Transcription:
Marketing Chat With One Of Our FAVORITES – Jesica Carriaga – Part 2!

Bill Klaproth (host): When you've been searching for the right insight, advice and information on financial marketing, you know where to go, The Speakeasy, the exclusive source for financial marketing insights. With a shot of humans, staring Kelly Hellickson and Hillary Reed from Empowerfi, strategy and fused data-driven marketing solutions for financial institutions nationwide. And on this episode, Kelly Hellickson talks with Jessica Carriaga marketing coordinator of HFS Federal Credit Union. Now here's your host Kelly Hellickson.

Kelly Hellickson: Good afternoon listeners. I have a special recurring guest, Jessica Carriaga with HFS, Federal Credit union. Jess how are you doing?

Jesica Carriaga: Hi, Kelly. I'm doing good. Really excited to be back on the podcast with you. How are you?

Kelly Hellickson: I'm good, crazy busy. All those kids and all that traveling, but, it keeps me outta trouble. Jess.

Jesica Carriaga: Good.

Kelly Hellickson: Yes. So let's talk. It has been about a year. So what have you been doing on the big island at HFS? From a marketing standpoint? as marketing coordinator, that's, been different. What are you shaking things up with? How have you changed some of your processes in the last year?

Jesica Carriaga: Well, the last year has been a very exciting one for us. Lots of big projects. So I think we last so about a year ago, right. We talked and we were gearing up for our anniversary. So in 2022, we've been celebrating our 85th anniversary, lots of sweepstakes giveaways, and, fun promotions that we've been doing for that this year. But the biggest project that we've had is actually our rebranding. So we launched a new logo, new mission, vision values in May of this year. and then we also had a debit card conversion that followed two months after that in July. So I feel like we're finally getting past these huge projects.

Kelly Hellickson: Yes. Oh my gosh. That's so exciting in 85 years. So, to touch on that, you know, there's so much, there has to be so much brand equity in HFS Federal Credit Union, the name itself. So I'm glad that, y'all just decided to rebrand and not rename, but I imagine that was a discussion, correct?

Jesica Carriaga: Yes, definitely. And that was something that actually you folks helped us with, looking into that brand equity and, interviewing staff and things like that, which really helped us see that, our name is not something that we wanted to change because it's just so well known, especially because we've been around for so long. So yeah, we did choose to keep the name, but then we were able to update our look so that it's more modern and fresh and up to date with where we're at now. It was time that the look needed to grow with us.

Kelly Hellickson: With the organization? Yes ma'am. Oh, that's great. when we came out to see you all in, I think it was 2019. You can just feel, just a definite vibe and a definite stapler part of the community. and what you have there at HFS. It really, truly is family and Ohana. Did I get that right?

Jesica Carriaga: Yes, you did. Yeah.

Kelly Hellickson: Oh, that's fantastic. And if I remember correctly, Ohana means family. Right?

Jesica Carriaga: Yes, you got it.

Kelly Hellickson: Yay. Yeah, so definitely a staple on the big island. And I talked to Hillary just before, you came on the show and it really is a little bit different on the big island and in Hawaii in terms of marketing, what would you say media wise, staple wise is your go-to when you are talking about a campaign and trying to get word to the community and your membership at large?

Jesica Carriaga: Yeah, so that's a really good question. for us, I feel like we're a little bit behind the curve when it comes to especially technology. So when we're looking at, advertising and different channels, we use for these kinds of messages and promotions, we have to have a mix of your, kind of the old school, right? So the newspaper and the radio, those are still really important for our market here. But then we do still need to have a good mix of digital included in that.

And of course we don't have things like billboards, or advertising on bus stops or things like that. That's not even a possibility. So we have to get a little creative. We did jump into TV for our rebranding. we kind of just wanted to be everywhere that we could be so that the message was, really shown to the whole community, the whole island. So we used a bunch of different methods.

Kelly Hellickson: That's great. So you did, kind of spearhead into TV then for this brand awareness campaign?

