Filene Launches Center To Help CUs Stand Out, Strengthen Member Loyalty
By CU Today Staff —
MADISON, Wis.—Filene Research Institute has launched a new Center of Excellence focused on helping credit unions sharpen their value propositions and tell more compelling stories in an increasingly crowded financial services market.
The Center for Differentiation & Storytelling will use research, data and practical tools to help credit unions better understand members, define what makes their organizations distinct and communicate that value in ways that build trust and loyalty.
Filene said the initiative comes as many credit unions struggle to retain members despite industrywide awareness campaigns. Citing NCUA data, Filene said 56% of all credit unions—and 60% of those with less than $1 billion in assets—lost members in 2024.
Competition from large banks, fintechs and nonfinancial companies is adding pressure, Filene said. At the same time, digital wallets, embedded finance and agentic commerce are making traditional banking relationships less visible, complicating efforts to create lasting brand loyalty.
“Storytelling without differentiation is just noise,” said Christie Kimbell, executive vice president of Filene.
She said the center will help credit unions first determine what makes them worth choosing before focusing on how to communicate that message.
The center will organize its work around three pillars: member understanding, clear differentiation and compelling storytelling. Its research will examine how credit unions can use data to better understand consumer behavior, strengthen loyalty, develop purpose-driven messaging and create brand experiences that stand out.
Dr. Jonathan Zhang, the Ajay Menon Professor in Business and associate professor of marketing at Colorado State University, will serve as the center’s fellow. Eleven credit unions and trade groups have signed on as founding sponsors, including American Airlines FCU, American Eagle Financial CU, America’s Credit Unions, Coastal CU, FourLeaf FCU, GoWest Credit Union Association, Kinecta FCU, OneAZ CU, orsa CU, Visions FCU and Westerra CU.
Learn more here about the Center for Differentiation & Storytelling.
Originally reported by CU Today.