Chris Lorence on raising consideration of credit unions
b'As a credit union branch manager in the 1990s, Chris Lorence found it frustrating how many members would have payroll deduction through the institution but keep their primary financial relationship elsewhere. They simply didn\\u2019t consider the credit union for most loans, investments, and other services. The same issue remains widespread today, he says. \\u201cAs long as I\\u2019ve been in financial services, there has been the perception that credit unions weren\\u2019t for everyone. Consumers who aren\\u2019t members hear \\u2018credit union\\u2019 and think \\u2018car loan\\u2019 or \\u2018I could join one where I used to work.\\u2019\\u201d He\\u2019s working to change that perception as CUNA\\u2019s chief credit union awareness officer. Since June 2019, Lorence has led CUNA\\u2019s Awareness Initiative, Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union\\xae, a digital-first marketing campaign that\\u2019s raising consumer consideration of credit unions. In this episode of the CUNA News Podcast, Lorence shares highlights from the initiative\\u2019s first year, how research shapes the effort, challenges in raising consumers\\u2019 consideration of credit unions, next steps, and more.'