Jesica Carriaga: Yeah. So we really wanted to make sure that video was a big part of this launch. So we had not only the launch to our members, but also to our staff, we had to start launching it to them first to make sure that they were on board with what this new brand meant to us. So we did a video series and every month leading up to may, we released a new video to the staff. You know, the first one is just kind of like a look at what the new logo looked like. And then we would introduce the mission, vision values each month after.

And so when we made those videos, we were able to repurpose those staff videos into commercials for our community as well. So we had those running on social, and then we also had a, contract for a few months with a local station where we had the commercial running there too digital and on TV.

Kelly Hellickson: Oh, that's so wonderful. And you touched on something that's just absolutely monumental and must, must, must. So anyone listening to this, anyone thinking about going embarking on a rebrand, anyone in the middle of a rebrand, anyone ready to unveil that new, beautiful brand? Buy in from internal team is absolutely necessary. And it's a first step before you release it to the community. We have a lot of folks that, I don't wanna say missed the mark, but I guess I wanna say missed the mark on rolling that out from an internal launch standpoint, and do a soft launch internal kind of use your team and your organization as practiced to then soft and then hard launch to the public at large. Wouldn't you say?

Jesica Carriaga: Yeah, absolutely. And we wanted to have fun with that internal launch too. So we first thought it was really important that the faces in the videos were our staff, because we wanted our staff members themselves to be telling the story of what this new brand means to them. So we had this small group of people that we brought together, that we introduced the new brand to them first. And we did this little chat, like, what do these things mean to you? And then we followed up by recording that on video. So then with every video launch that we did. We had a little gift for them.

Just fun stuff, like, branded fortune cookies with our mission, vision values on the messaging inside. We did branded candy in our colors with the logo printed on it. We did coasters with our new values. And then finally we followed up with a swag bag, which was, I think the favorite of everybody, just a bunch of new, cool items with the new logo on it. And then of course their new name tag uniforms and things like that. So it created a lot of excitement.

Kelly Hellickson: That's fantastic. That's really, really smart. And, how did it go overall? Do you feel on buy in with the, from the staff?

Jesica Carriaga: Yeah, I think it went really well. We got a lot of good feedback from the staff. They really liked how we were keeping them in the loop so that once that launch day came for our members, they could help communicate that messaging over because they knew what everything meant. And so, yeah, I think the feedback was great.

Kelly Hellickson: That's fantastic. And it's about creating, so you've got a big beautiful brand new brand and you wanna shout it to the rooftops, but you need to create those brand ambassadors, if you will, from an internal standpoint, because they can influence the community at large. And then when you launch it to the community at large, influencers are gonna play a really, really big part in that and the overall strategy in the campaign. So kudos to you guys. That sounds great. So what's on the horizon for HFS. Where are you headed from here?

Jesica Carriaga: I guess from here, actually the past four years have all been big projects. We've had online banking, conversion, core conversion, debit and credit card conversions and the brand. Our focus has really been on all of these big projects, but now that we're past that, I think for us, I really just want to kind of take a deeper dive into what we're doing as a department. Take a closer look at our advertising methods. Where can we try something new? So like, I really want to do more with video. I think that rebranding project has really inspired us to wanna dabble into that more and the TV side of things. I think overall it's just really taking a deeper dive into what we do every day and finding ways that we can do things better, and reach our community in our members in a better way.

Kelly Hellickson: yeah, that's so great. And testimonials play a big role. So those videos can come into play and you can weave testimonials into, the narrative. And I think that's really, really powerful to have a testimonial. And just, and all we're talking about is a story, right? A success, some, interaction that you have with a member that the teammate and the member solved a problem that the member faced. And so it could be something as simple as, oh my gosh, I lost my debit card and some folks like to come in for that, some folks like to call some folks, can you cancel your debit cards online?

I'm assuming you can, but stop click call today. It just depends on the member. And when you bring that member in and you make them feel good, you solve their issues. That's a win-win and those are what can be captured on the day to day, because I'm assuming, you know, those transactions and you guys being on the big island, you guys have a lot of foot traffic don't you.

