Branding touches everything. From the board room to the breakroom to the bathroom. One of the challenges facing many creditunions, however, is that all too often only the marketingdepartment (or person) drives the brand.

There are actually three key groups responsible for driving yourcredit union's brand: Board/management, staff and members. Toeffectively build a lasting brand for your credit union, board andmanagement must lead the brand, staff must livethe brand and members must love your brand.

Below is a quick overview of each group's role with buildingyour brand and a strategic action step for each to take.

• Board and management: As leaders of theorganization this first group sets the tone for the entire creditunion. They must see branding not as an expense but as aninvestment. The most successful companies today are led by peoplewho “get” branding and recognize its impact on the bottom line. AsJim Stengel said in his book “Grow,” “In terms of growth andmargin, brand is really what it comes down to in the end.” If youwant more loan growth, increased membership and a higher ROA, thenfocus on improving your brand.

Strategic action step: Allocate resources to your creditunion's brand. Make sure your credit union has a brand plan, adifferentiated value proposition and a clear identity.

• Staff: No matter what you as leaders say yourcredit union is about, if your staff doesn't live those brandprinciples every single day then it doesn't matter. We talk all thetime in credit unions about “member engagement.” But what aboutyour staff's engagement? One of the best ways to improve your brandis to make sure your staff understands your brand and theconnection between your brand and their every day jobs. Researchsuggests that for every $10,000 you pay a disengaged employee, itcosts you approximately $3,400 on the bottom line. Want a betterbottom line? Get your staff engaged with your brand.

Strategic action step: Conduct brand training. Train yourstaff on what branding is and what they can do every day to betterlive your brand.

• Members: If you are really leading your brandand your staff is living your brand then your members will loveyour brand. As credit unions we must capture some of that love.That means capturing member testimonials. When are members mosthappy with you? Probably when you gave them their last loan.Capturing member testimonials is one of the best things you can doto show off your brand. Your credit union is making a difference inthe lives of your members and those member stories are incrediblypowerful. One of the key principles in branding is telling yourstory. But don't just tell your story – tell your members'stories.

Strategic action step: Survey your members. Don't just askthem questions about your service. Also get a feel for how theyfeel about your brand. For example, “If our credit union were acar, what type of car would it be?”

Great credit union brands are built by people. They are built byvisionary leaders, by engaged employees and by loyal members.

Mark Arnold, CCUE, is president of On the Mark Strategies.He can be reached at 214-538-4147 or [email protected].