BASKING RIDGE, N.J.–Visitors to the headquarters of Affinity Federal Credit Union here are greeted with what the CU describes as “one of the coolest team building projects.”
The photo, shown at right, illustrates the common values of the credit union, values that not just the employees share, but the members too—knowledge, empathy, positivity, kindness, generosity and hospitality.
Each of those values is presented in a different color and each color used in string to connect and interweave a circle with “Belong to Something Better,” the credit union’s tagline, spelled out. The string and circle highlight something more, the concept, “a community connected,” that the credit union uses in a variety of ways, but none more prominent than in the “In Your Neighborhood” events the credit union hosted in 2018.
Affinity FCU said the events, the brainchild of the Cooperative Credit Union Association, were designed to bring consumer awareness to credit unions. But Affinity turned these events into something so much more.
“I remember the first meeting I had with Affinity’s assistant vice president-brand relations and advocacy, Giuseppina F. Cetta-Araujo. Her face lit up as I explained the “In Your Neighborhood” program,” said Candice Nigro, vice president-strategic marketing with the Cooperative Credit Union Association. “I could see the wheels in her head turning and I knew we had come up with a great fit for a program that meshed well with not only the credit union’s strategic initiatives, but with their culture as well.”
Araujo and Nigro worked together to coordinate “In Your Neighborhood” events at local businesses near the credit union’s branches.
“The branches that needed the exposure most were in our North market, where we had recently merged another credit union into Affinity,” said Araujo. “We set our focus there and enlisted the assistance of the market and branch managers to build relationships with the local businesses. It took time to get the program off the ground, but once we did the results were phenomenal.”
The first “In Your Neighborhood” event was held in Stony Point, N.Y. at Deli Central, a popular local deli that saw value in the partnership with Affinity.
“It was a cold, rainy day and we were supposed to be outside,” said Stony Point Branch Manager Jeanine Cortez. “But we all worked together and made it work. We set up a small table in a tiny section of the deli and mostly everyone coming in stopped to say hello and save $5 off their lunch. They were grateful to us and we made a lot of connections. Plus, Deli Central thought the event was great for their business.”
From the first “In Your Neighborhood” held in April, the credit union and CCUA learned ways to improve the process, exposure of the event and days and times that seemed to work better for increasing the number of attendees.
From April to September, Affinity hosted eight “In Your Neighborhood” events in three states (N.Y., N.J. and Conn.), buying breakfast or lunch for almost 250 people.
“It’s a nice surprise when you head in for your morning coffee or bagel and you end up getting it for free from a local credit union you may not have heard of the day before,” said Ruben Camacho, Relationship Specialist II for Affinity. “Many people didn’t even use the coupon, but that’s memorable and you are grateful for the generosity, no strings attached.”
The program has given the credit union the opportunity to network with small local businesses and get their name out to the communities they serve in a low-cost way.
“The program shows the credit union’s commitment to its communities,” said Nigro. “What you can’t see from a photo or a press release are the countless members of Affinity who were blown away that their credit union was doing something like this, or the staff that were at each event during the early morning hours, their lunch time or a Saturday morning to make sure the event was a success. What you can’t see is how Affinity’s culture, as illustrated by the tapestry they created, is evident in each employee of the credit union and truly felt by each small business or local resident that was impacted by the events.”