Jesica Carriaga: We do even throughout the pandemic, the foot traffic has never really slowed down. So we're hoping that with the use of video to maybe push more of our e-services options, like mobile deposit, our app, and like you mentioned with cards, we have an app that you can turn your card on and off. So, if you think you've lost it, you can turn it off to make sure that nobody can use it. You know? So just the awareness of that I think is one of the things that we do need to work on.

Kelly Hellickson: Yeah, that's great. Well, it's good that you have all these huge projects under your belt. And now, like you said, you can take a deeper dive and you can, do an assessment, a wellness check. If you will, on your marketing strategies and your initiatives and see what kind of gaps you can fill and what kind of strategy you're gonna put forth for 2023? That's fantastic.

Jesica Carriaga: Yeah, absolutely. Thanks. Sometimes I think, you know, we do things a certain way for so long and after a while, you just need to see if there's ways that you can change it up.

Kelly Hellickson: Yeah, absolutely. Shake it up well, on a completely different level. I know from talking with you in past, well, and just knowing you that you are a big lover of rescues. So how many rescues do you have right now, living with you?

Jesica Carriaga: Oh my goodness. Kelly. We have seven. So three dogs and four cats and they're all living indoors with us.

Kelly Hellickson: Oh man. So see, I have to imagine that like, so I have a puppy and he's not a puppy. He's 110 pound chocolate lab. And I am in love with him. He's my baby. Panther Bay. I'm giving you a shout out buddy. he will always be my puppy. And I just have to imagine though that, how do you deal with rescuing an animal and then falling in love with it. And then what happens is that why you still have seven or talk us through that process?

Jesica Carriaga: Well, as far as the cats go, they've all found us. They just kind of show up at our doorstep and then we start feeding them and they become new members of the family. But actually with our dogs, my mom is, well, she used to foster puppies for a local rescue. And so of course I would be there and see them. And you just can't help, but fall in love with. So we've gone through puppy stages three times. It's so hard. So I told her, I was like, I can't come look at them anymore because we're gonna end up with more.

Kelly Hellickson: Oh my gosh. That would be super difficult.

Jesica Carriaga: Yes. It's so rewarding though. Like I've always grown up with animals. And so I'm used to always having a bunch around. I mean, we grew up with horses and cows and goats and rabbits, and so it's nothing new and they just bring so much love to your life that I just couldn't imagine not having them.

Kelly Hellickson: Yes, absolutely. Well, so from, a personal standpoint, what's next for you? What have you guys taken any trips? I know you've never been on an never been on the airplane, is that correct?

Jesica Carriaga: That is correct. I'm not much of a flyer. It's hard when you have animals to travel because you have to find somebody to watch them, but I do enjoy a good staycation. So, between our island, I'm on the east side, but the west side, there's a lot of really nice hotels and beaches. So I think before the end of the year, we plan to at least, head over to the west side and do a weekend staycation, just my husband and I, and you know, we're right in the middle of a move right now, we just moved houses and we're currently selling our previous house, so.

Kelly Hellickson: Yes. Ma'am oh my gosh. What's that like, because honestly it truly, everything is different in Hawaii and especially on the big island, like people don't understand that there's so many different, ins and outs in real estate has to be what just booming. Right?

Jesica Carriaga: Yeah, it's slowed down slightly, but it's still moving really quickly. So when we got our house on the market, we actually had an offer before it was even on the market. and then within being on the market in one week, we had four more showings and two more offers. So it's just been a whirlwind.

Kelly Hellickson: Oh, my gosh. That's so good for you guys though. So where did you relocate? Like where did you buy or are you in transition? Like talk us through that.

Jesica Carriaga: Yeah, so it we're actually purchasing my grandparents' home in town. There's a lot of memories there for me. I was there a lot as a kid. When my parents were working, I would stay with them. And so after my grandma passed earlier this year, we just couldn't see that house being sold to anybody else. So we're moving from a more rural area where we were on catchment. So we didn't have like county water. We didn't have mail that couldn't come to our house. and now that we're in town, we have a mailbox, we have county water, you know, it's just like, it's kind of a cool transition. I think fun that we now have a mailbox I can check every day. It's the little things, you know.

