Meridian Credit Union is betting on DOOH and TV to promote its new campaign “More Than a Number,” which aims to appeal to audiences that don’t feel well-served by the big banks. The campaign is the latest phase of Meridian’s rebranding process, which seeks to establish stronger relationships with Canadians.

Matthew Seagrim, chief digital and marketing officer at Meridian Credit Union, tells Media in Canada that the company invested in TV after its research showed the channel allows the brand to reach new and current audience segments. “In addition to linear TV, we are leveraging Connected TV to ensure we also reach cord cutters and utilize the unique targeting capabilities this channel offers,” he says.

The team also wanted to take advantage of DOOH’s segmentation capabilities to reach a more diverse and younger urban audience beyond Meridian’s consumer base, which is primarily made up of people living in suburban Ontario, with an average age of 58, Seagrim notes.

“Although we have used OOH as a channel in previous campaigns, this is the first time we are utilizing DOOH at this scale,” Seagrim said. “We have never invested at the level that we have this year.”

The idea for “More Than a Number” creative came about after the brand discovered in its research that Ontarians are looking for more personalized, community-oriented banking relationships.

Additionally, there is a lack of market awareness when it comes to credit unions, Seagrim says, who adds that the strategy behind the rebranding was not only to raise awareness of Meridian, but also to educate people about its business model.

“We incorporated a layer in our marketing funnel to address this need. We developed campaigns to raise awareness of our product and service offerings, bridging the knowledge gap and building momentum towards the bottom of the funnel,” Meridian says.

Twenty6Two handled media buying for TV and OOH, while spPR handled PR and media relations. H&K handled PR strategy and survey management, Cult led brand strategy, Elemental creative, and AndHumanity inclusive marketing.

The campaign, which launched at the beginning of the month, will continue to expand throughout the fall.