When new customers come to CommunityAmerica Credit Union, they’re not just opening an account, they’re becoming members of a not-for-profit organization that sees all its members as co-owners. As such, they wanted to create an “Owner’s Manual” to give to all new members. This piece was to be something that would reinforce the member’s choice to join CommunityAmerica and educate them on all the advantages of ownership.

The approach for the Owner’s Manual was three-fold:

1. Welcome. Welcome new members to CommunityAmerica. Create a piece that would reflect the company’s inviting, warm ways.

2. Share. Share the company’s philosophy and structure. There’s a reason this was called the Owner’s Manual, and that’s because CommunityAmerica is organized as a not-for-profit organization that treats all of its members as owner’s. It’s what they believe in and it informs everything, from the way the business is structured, to the perks that members reap. It was critical new members understood this.

3. Educate. Educate new members on all of the products and services CommunityAmerica has to offer. Much like a new car comes with a manual showcasing in detail the functions and features of the automobile, we sought to create a book that detailed all of great features CommunityAmerica has to offer.

The Owner’s Manuals were distributed two ways. If someone new opened an account in the branch, a front line employee would hand deliver the book along with an explanation of what it was and why it was important. As so many new accounts are opened online, if someone opened an account online, the manual would be mailed out a few days later.