For more than 84 years, Desert Financial has been Arizona’s largest, most trusted local credit union, with over $8.2 billion in assets, more than 400,000 members, and 46 branch locations across the state. As a not-for-profit cooperative, Desert Financial prides itself on providing stellar service and innovative products to its members and taking an active role in community outreach and education efforts in Arizona and beyond. In 2023 alone, Desert Financial members received $16 in dividends via their Member Giveback Bonus.
In 2022, ANDERSON developed an annual public relations plan that would position Desert Financial as the leading financial expert and service provider for Arizona consumers. There were four main objectives:
1
Generate 25 million earned media impressions.
2
Secure two financial feature stories quoting Desert Financial experts.
3
Promote the grand opening of the Flagstaff branch and encourage new member sign-ups through news media coverage.
4
Support at least two Desert Financial community giving and Teacher of the Year promotions as dictated by the newsworthiness of events.
What We Did
STRATEGY
Public relations
Solution
In order to position Desert Financial as the leading financial expert in Arizona, ANDERSON began by creating a detailed annual calendar that identified a number of key opportunities: potential pitch angles, award nominations, and editorial spaces where stories could be placed every month. Leveraging our public relations expertise in the financial sector, ANDERSON used educational blog posts to identify news-of-the-day story ideas then pitched 1–2 news stories/contributed articles per month to local Arizona news media. We also capitalized on topical and industry-related events by pitching Desert Financial experts for applicable story topics. Simultaneously, we worked with local and financial industry influencers to promote the benefits of being a Desert Financial member. Finally, Desert Financial sponsored community events calendars as well as local sports teams, events, and associations.
In every engagement with the news media, we included educational information about credit unions and how they work. It was a meticulous, highly-monitored, year-long public relations effort.
Results
Over
10 Billion
Total impressions
General Coverage
961,416,621
Impressions
Sponsorship coverage
775,362,719
Impressions
Arena coverage
8,494,462,856
Impressions
over
$17 Million
AD EQUIVALENCY DOLLARS
General Coverage
$1,264,162
AD EQUIVALENCY DOLLARS
Sponsorship coverage
$69,736
AD EQUIVALENCY DOLLARS
Arena coverage
$15,897,649
AD EQUIVALENCY DOLLARS
