Are you the voice?
Apr 14, 2011 
Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce Newsletter
Gen Y spokester sought for credit union gig.
Young. Creative. Social media-savvy. Cutting edge. If that’s who you are or someone you know, the credit unions of New Mexico are looking for you.
Credit unions throughout the state are participating in a search for a young adult “spokester” who will reach out to Gen Yers ages 18 to 25 via social media, special events and other activities to get them on track for a lifetime of financial well-being. The program, called Young & Free, gets underway with an American Idol type search and is sponsored by 17 New Mexico credit unions. Currency Marketing of Canada developed the program and is working with New Mexico credit unions to launch it.
Young & Free New Mexico is an ongoing effort to give the 18-25-year-old crowd a voice, a head start and useful information in their financial institutions, according to Credit Union Association of New Mexico CEO Sylvia Lyon. Lyon and other credit union professionals around New Mexico recently participated in filming a video - the first step in the search for a Y&F spokesperson and the launch of the program - that asked, “Are you the voice?”
The Young & Free “spokester” search and campaign will be unconventional by traditional marketing methods, Lyon explained. The campaign started from a fundamental proposition: Credit unions, with an average member age of late 40s, had to do something to stay relevant and to gain a new, young base of members. Therefore, the program starts with a search for a media- and social media-savvy young adult who will engage peers in credit unions, which will then work to understand and serve this unique generation in age-appropriate ways such as free checking accounts, online and mobile services, overdraft forgiveness and other benefits.
The spokester is expected to function as a sort of dynamic, creative and self-motivated roving ambassador, with the ability to engage Gen Y using social media, special events, meet-ups and other “off-script” methods – “Create a buzz,” Lyon said. The person who is chosen will receive an Apple MacBook Pro and high-def video camera, which they keep at the end of the one-year contract, and a smart phone, as well as a salary and use of a vehicle for the year.
The spokester search and Young & Free program officially launches April 4. The spokester will be announced June 10.
Participating credit unions are Animas CU, Del Norte CU, Eddy FCU, Everyone’s FCU, Financial Security CU, Guadalupe CU, Lea Community FCU, Los Alamos Schools CU, New Mexico Central CU, New Mexico Energy FCU, Northern New Mexico School Employees FCU, Rio Grande CU, Sandia Area FCU, Sandia Laboratory FCU, State Employees CU, US New Mexico FCU, and Zia CU.
Find out all the details on the Web site at youngfreenewmexico.com.
Are you the voice? Y&F spokester search video.
