NEW ORLEANS — Credit Human has launched a “Straight Talk” campaign in New Orleans aimed at highlighting the impact of large-bank consolidation on local communities and promoting credit unions as an alternative financial model, according to the credit union.
The San Antonio-based Credit Human said the campaign focuses on how mergers and acquisitions among financial institutions can affect access to capital, local lending decisions and economic opportunity within communities.
“Where you put your money matters, especially in a city like New Orleans where the impact of mergers and acquisitions of local institutions has consequences that manifest over time,” Steve Hennigan, president and CEO of Credit Human, said in a statement.
“When decision-making about deposits leaves the city, so too does the access to that capital to help fund mortgages, small-business loans and community projects that strengthen individuals and neighborhoods,” Hennigan added.
A Comparison of Banks & Credit Unions
According to Credit Human, the campaign compares the ownership and governance structures of large shareholder-owned banks and member-owned credit unions.
The campaign notes that:
- Shareholder-owned banks are designed to generate returns for investors through lending, service fees and other financial products.
- Credit Human, as a member-owned not-for-profit credit union, said it reinvests earnings into rates, fees and member services.
- The credit union said it also provides one-on-one financial guidance through its Financial Health Centers for both members and nonmembers.
More About What Makes CUs Different
Credit Human said the campaign promotes the idea that credit unions operate with a mission centered on improving members’ financial well-being rather than maximizing shareholder returns.
“Too many New Orleanians at every socio-economic level from low to lower edge of upper-income are finding themselves living paycheck to paycheck and stuck making high-cost financial decisions — not because they’re irresponsible — but because no one has ever sat down with them to explain and provide access to options,” Hennigan said in the statement.
According to the credit union, the campaign includes a microsite and digital advertising featuring interviews with community members, Credit Human customers and company leadership discussing local investment and access to capital.
Part of Broader Strategy in Crescent City
Credit Human said the effort complements its broader expansion strategy in New Orleans, where it currently operates six Financial Health Center locations and plans additional sites. The centers offer financial coaching, debt management guidance, savings support and educational programming, with services available to both members and nonmembers.
The campaign was created by Trumpet Advertising, a New Orleans-based branding and advertising agency that works with clients in financial services, healthcare, tourism, education and nonprofit sectors.
