through the channels that age group uses, the successful candidate, 19-year-old Larissa Walkiw, was selected by an on-line video election. Through her blog and video posts on YouTube, the credit union is receiving national and international exposure. You can find out more about Ms. Walkiw through the website www.youngfreealberta.com

» Visit Canadian Co-operative Association's Website

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02/08/2008 | CU Newswire | Interview with Larissa Walkiw

Peek into the Minds of Generation Y


By Donna-Lane Nelson

Common Wealth CU (CWCU) wanted to hire a Generation Y spokesperson, to help make the members of tomorrow, the members of today. They did it by communicating through the channels that age group uses: an on-line video election, probably one of the more unusual job searches ever. CU Newswire interviewed the person they found, 19-year old Larissa Walkiw, who was elected shortly after her first month on the job. Her Youtube.com videos, which get regular hits and the program, has given CWCU regional, national and international publicity. Check out the website.

Q: How did you hear about Young & Free?

LW: I first came across the whole Young & Free initiative through a Facebook ad. Needless to say, it is definitely the most rewarding internet ad I have ever clicked on.

Q: What made you decide to try for it?

LW: The Spokesperson Search appealed to me on so many different levels. It was fresh. It was unprecedented. I couldn't dream up a better job description if I tried. I felt I really understood what Young & Free was about, and I knew that nothing would keep me from entering the competition.

Never before had I seen a business actively reaching out to youth, and recognizing their potential. The position requires inventiveness, accessibility, and enthusiasm (which I am all for!), allows me to work with the people I can best relate to (young adults), and even incorporates my passion for filmmaking. It's the best gig in the world.

Q: How did you decide what to put in your video?

LW: I wanted my 60-second application video to reflect my personality not only in content, but also in style. It is extremely difficult to tell the world who you are in under a minute, so I made sure to focus on visual communication (color, camera angles, quirky editing) as much as I did verbal communication. I wanted viewers (and voters!) to know what to expect from my videos in terms of character and quality.

Q: I know there is a lot media hype about Gen Y, but how would you describe them at least in Canada? How does that differ from what the media says?

LW: Recently, I have noticed that the media has been having quite a lot of fun pasting the "Entitlement" label onto my generation. According to some employers, sociologists, and reporters, my generation is disillusioned, expects instant gratification, and shirks away from any kind of real labour.

Personally, I don't think this speculation could be more wrong. I have had the pleasure to meet, work, and study with so many driven, enthusiastic and hard-working young people over the past few years. They set impressive goals, and give everything they have to offer in order to achieve them. Whether or not this is the case continentally or globally, I cannot say – but as far as Albertan youth goes, I find my generation inspiring (one needs only to browse the Young & Free Spokesperson Search Archives to see what I mean!)

Q: What do you think your generation needs to know about finances?

LW: I think my generation needs to know anything and everything it can about finances. I am surprised that more financial institutions do not provide accessible information about basic financial concepts. Deciding what to do with your money can be a very intimidating process, and so I believe that money management is something that others my age would be very eager to learn about, if given the opportunity to. My generation needs to know that they can be comfortable with their financial decisions.

Q: What do you think is the best way to reach them?

LW: Right now I'm definitely a supporter of new media, simply because I find it to be the most interactive method of communication. Print and television media may be just as creative and accessible, but they do not enable dialogue. Websites, blogs, podcasts, Youtube videos and social networking sites create an important interchange that old media cannot imitate. Because Young & Free is all about getting involved and staying connected, it makes sense to use channels of communication that are new and two-way.

Q: Do you have any specific goals for the coming year?

LW: I have not been able to set a "Spokester end goal" for myself because I know that the Young & Free campaign is designed to evolve. I don't know what the initiative will look like two weeks from now, let alone two months down the road! My position is a balance of blogging, Youtubing, and attending local events – a balance that will be influenced by feedback and input from Albertan youth. Consequently, I set mini-goals to up my motivation – tangible things, like receiving so many comments on a certain blog post, using a certain technique in my video, or getting x number of fans on the Young & Free Alberta Facebook Page.

Q: If you could create an ideal financial package of services for your generation what would it have in it and the best way to communicate it to them?

