Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Jan Dailey, SVP, Marketing Manager
972-391-6191, jan.dailey@tnbcard.com

Kristine Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations
972-889-9577, kristine@duxpr.com

TDECU Combines Creative Marketing
with Strong Promotion to Generate Card Acquisition Success

Dallas – July 16, 2007 – From targeting members to designing creative marketing pieces, Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU) did everything right in the Spring 2007 TNB Card Services Card Acquisition Promotion, and it paid off in a big way.

The credit union was one of the top performers in the annual TNB promotion. It achieved a strong response rate to its direct mail, added 241 new credit cardholder accounts, and brought in $240,000 from a balance transfer option that it added to the promotion.

TDECU, headquartered in Lake Jackson, Texas, serves a broad range of employee groups as well as residents of several counties near Houston. The credit union has more than 20,000 credit cardholders among its more than 102,000 members, and boasts $1.2 billion in assets.

"We wanted to create a clever, witty way to promote the card, which we have never done before," said Max Villaronga, vice president of retail delivery for TDECU. “We do believe that contributed to the success of the promotion."

The credit union worked with a design firm to develop a creative piece that was built around a "coffee" theme. TNB worked with the design theme to customize the direct mailer, leveraging TNB’s turnkey marketing program. With attention-getting phrases such as "an APR that will perk you up" and “a rebate offer to sweeten the deal," they were able to get their offer noticed once it arrived in members’ mailboxes.

"We haven’t done a lot of direct mail in the past, so our members do open what we send," Villaronga said. "Our mailer helped remind members that we have a credit card, and reinforced our low, competitive rates."

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TDECU enhanced the promotional offer – of six months with zero interest for new cardholders – with a cash-back program offer and the option of a balance transfer from other cards. It also offered extremely competitive long-term interest rates as well. The credit union targeted members in specific credit score tiers, and sent out more than 13,000 mailers. Its account opening response rate was a strong 1.8 percent.

"For this promotion, our goal was to be more aggressive and reach a larger member base," Villaronga said. "We were confident we would do better than average, based on the results of our previous promotions."

What TDECU has found when it comes to marketing and promotion, Villaronga added, is that "doing something is better than doing nothing. If you don't market a credit card program to your members, someone else will. If members are to benefit from the credit union’s value proposition, they need to know about all of its services and products."

Dusty Bowers, senior vice president and national sales manager of TNB Card Services, said TDECU provides a great example of how a customized marketing strategy can lift a turnkey promotion to greater success. "The combination of TNB’s standard program and the credit union’s unique marketing message made this offer work exceptionally well," Bowers said.

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About TNB Card Services
TNB Card Services, owned and directed by credit unions since 1976, provides electronic payments processing, as well as an agent issuing solution for credit unions nationwide. Serving more than 500 financial institutions and managing more than 1.8 million cards, Dallas-based TNB enables credit unions to enhance member loyalty through credit union-branded card products. For more information about TNB, go to www.tnbcard.com or call Dusty Bowers at 1-800-422-0733 ext. 6555.

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