USE Credit Union

Lightstream

USE Credit Union sought to increase mortgage loan applications by 25% using a digital-only campaign. The campaign consisted of segmented messaging presented via landing pages, search ads, digital display ads, and Facebook advertising. Using market research to build two home buyer personas, USE Credit Union created a campaign that had a unique, segmented two-part focus—on first-time home buyers and experienced home buyers. This allowed USE Credit Union to customize its message to each of these groups’ unique concerns and talk to them at a level appropriate to their experience.

USE Credit Union reached $1 billion in assets toward the end of 2019 and provides a broad array of financial products and services to more than 60,000 members throughout California. Any California state employee or California university employee is eligible for USE Credit Union membership, along with others who live, work, or worship in the five counties in which USE Credit Union holds community charters and operates eight branches: San Diego County, Sacramento County, Yolo County, Alameda County and Santa Clara County.

USE Credit Union selected the targeting for this campaign’s two audiences using two home buyer personas that were developed after compiling extensive market research. Those personas represented a younger, first-time home buyer and a more experienced, higher-income home buyer. Based on those two personas, USE Credit Union used sophisticated targeting, layering interest targeting on top of demographic targeting, to make sure the campaign would reach people who would be most likely to respond to it.