FREDERICTON, New Brunswick–Credit unions here tested the honesty of local citizens and then used the results in a unique way to promote the values and brand of credit unions.
Atlantic Central—a trade association and corporate that represents credit unions in the Atlantic Canada provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island—took 12 wallets that included cash and a CU debit card and left them in public places across the four provinces. It then waited to see what would happen.
Nine of the wallets were turned in with their contents untouched.
Jennifer Murray, director of brand marketing for Atlantic Central, which represents 47 credit unions, told The Canadian Press it entered into the experiment believing that the values of honesty, trust and fairness are alive and well in the region, and wanted to test their theory.
“We assembled them with things like receipts, bus tickets, around $100 cash, a credit union debit card, and a little insert that said if lost, please contact, and we included a contact number,” she was quoted by the Canadian Press as saying.
The drop was conducted a few weeks before Christmas, and Murray reported that within hours people who had found the wallets were reaching out attempting to find the owners.
The Truth is Out There
As for the three wallets not returned, Murray said, “We still don’t know what happened to the others. They may still be out there.”
Atlantic Central has used the experiment and its results to create a promotional video that features some of the people who found the wallets and turned them in.
“Credit unions had a hunch. Our values of honesty, trust and fairness are not just alive in Atlantic Canada, but thriving. So, we put it to the test,” explains the voiceover in the video, before explaining how the experiment worked. The video shows the wallets being left in various locations such as park benches, on the ground, and under tables in public places. “Would they come back, or would we be wrong?”
The video switches to phones ringing while playing the voicemail messages of people saying, “I just found this wallet and…” The video then shows some of those who turned the wallets in explaining why they did so.
“Honesty, trust and fairness matter to credit unions,” the voiceover continues. “And we proved those values also matter to Atlantic Canadians, and that’s something to be proud of. Credit unions: refreshingly honest banking for refreshingly honest people.”
Microsite Created
The video then refers viewers to the microsite www.honestmoney.ca
All of the people who turned in the wallets were allowed to keep the money, while the credit unions also made a donation to a charity of their choice.
“And, actually, some people who returned the wallets decided to top-up the donation with the money that was in the wallet. It’s fantastic and speaks to who we are as Atlantic Canadians,” Murray said.
The video can be viewed here.