Kelly Hellickson: Oh my gosh. It's always the little things they all add up to the bigger picture. And honestly, that's amazing if any of my cousins are listening. Oh my gosh. if we would've had the opportunity to buy grandma and grandpa's house, I think we all would've jumped at that. I'm super happy for you. That's really cool to have those memories to fall back on. Yeah. Are you guys planning? you and your husband planning on doing like any projects there or are you guys just gonna kind of settle in and then see where that takes you?

Jesica Carriaga: Yes, I think we need to settle in first, but it is an older home. It was built in the sixties. So, you know, the paneling and at least painting will be the first big project. But over time, I think we'll make some improvements and updates.

Kelly Hellickson: That's great. Well, good for you, Jes. It sounds like everything's going fantastic. Both personally and professionally. a professional standpoint, I think you have a couple new teammates don't you in the marketing depart?

Jesica Carriaga: Yes. We have a three person marketing team now, myself and two other marketing specialists. and they were actually promoted from internal positions. So, one woman was from our new accounts department and one was from our call center. So I think it's been really exciting to see the different perspective that they can bring or have been bringing to the marketing department from a standpoint where they were working directly with members. In marketing sometimes, you know, you don't see that we're behind the scenes. So it's been really helpful actually that they've had that perspective.

Kelly Hellickson: Yeah, that's really good new accounts and call center. And I mean, call center talk about being in the trenches, right? Like that is day to day, just high volume solving issues. And I bet you, it has lent a really great perspective on marketing and on the campaigns. Everything from when you strateg. To writing the content to the delivery channels and methods. So, that's really cool. How is everybody getting along? in terms of getting up to speed, how have they acclimated in that transition? Because that's kind of a transition for them too, right? Like call center to marketing. Is it a slower pace? Is it a faster pace?

Jesica Carriaga: It's definitely been a transition for both of them. Marketing has been more fast paced for them. But I think the biggest difference is they've gone from a job where, you know, they have their day to day work. That kind of stays the same, but in marketing we're very project based. And so I think that's been one of the biggest changes for them, but they've been doing so wonderful. And now that we have three of us, we've been able to kind of restructure how the department runs. So, Women who came from new accounts.

We have her specializing in financial education and community events. And then the woman who came from call center, she's so organized and she's really helping with the day to day of everything and the content writing. And so that's been really helpful and that frees me up to work on more of the strategy side of things. So we've really gotten into a good flow since they've come on board.

Kelly Hellickson: Yay. That's so amazing. I'm smiling from ear to ear because truly if there is, one client of ours that just absolutely deserves a win it's all of them, but of course, HFS because Jes, you guys have worked so hard to get to where you're at, and I'm excited to see, where this, the next, couple phases of your journey take you.

Jesica Carriaga: Thank you, Kelly. And I just wanna shout out and Empowerfi because you guys have been so amazing and helpful to us. and your team keeping us running with our day to day promotions and we couldn't do it without you folks too. So thank you.

Kelly Hellickson: Thank you. And yes, I am going to praise my team any chance I can because they are just dynamic and they are, we call them Power Rangers. And honestly, I don't know how they do what they do sometimes in a given day. It's like, how did you? Okay, well, that's some magic right there. We're gonna leave it at.

Jesica Carriaga: Yes. Power Rangers for sure.

Kelly Hellickson: All right. Well, thanks so much for coming on, Jess. I know that we'll speak to you in the future and, hope that you have a great fourth quarter and, we'll talk to you soon.

Jesica Carriaga: Thank you so much, Kelly. Talk soon.

Bill Klaproth (host): And thank you for joining us and to connect with Hillary or Kelly to simplify your credit union marketing needs, with Empowerfi, full service marketing, and design support, please visit and empowerfi.org. You can also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. And check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is The Speakeasy Financial Marketing Podcast. Thanks for listening.