Context
EECU began as a credit union serving local teachers and school administrators in the Fort Worth area, and has expanded to a broad diverse membership and comprehensive service offering that includes personal banking, business, investments and insurance. The existing membership valued EECU as, “being on their side,” but didn’t feel EECU was capable of serving all their needs. EECU was struggling with being the community financial institution that cares, but being seen as limited in capability. We needed to reintroduce EECU to both their existing membership and community, as well as to grab the attention of the growing and expanding new audience.
The Fort Worth-Dallas area is amidst significant change as the region is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The area is seeing sizable growth in the tech and healthcare industries and pulling people from around the US, with a significant migration from states like California. Cattle ranches and open fields have given way to massive housing developments and new higher-end shopping centers. The large cattle farms have been replaced by modern structures, diversity, and a growing metropolis.
Approach
Our work began with a focus on the member experience in their financial centers. During our understanding efforts we identified the desire to truly transform how their organization was seen and experienced by their community. This offered us the freedom to push the boundaries and reconsider every aspect of how they are seen.
In the history of EECU we found that their first office was a desk on the mezzanine in the old Forth Worth hotel in downtown. The line, “we began in a hotel,” became our narrative lead-in which ended with the new identity concept of “moving forward,” eventually simplified to forward. The hotel lead-in rooted EECU in the history and community of Fort Worth while forward spoke to the evolution of the organization and focus on their members’ future and financial betterment.
Forward is an idea of moving in a direction of progress, and being ready for the future. Forward is about moving ahead and becoming a leader of delivering financial betterment to the lives of our members. Forward is an outlook on life filled with positivity on living an even better day tomorrow. It is about being prepared for things to come. It is about being at the front of progress and change.
Forward is also an advancement building upon a strong history. As we looked forward, we also looked back to our humble beginnings in the Westbrook Hotel as a source of pride and inspiration. We found pride in our roots of supporting teachers and educators and helping them and their families to sustain and prosper. We plan to push forward our commitment to educators in new and interesting ways, and support the people whose everyday jobs are focused on being forward—on nurturing and forming our future citizens and leaders.
Outcome
To date, we have launched the new identity and advertising campaign to huge success, opened a new financial center with the new experience and look, staff apparel, internal and external communications, and launched a new online experience. We continue to work with EECU on forthcoming new financial centers and the continued roll-out of the new EECU through all their communication channels.
See more work with EECU:
Brand
Financial Center Concept
North Richland Hills Financal Center
Signage Program
Digital Content
Digital Experience
Digital Tools Videos
Advertising
Internal Marketing
