Illinois partners with Pennsylvania ‘iBelong’ campaign

Hawthorne Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit, financial cooperative serving the financial needs of our members.

As a cooperative organization, Hawthorne exist solely to meet our members’ financial needs, not to make a profit off of them. In fact, after expenses are paid and reserves are set aside, credit unions return their "profits" to members in the form of lower loans rates, higher savings rates, and free. On the other hand, for-profit financial institutions primarily exist to generate profits for a relatively small group of stockholders at the expense of their customers.

The Illinois Credit Union League (ICUL) will partner with the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association's (PCUA) "iBelong" media campaign to increase credit union awareness in Illinois.

The Illinois Statewide Image Awareness Task Force has met since last year to develop a program to increase credit union awareness among Illinois consumers. After reviewing several state campaigns, the task force chose iBelong.

"Pennsylvania developed a top notch campaign that we believe will play well here in Illinois," said ICUL Chairman Carl Sorgatz. "Between the research and all the elements that have been created, we feel this is an initiative our credit unions will get excited about and support."

The task force hopes to eliminate misconceptions about credit unions; increase consumer interest in doing business with credit unions; enhance credit union image among lawmakers; and complement and lay the foundation for individual credit union marketing.

"We can begin to change the way Illinois consumers think about credit unions," said John Bratsakis, ICUL vice chairman and task force chairman.