Webinar TakeawaysMarketing

Leigh Anne Bentley spent more than a decade in the ad agency world before coming to Leaders Credit Union ($1.3B, Jackson, TN). That experience informs her work today as the credit union’s chief marketing officer.

Coming in, she says, she worried that she might be bored moving from more than a dozen clients to just one. Not quite.

“It’s been anything but,” she says. “We work like an ad agency now.”

Speaking during a Callahan & Associates client webinar, Bentley outlined fours benefits to structuring marketing a bit differently from the average credit union.

CU Quick Facts

Location: Jackson, TN
Assets: $1.3B
Members: 90,743
Branches: 10
Employees: 219

1. The Ability To Do It All

Rather than relying on outside expertise, Leaders has leaned into Bentley’s agency background. The credit union produces all of its marketing in-house, which means the usual print and digital pieces but also podcasts, TV ads (Leaders is one of just a handful of shops to have an in-house videographer), and even radio ads.

 

2. Cost-Conscious DIY

Bringing all marketing operations in-house enabled the credit union to cut costs and move more quickly. As the team has grown, so has its scope, increasing content production and marketing opportunities.

 

3. Beyond Marketing

Bentley’s team does more than work on advertising campaigns. The group also oversees community engagement, member experience, and events — all under Bentley in the org chart.

The marketing org chat at Leaders Credit Union.

4. No Silos Here

Each division of Bentley’s team has its own focus, but member experience is paramount in everything it does. Additionally, the entire team meets with sales and lending every month to review current performance and better understand upcoming initiatives to fuel future campaigns.

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