LW: I think a financial package tailored for post-secondary students would be ideal (mind you, the Young & Free account has already taken a huge step in that direction!). After high school, there is a very sudden financial transition that teens have to make. You turn 18 and suddenly you are dropped into the world of student loans and rent, car payments and credit establishment... It's a struggle. It would be excellent if a financial package could make sense of all those important decisions. The Young & Free account reduces the pressure by providing free services so that young adults can save the cash they would otherwise be throwing away on transaction fees, and put it towards what they need most.

Q: What part of your new job do you think you will like the most?

LW: It is a ten-way tie! I am truly passionate about so many aspects of my position – writing, filmmaking, traveling. But I must admit – I do experience a rush whenever I receive feedback from site visitors. Whenever someone posts a response to something I have written, or sends me an e-mail with a topic suggestion, I feel as though I'm making a connection. Developing that relationship with youth from all over the province is what I'm looking most forward to.

Q: Do you think this job will change your attitude on how you handle your own money?

LW: My role as spokesperson will undoubtedly change my attitude on how I handle my own money.

Q: If so, what will those changes be (I'm not looking for account info, honestly)?

LW: The biggest change for me will be having the knowledge and confidence to make sound financial decisions. I do not have a strong background in economics or financial affairs. At first, I thought this would be a setback, but now I see it as an asset. I am in the same position as my demographic (i.e. I believe money can be confusing), and so I know I'm covering all the bases when even I can understand what I'm explaining! I'm in the same boat as my audience, which is wonderful because it means I get to learn as I go.

Q: How do you think this year will affect your future professional life?

LW: I think that this whole experience will allow me to develop a skill-set that will be valuable in my future professional career. At the end of this year, I'm heading to university to get my BFA in Film Production.

When I grow up, I would like to be a director of photography / cinematographer. Truth be told, I would rather be behind the camera than in front of it.

My duties encourage me to generate and articulate a wealth of different ideas (which is a great ability to have handy!). Because my position does not have set hours like a regular job, it also demands self-discipline and a strong work ethic. In attending events and speaking with other Young & Free-ers, I am learning more about how to connect with others. Producing weekly videos and illustrating all my blog posts keeps my visual arts skills sharp. All these aspects can easily be applied to my future studies and career.

» CU Newswire website

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02/06/2008 | Azaroff.com Blog | Y&F Branding Commentary

Should we be wearing our members' badges instead?

 
By William Azaroff

I had lunch this week with Tim McAlpine and Gregory Krysa, and we got to talking about the amazing Young & Free Alberta campaign. It occurred to me that they broke a cardinal rule of branding - a broken rule that led to what seems to be a successful campaign.

Normally marketers want consumers to wear their brand as a badge, a la Apple or Volkswagen. Common Wealth Credit Union, who paid for and launched Young & Free "should" have created this as Young & Free Common Wealth, conveying their brand to the youth market in Northern Alberta. But they did the almost unthinkably brilliant - they took on and wore the badge of their consumers instead. By adopting the Young & Free brand, with little mention of the main credit union (and even using youngfreealberta@gmail.com as their email address, and not youngfreealberta@commonwealthcu.net) they let their main CU brand take a back seat to something with a much stronger appeal to the young people they were trying to attract. It's hard to imagine most companies not putting their brands front and centre, and trying to shoehorn their relevance to their target.

It will be interesting to see if the Common Wealth brand appeals to those young people in Alberta who are signing up for this new product. The follow-up work will be starting to expose these new members to the Commonwealth brand, and show that they can be relevant to them moving forward.

Obviously for most campaigns our brands need to play a leading role, but here's an example where a company let it play a more subdued role, and it may well pay off for them.

» Original post

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02/05/2008 | Citytv Edmonton | Interview with Larissa

Our Young & Free Spokesperson Larissa Walkiw appeared on Citytv Edmonton's Breakfast TV to discuss Larissa's first month on the job

 

» Citytv Edmonton's website

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01/25/2008 | Open Source CU Blog | Five Doses of Credit Union New Media Awesomeness

Young & Free Alberta

 
By Brent Dixon

If you haven’t taken time to look at the best credit union social media campaign in existence (only rivaled by ChangeEverything), please go check out Common Wealth CU’s Young & Free campaign (orchestrated by the crazy Canucks at Currency Marketing).

