What hot topics in the credit union marketing space are you excited to explore in 2026?
More AI advancements and personalization
As generative AI continues to emerge as a powerful co-pilot for us credit union marketers in 2026, it is enabling us to be smarter about our segmentation, predictive insights, and our ability to create automated content while maintaining brand voice and compliance. We are working to pair this with our data strategies to help us unlock personalization at scale, delivering timely, relevant experiences that feel genuinely tailored to each member across multiple channels.
Andrea Finn, Marketing Manager, Royal Credit Union
New year, new member behaviors
In 2026, I’m most excited to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping member behavior and what that means for credit union marketing. As AI-driven assistants and apps increasingly replace traditional search and website browsing, members will not discover brands the same way they used to. Attention is shifting away from search engines and static websites and toward conversational, intent-based experiences.
This raises important questions for marketers. Where do members encounter our brand when AI is the interface? How do we stay visible, trusted, and relevant when decisions are guided by algorithms instead of clicks? I am eager to learn where the new opportunities lie for credit unions to earn attention, build relationships, and influence decisions in an AI-first world.
Armand Parvazi, Strategic Adviser, CUCollaborate
Can we automate that?
This year, I'm most looking forward to how new AI tools can improve and automate current production workflows. We've already started to use AI summaries for some of our conversion reporting, which has made it so much easier when communicating campaign success to senior leadership. Copywriting and image editing, for example, have also made so many advancements with the addition of generative AI.
I'm also curious to continue exploring dynamic ad placement & targeting with the assistance of AI. It can be overwhelming at times to keep up with all of the new marketing tools being introduced daily, but it's also such an exciting time for change in our industry.
Brandon Hardy, Digital Marketing Strategist, Tower Federal Credit Union
Interactive and hands-on 🙌
I’m really excited to explore more interactive and experiential marketing in 2026, especially ways to turn traditional ads into two-way engagement opportunities by jumping in hands-on! We recently wrapped a city bus and launched a “Spot the Bus” social media contest to extend the campaign’s reach and spark community participation. We’re also exploring opportunities to periodically cover bus fares as a give-back initiative, which could create meaningful impact and generate positive earned media.
Christin Vaughn, SVP / Chief Marketing Officer, Allegiance Credit Union
Brand loyalty vs. bot logic: The new revenue risk 🤖
In 2026, I’m focused on how giants like Amazon and Walmart are rewriting the rules of payment. By using AI to automate shopping, these retailers are training members to let "bot logic" choose how they pay, often bypassing credit unions entirely. This is a death by a thousand cuts for our bottom line—if an AI agent picks a retailer’s own rail or a stablecoin over our card, we lose the interchange and non-interest income we rely on. As marketers, we have to ensure we’re not just visible to members, but optimized as the default choice for the algorithms managing their wallets.
💡 Tip: To win the default spot, we need campaigns specifically incentivizing members to link our card for One-Click or Auto-Pay on major retail sites. If we aren’t the primary card in their profile today, we won't even be an option for their AI assistant tomorrow.
Cynthia McAree, Chief Marketing Officer, Apple Federal Credit Union
Experience-led marketing
I'm excited to explore experience-led marketing for credit unions in 2026, creating interactions that are simple, personal, and purposeful. By anticipating member needs and removing friction at every touchpoint, we can deliver the kind of care and understanding that competitors can’t replicate. I look forward to discovering new ways to connect with members in ways that truly resonate and showcase the people-first nature of credit unions.
Erin Macasek, VP of Marketing, BCU
Proving what marketing really moves
In 2026, I’m really interested in getting better at marketing reporting and showing impact in ways that actually make sense to leadership and boards. Credit union marketers are doing a lot of good work, but we don’t always tell the story clearly or consistently enough. I’m excited to learn how teams are simplifying metrics, improving attribution, and connecting campaigns back to real outcomes like member growth, product adoption, and revenue, without drowning in dashboards or vanity metrics.
Hilary Kissell, Director of Marketing and Community Development, Embold Credit Union
Measuring what matters
I’m excited to see how credit unions leverage the increasing amount of data they have at their disposal to measure their impact in a meaningful way. This might mean breaking down internal silos to go beyond specific marketing campaigns and explore longer-term member outcomes.
Digital tools are opening up new possibilities, but at the end of the day, they are incidental if credit unions aren't improving their members' financial health. I'm starting to see more credit unions reassessing what they measure and digging into the data to inform and align community development, financial education, member experience, and marketing efforts.
Kerala Goodkin, Co-Owner and Director of Marketing & Impact, PixelSpoke
Striking the balance ⚖️
I'm interested in learning both what new creative tools peers are loving, as well as how they are maintaining the warmth of the credit union experience in this fast-changing world. I'm really energized by the potential of creative AI tools like Midjourney and Veo to expand our visual storytelling. It's amazing what we can create to capture the imagination and reduce creative costs.
But for me, 2026 is ultimately about balance. While we explore the new digital frontiers, I'm equally passionate about doubling down on the human connection side of things with more in-person activations and community events, so we hold onto our key differentiators. It's our 90th anniversary this year, so we're going to have a lot of fun with that, honoring our history face-to-face while using new tech to help us look forward to the next 90. What are other people doing? I want to know!
Mary Hollingsworth, VP Digital Marketing, South Carolina Federal Credit Union
