SURREY, BC--(Marketwired - June 17, 2016) - A year after Coast Capital Savings made waves with its successful #VancouverGetsIt stunt, involving piggy banks full of money handed out to unsuspecting morning commuters, the credit union has been awarded the Achievement in Marketing Excellence (AIME) Award by the Marketing Association for Credit Unions (MACU). The awards, recognizing achievements in marketing, advertising and communications, were recently handed out at the annual MACU Strategic Marketing Conference in Ottawa.
The coordinated media relations and social media stunt, #VancouverGetsIt, was developed to promote the launch of Coast Capital's innovative Members Get It™ Mortgages (MGIM). The credit union's new mortgage product offers new and existing members highly competitive rates in addition to features like up to $1,000 in Help Extras™ to support, or kick-start, savings goals.
To create buzz, Coast Capital tipped off local news media the day before the stunt, raising awareness of the high cost of housing in Vancouver and offering simple financial help. The earned media strategy proved overwhelmingly successful and resulted in more than 1,000 people lining up outside of Coast Capital's branch at the corner of Georgia and Thurlow Streets in downtown Vancouver, hoping to choose one piggy bank from a house-shaped installation and win anywhere from $5 to $1,000.
The stunt and subsequent media release garnered over 27 million media impressions in a 24-hour period, including mention on CBC's The National. Social media played a key role in the success of the stunt, with the #VancouverGetsIt hashtag trending in Vancouver on the day of the stunt with over 1.6 million impressions. Similar results were seen across other social media platforms, including 50,000 views of the stunt video on YouTube and Facebook.
"We're thrilled that #VancouverGetsIt has been recognized by MACU's Achievement in Marketing Excellence Awards," said Lawrie Ferguson, Coast Capital's Chief Marketing Officer. "The campaign exceeded our expectations and proved to be a fun way to engage British Columbians, specifically Metro Vancouverites, reeling under the pressure of steep housing costs. The stunt enabled us to lend a helping hand while raising awareness of Coast Capital Savings as a financial institution that understands its members' needs and is committed to improving their financial well-being."
Coast Capital has received over 20 marketing awards from MACU since 2003, including awards for its "Monsters" campaign and the Where You're At Money Chat™ product launch.
Coast Capital Savings is Canada's largest credit union by membership. A recipient of the 2015 "Outstanding Corporation" Giving Hearts Award, the credit union invested $5 million into local communities in 2015, focusing on empowering and engaging youth. Coast Capital is one of Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures™, a member of Canada's Best Managed Companies Platinum Club, and an Imagine Canada Caring Company. It has 50 branches serving its 532,000 members in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Okanagan regions of British Columbia. Product innovations include Canada's first free chequing account from a full-service financial institution. To learn more, visit coastcapitalsavings.com.
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Contact Information:
For more information, contact:
Angela Rogers
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Coast Capital Savings
T: 604.517.7426
E: angela.rogers@coastcapitalsavings.com