After running a contest to find the most charismatic and expressive person under 25 in Alberta, Canada to take a year-long gig as the CUs spokesprson, they hit a goldmine with winner Larissa (see yesterday’s post).

She blogs, she makes videos, she digs up free stuff, and she positions CommonWealth as a youth-centric credit union. And the entire campaign ties to their Young & Free Checking Account.

It’s brilliant.

» Original post

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01/24/2008 | Credit Union Blog-o-Sphere | Internet Reaction to Larissa's Video

This video created quite a stir since it was posted on January 23, 2008 the past three days.

Here is a list of the blog posts encouraging people all over North America to view this 107-second video. The discussion that this short video sparked is nothing short of incredible.

UPDATE: This video has been viewed more than 8,500 times in the first week. It is featured on more than 20 credit union industry blogs and websites and has spurred more than 100 comments. Not bad for a 19-year-old young woman who has been a credit union member for less than two weeks.

 

Linking blogs

YouTube Honours

Day of release

  • #4 - Most Viewed (Today) - Education - Canada
  • #2 - Top Favorites (Today) - Education - Canada
  • #14 - Top Rated (Today) - Education - Canada
  • #77 - Top Favorites (Today) - Education - World
  • #89 - Most Viewed (Today) - Education - World

In the first week

  • #2 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Education - Canada
  • #5 - Top Favorites (This Week) - Education - Canada
  • #13 - Top Rated (This Week) - Education - Canada
  • #74 - Most Discussed (This Week) - Education - Canada
  • #5 - Top Favorites (This Week) - Education - Canada
  • #11 - Top Rated (This Week) - Education - Canada
  • #73 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Education - World

In the first month

  • #9 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Education - Canada
  • #21 - Top Favorites (This Month) - Education - Canada
  • #52 - Top Rated (This Month) - Education - Canada

All time

  • #89 - Most Viewed (All Time) - Education - Canada

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01/14/2008 | Credit Union Journal | Interview with Larissa Walkiw

'Young & Free' Spokesperson Talks About Her New Role Reaching Out To 17-25 Market.

By Joyce Moed, Reporter

ALBERTA, Canada—Seeking to better market to the 17-to 25-year-old market, Common Wealth Credit Union has named Larissa Walkiw, 19, from St. Albert, Alberta, as its first Young & Free spokesperson. Walkiw won the most votes in an online election. Below, Walkiw talks about her new role.

Credit Union Journal: Why did you want to become the Young & Free spokesperson?

Walkiw: The Young & Free spokesperson role is a dream job I never knew could exist. I was first drawn to the initiative because of its fresh and original feel. The fact that it was an unprecedented project appealed to me. Never before had I seen a business actively reaching out to youth, and recognizing their potential. The position requires inventiveness, accessibility and enthusiasm—which I am all for!—allows me to work with the people I can best relate to—young adults, and even allows me  to incorporate my passion for filmmaking. It's the best gig in the world.

CUJ: How many votes did you receive?

Walkiw: During the public voting phase, I received 49% of the vote, with runners up Paula Mickelson and Shane Lamotte receiving 27% and 24% of the vote, respectively.

CUJ: What will you do in your role as the spokesperson?

Walkiw: My duties as the Young & Free spokesperson are twofold. The first aspect of the position involves connecting with and initiating a dialogue between young adults in the 17- to 25-year-old age group. This will be achieved through maintaining the www.youngfreealberta.com website, posting daily blog entries, creating weekly YouTube video posts, recording podcasts and responding to viewers' comments and questions in order to create an engaging online environment. The first aspect also involves attending and speaking at popular youth events in the Albertan community—with the extremely conspicuous Young & Free vehicle being my means of transportation.

The second aspect of the spokesperson position is serving as a liaison between young adults and the great people at Common Wealth.

I will be bringing the results of the online and in-person discussions to meetings so that the credit union can continuously improve and taylor the Young & Free account.

CUJ: What do you hope to accomplish in this role?

Walkiw: Though there are many things that I hope to accomplish as the new Young & Free spokesperson, my strongest focus is going to be connecting with the 17- to 25-year-old age group.

My primary goal isn't to attract a large group of Young & Free website viewers, but rather to attract a large group of Young & Free participants. There is a hue difference between a huge difference between being an onlooker and being a contributor. If I can motivate youth to take an active role within the Young & Free community, then I know I will have done my job.

