By Jennifer Vickery

Credit unions have spent decades chasing Millennials and, more recently, Gen Z.  However, while we focus on fine-tuning TikTok strategies and optimizing mobile apps for young adults, an even more influential consumer group is quietly emerging: Generation Alpha.

Born between 2010 and 2025, Generation Alpha is the first generation entirely raised in a world influenced by smartphones, streaming services, and smart technology. They are digital natives, but more significantly, they are “influence natives.” Their opinions already play a significant role in family purchases, and their expectations regarding technology, ethics, and identity are far beyond where most financial institutions stand today.

The Blunt Truth

If you’re a credit union looking to stay relevant in the next five, 10, or 20 years, Gen Alpha needs to be on your radar right now. Here’s the blunt truth: if you wait until Gen Alpha turns 18 to start speaking to them, you’ve already lost them.

From a public relations perspective, this is a golden opportunity credit unions cannot afford to miss. You get to build long-term relationships with a generation before the big banks even think to send them their first pre-approved credit card offer.

This isn’t about kiddie savings accounts and coloring books. It’s about establishing brand affinity, loyalty, and trust—three things credit unions pride themselves on—before competitors even show up.

Let’s Be Clear

Let’s be clear: Gen Alpha will be the largest and most diverse generation. They’re expected to number more than two-billion globally by 2025. In the U.S., they’re already shaping household decisions around spending, technology, travel, and money. Their parents, largely Millennials, are raising them with values centered around mission-driven organizations, sustainability, mental health, and financial literacy. 

What does this mean for credit unions? It indicates that your public relations strategy should shift from addressing adults about children to engaging children as future members. This requires more than just a superficial youth program; it means incorporating Generation Alpha into your brand’s identity.

Here are a few ways to get serious about Gen Alpha:

Start Building Youth Financial Literacy Campaigns with Real Teeth

Don’t rely on outdated curriculum or dry budgeting lessons. Gamify it. Collaborate with YouTube creators or educational influencers kids already follow. Design age-appropriate learning apps that integrate with your online banking tools. Better yet, invite Gen Alpha into the process. Use student advisory panels to shape your approach.

Public relations isn’t just about telling your story—it’s about making people feel like they’re part of your story. Credit unions that position themselves as champions of youth empowerment and financial independence will win long-term loyalty.

Go Where They Are—Even If It Feels Uncomfortable

You may hate TikTok. You may think Roblox is a game, not a marketing channel. You may have never heard of a kid-fluencer. But these platforms are where Gen Alpha is forming opinions, exploring identities, and yes—encountering brands.

Major consumer companies are already quietly building a presence in these spaces. Where are the credit unions?

You don’t need to slap your logo on a Minecraft world, but you should be experimenting with immersive content and digital storytelling in spaces where kids and preteens spend their time. 

Position Credit Unions as the Anti-Bank—In Terms Kids Understand

One of the most powerful PR moves credit unions can make is to lean into their values in ways that matter to Gen Alpha. Kids are more socially conscious than any generation before them. They care about where the money goes. They ask questions about fairness, inclusion, and environmental impact.

This is PR gold.

Talk about how your credit union reinvests in the community. Show how you’re helping schools, local nonprofits, or food banks. Tell stories that demonstrate you’re not just another financial institution, you’re a financial partner that cares about people over profits.

You don’t need a 12-year-old to fully understand cooperative economics, but you can make sure they know your credit union is about doing the right thing, not just making a commission.

Involve Parents Without Making It About Parents

Gen Alpha may be the target, but parents are still the gatekeepers, especially in financial decisions. That’s where strategic PR comes in.

Position your Gen Alpha outreach as a family value-add. Create content that helps Millennial parents talk to their kids about money. Develop joint accounts or tools that allow parents and kids to set financial goals together. Offer family-centered workshops and virtual events.

This isn’t just good business; it’s a messaging opportunity. Credit unions can lead the conversation about raising financially savvy, socially conscious kids. That’s a headline your local news and social media followers will be happy to share.

Invest in Future-Facing Tools, Not Just Future-Facing Ads

This generation won’t just compare your logo or commercials, they’ll compare your tech. PR can’t fix a clunky mobile app or outdated website. Gen Alpha expects fluid, intuitive digital experiences that integrate with their lifestyle.

If your digital tools feel like a throwback to 2015, no amount of brand storytelling will make up for that. Make sure your product supports your PR promises. If you say you’re for the future, you’d better act like it.

Make Youth Voices a Part of Your Story

Want to be seen as authentic? Hand Gen Alpha the mic.

Launch essay contests, video competitions, or youth advisory councils. Feature young members in your newsletters or on your website. Let them talk about what they want from a financial institution and actually listen.

This kind of storytelling is pure PR magic—genuine, relatable, and differentiating. It also reinforces the idea that your credit union doesn’t just serve a community, it grows one.

The Race Has Started

Some credit union leaders might think targeting Gen Alpha is premature, but forward-thinking organizations know that brand affinity doesn’t begin at 18. 

The race for Gen Alpha has already started. Most banks haven’t noticed yet. That’s your advantage—but it won’t last forever.

Credit unions have always prided themselves on thinking differently. It’s time to extend that thinking to the youngest generation with the biggest future.

And if we don’t? Well, rest assured: someone else will.

About the Author: Jennifer Vickery is Founder & CEO of National Strategies Public Relations and is a strategic communications consultant who helps credit unions grow their visibility, trust, and member engagement through bold, values-driven public relations. For info: www.nspublicrelations.com and [email protected]