Creating A More Perfect Union

Congressional Federal Credit Union (Congressional) serves Congress, its staff and the families of Capitol Hill employees. When they approached Hinge about their marketing challenges, Congressional management knew they weren’t successfully delivering important messages to their members.

Management and employees prided themselves on their high-touch customer service and prestigious clientele. But the transient nature of the Hill meant that members were continually moving away from the Washington, DC area. How could the credit union convey the long-term benefits of membership and retain its far-flung members?

Hinge began the process of answering these challenges with in-depth interviews of four audiences: Congressional staff, new members, long-time members and prospective members. We identified a number of critical gaps between internal perceptions and external experiences. We also researched key competitors to determine what positioning opportunities were available.

Building on our research findings, we developed two possible messaging and visual brand platforms that could reposition Congressional in the minds of their membership. Management selected a platform that focused on the Credit Union’s value throughout a member’s life. We then expressed this position in a new tagline: “Wherever life takes you, we’re there.”

With the new positioning in place, we began to implement the new brand across a variety of marketing channels, including a redesigned website, an ad campaign and collateral materials. In anticipation of the launch, Hinge put on workshops at each of their branches to support a comprehensive brand rollout plan. A social media plan and execution is now in the works.

Today, we continue to develop news ways to help Congressional build lasting relationships with its members.