CUJ: What was the process from time of application to the time you were selected as the winner?

Walkiw: The application phase of the spokesperson search started with the submission of a 60-second YouTube video and a short blog post on any topic. The applicants were then narrowed to three finalists and the voting phase began. Voting was open to anyone with access to a computer and an Internet connection.

All three finalists had different ways of garnering votes: posting additional  YouTube videos and blog entries, starting groups on social networking sites such as Facebook, arranging newspaper, radio and television interviews, recording podcasts and putting up posters. The public voting came to a close, and a very long and nerve-racking week preceded the "big spokesperson reveal" on December 10th.

The selection process has been an absolute roller coaster ride for me. It started out as my personal pie in the sky, and now it is my exciting new reality for the coming year. My gratitude for all my voters and supporters is beyond words; that this new adventure has been built for me on a foundation of computer mouse-clicks is a humbling realization.

I cannot wait to hit the ground running in 2008, and am eager to see how Young & Free will evolve over the course of the next year.

» Credit Union Journal website

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01/14/2008 | Credit Union Journal | Report on Spokesperson Larissa Walkiw

CU Hopes Young & Free Will Listen to One of Their Own

 

By Joyce Moed, Reporter

ALBERTA, Canada—While the U.S. is in political thrall to the ongoing presidential primaries, the result of a much different election is garnering attention in Canada, where 19-year-old Larissa Walkiw has been voted into a brand new office.

The St. Albert, Alberta native has been elected to a one-year term as Common Wealth Credit Union’s Young & Free spokesperson.

Walkiw was selected after young Albertans voted for her in an online election, between her and two other finalists. Walkiw secured 49% of the votes thanks to her creative video blogs and e-journals posted on the Young & Free website, www.youngfree alberta.com. In one month, Walkiw’s videos were viewed 3,632 times on YouTube, and her Facebook group grew to 300 members.

“Larissa is dynamic, likeable and definitely comfortable with all things web, so it’s no surprise that she captured the attention of the 25-and-under crowd,” said Jeff Mulligan, CEO of the 52,000-member Common Wealth CU.

As the Young & Free spokesperson, Walkiw will travel around the province, attending and speaking at events, producing and posting audio and video podcasts, and writing regular blog entries on everything from financial to pop culture.

“Like other credit unions, we have a real good penetration into the over 30 sect–and the 18 and younger because they bank where their parents bank,” Mulligan said.

It’s the 18- to 25-year-old group that is the hardest to reach, he said. “And that is when key financial purchases are made,” Mulligan said. “They are making their first financial independent decisions. That’s where ‘Young & Free’ came from. You’re young and free when you’re make your own way."

Mulligan explained that through the younger generation, with the help of the Internet, “one person can reach out to 1,000 in a network where each of those could reach out to another thousand.”

Walkiw officially started off her year as the Young & Free spokesperson for the $1.6-billion credit union on New Year’s Day with a special video blog on the website. She will work 20 hours a week earning $30,000, and is also receiving a Blackberry, laptop computer, digital camera, a car sporting the Young & Free logo, and an expense account.

“I am very excited to connect with 17- to 25-year-olds and help Common Wealth Credit Union see what they can do for us through the Young & Free program,” Walkiw said. “It’s exciting to be part of an initiative that involves young people to the extent that we decide the financial services that we need and how they are communicated to us.”

The Young & Free spokesperson initiative kicked off Oct. 3. Three finalists–Shane Lamotte, 23; Paula Mickelson, 22; and Larissa Walkiw, 19–were chosen based on the creativity, quality and style exhibited through their video entries.

The initiative was marketing through the Young & Free website, and throughout the Internet on sites such as MSN, Flicker, and YouTube, Mulligan said.

“Press releases were also sent to local media,” he said. “The interest was incredible. Seldom do things go exactly as you plan, but this did. All I can relate it to is when someone writes a hit song and you say ‘This is going to be big.’”

» CU Journal website

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01/09/2008 | The CU Loop Blog | Comments on Generation Y Post

Comments

 
Mike Templeton on January 9, 2008 said:

...I think part of the problem with upper management's understanding of the Gen Y culture is that they don't realize how large and influential we are today. Most of these managers have been in this business for years and still see Gen Y as a group of young kids in high school, whereas in reality Gen Y is the new workforce and the new population making decisions.

The CU movement was big with older generations, but no one has done anything yet to pass on that legacy and those ideals. Its up to today's CUs to adapt their way of doing business to match the way the world works. Large corporations are having an easy time adapting, but that's because these Gen Yers are working for those big corporations. I can't imagine that working for a credit union is topping the average Y's want-to-work-for list.

The best part is that it's not too late to change those perceptions. Common Wealth CU's Young and Free campaign is changing young peoples' perceptions every day in Canada. Now it's time for our (U.S.) credit unions to do the same. Get your CU involved and differentiate yourself.

» Original post

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12/29/2007 | Open Source CU | Year In Review Comment Thread

Tasty Top Stories, Right Off the Grill

Posted by Doug Williams on December 29th, 2007

...My seven top credit union stories of 2007…bon appetit!

No. 7: The iPhone
No. 6: Gigi Hyland’s calling for a more consumer-centric approach to products.
No. 5: Hackers steal 45.7 million credit card numbers from TXJ Companies
No. 4: CURIA momentum
No. 3: Wings/Continental credit union flap
No. 2: Zopa
No. 1: The housing bust

...There you have it, my year-end list complete with a side of resolutions, served hot and fresh. Enjoy!

Comments

 
Ginny Brady on December 30th, 2007 said:
...One underlying theme of your list is the speed with which technology is changing. This fact reminds me of what I think is another big story for CU's in 2007. It's been the emphasis on marketing to Gen Y. Even a traditional organization like CUNA is highlighting the importance of engaging this segment of the population in a dialog about credit union membership. The YES Summit and the YES CU Community are both positive initiatives. The campaign that I think has been most innovative, though, is the Young and Free campaign developed by Currency Marketing for Commonwealth Credit Union in Alberta. It utilizes You Tube, blogs, Facebook and other technology which is ubiquitous among young adults. I'll be interested to see if this multilayered use of technology will take off in credit union marketing and services in 2008.

Matt Fagala on December 31st, 2007 said:
Great post and Ginny does make a good point about Young and Free Alberta campaign. That was one of my favorite CU stories to follow this year.

Doug Williams on December 31st, 2007 said:
Young and Free is a great campaign; I’d venture that it’s a benchmark example of effective use of social media that has long-term implications and immediate impact. I’m eager to hear the ROI over an extended period of time!

» Original post

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12/29/2007 | Boardcast Blog | Year In Review

Celebrating One Year of the Boardcast

 
January 1st marks the first anniversary of the launching of the Boardcast. In honor of our first year of service I'd like to use this post to review our progress and what I've learned from blogging over the last year...

...My association with these wonderful credit union advocates has introduced me to others whose enthusiasm for the credit union movement is infectious. In particular, Tim McAlpine whose young adult marketing campaign, Young and Free in Alberta for Common Wealth Credit Union, has received media attention far beyond the Alberta market.

...Thank you for helping to make the Boardcast such a success in 2007 and I look forward to our continued conversation in 2008.

» Original post

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12/19/2007 | Newcap News at Six | Winner Announced

Credit Union has new spokesperson

 
Young & Free Spokesperson Larissa Walkiw and Common Wealth Credit Union President and CEO Jeff Mulligan appeared on Lloydminster's Newcap Television.

Larissa Walkiw has become the new young and free spokesperson for Common Wealth Credit Union's Young and Free campaign. Walkiw says her role within the company will be determined by the younger generation of bankers. The 19-year-old St. Albert resident says she is excited for the opportunity to work interactively with a younger generation of people through their website. For more information you can visit: www.youngfreealberta.com.

» Newcap News at Six website

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12/19/2007 | CU Newswire | Winner Announced

Lloydminster AB: Mulligan is "Cool" Says Young and Free Winner

 
By Donna-Lane Nelson

When Common Wealth CU (CWCU) looked for new ways to attract Generation Y, they forged paths that generated local and cross borders interest.

CWCU used a contest, a special website www.youngfreealberta.com, videos and voting by members to hire a spokesperson to talk to the young. And Common Wealth got publicity that CEOs can only dream about when the local Breakfast Show featured the three finalists talking about their desire to represent CWCU.

The winner was announced this month: Larissa Walkiw, 19, from St. Albert. In her video Larissa uses music and pops in and out of the camera. She ties in being an artist and the ability to communicate.

Walkiw received 49 percent of the votes. Her video was viewed 3,632 times on YouTube and her Facebook group is up to 300 members.

"The selection of super creative Larissa Walkiw as the Young and Free spokesperson from three outstanding young candidates really signifies the beginning of the transformation of our corporate DNA to fully align CWCU with the needs and expectations of the 17-25 year-old set like no other financial institution in Canada," Jeff  Mulligan, President & CEO said. He is ecstatic about the results. Walkiw has called him "cool."

Mulligan says he is getting enquiries about the program from all over North America and as the program develops they will offer it as a package to other CUs.

» CU Newswire website

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12/19/2007 | The Lakeside Leader | Winner Announced

The people have spoken!

 
That’s what Common Wealth Credit Union says, about the choice for their Young and Free Alberta spokesperson. Larissa Walkiw beat out several contenders for the job, including Christa Janzen of Slave Lake. She’ll be roaming the province, talking to young folks about using Common Wealth services. Maybe we’ll do a story about her, but not until she comes to Slave Lake!

» Original article

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12/18/2007 | Edmonton Journal | Winner Announced

Walkiw is the winner!

 
Larissa Walkiw of St. Albert will be the spokesperson for Common Wealth Credit Union's Young and Free program after an online election. Walkiw, 19, a visual artist, won with her creative video blogs and e-journals posted on the Young and Free website (youngfreealberta.com). The program provides financial services geared to 17- to 25-year-olds.

» Edmonton Journal website

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12/18/2007 | Lloydminster Source | Michelson's Continued Role

Still in the picture

 
By Katie Ryan, staff writer

Though the people have spoke, having designated their Common Wealth Credit Union spokesperson St. Albert native, Larissa Walkiw—Lloydminster's favourite, Paula Mickelson, is not out of the picture.

Taking second place with the overwhelming support she received from  the Border City community, Mickelson will stay involved with Common Wealth's local promotion.

"I am not out," said Mickelson.

"They said they really like what I did and wanted to keep me involved because they think I'll have a positive influence in Lloydminster. It is their biggest market, so they are going to keep me on to do local events."

As a self-described chameleon who is comfortable in all situations, from the oilfield to being on love television, Michelson has no regrets about the competition and believes she did her best promoting herself.

"The experience was so good. There are lots of things that I had ideas for, but working full time and trying to do the competition, I found I could only do so much."

Having met Walkiw during their appearance of Breakfast Television during the competition, Mickelson is happy for the new spokesperson.

"Just looking at her videos and the stuff on the website, I knew she had it," revealed Mickelson. "I know she's a good girl and I know she is going to be a great spokesperson."

With the competition over and time to reflect on the experience, Mickelson has found that she has learned a great deal.

"I learnt so much about computers, posting videos and doing all the crazy things I never had to do before on a computer." I am still going to be posting a few videos and blogs here and there on the website, so I am still involved just not on a regular basis like Larissa will be."

» Lloydminster Source website

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12/17/2007 | Credit Union Journal & American Banker | Winner Announced

Young & Free Spokesperson ID’d

 
LLOYDMINSTER, AB, Canada—Common Wealth Credit Union (CWCU), Alberta’s fourth largest credit union with 14 branches and more than 52,000 members, announced that Larissa Walkiw, 19, from St. Albert, Alberta, officially became CWCU’s first Young & Free spokesperson.

Walkiw, a visual artist, secured 49% of the votes with her creative video blogs and e-journals posted on the Young & Free website www.youngfreealberta.com. In one month, Walkiw’s videos were viewed 3,632 times on YouTube, and her Facebook group is up to 300 members. As the Young & Free spokesperson, Walkiw will travel around the province, speaking at events, producing and posting audio and video podcasts and writing regular blog entries on everything from finance to pop culture.

Through its Young & Free initiative, CWCU is recognizing the campaign as a case study on how to successfully utilize social media to connect with Generation Y. Watch the latest video capturing Walkiw’s reaction as learns she has become Common Wealth CU’s Young & Free spokesperson at: www.youngfreealberta.com.

» Original article

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