Adrenaline’s Juliet D’Ambrosio Talks about the Power of Putting People at the Center of Your Credit Union

Company’s Senior Director of Strategy as spotlight speaker at Marketing Association of Credit Unions (MAC) Virtual Conference

Tuesday, March 2, 2021– In the all-virtual mini MAC conference on Friday, February 26, Adrenaline’s Juliet D’Ambrosio shared her insights about customer-centricity with credit union marketing leaders in a powerful presentation that emphasized the notable impact this people-first approach can have on credit union performance. Focusing on positive experiences for people, customer-centricity ultimately supports credit unions as they build rich, long-term relationships with their members. With actionable insights and illuminating examples, the presentation highlighted best-practices both from inside and outside financial services.

“The good news about customer-centricity is that the main tenet – putting people first – is something that credit unions have always done,” according to Juliet. “So for credit unions embracing this approach, it’s really about amplifying and honing a set of skills that already comes naturally to them.” Best of all, the enhanced performance credit unions get out of a deploying a customer-centric mindset inside their organizations really pays off. CUs that put people first are 40% more profitable than those that don’t. The main differentiator is CX: customer experience.

As powerful proof-points on “who’s killing it” Juliet says Chick-fil-A’s brand is focused on a culture of service. Their CX exemplified by efforts to minimize customer effort, reduce friction for their customers, amplify delight, and wrap it all up in a “my pleasure” ethos is one chief reason the Southern chicken brand is now on a march across the country. Trader Joe’s is another example of service and building brand advocacy among their customers. Their embrace of the “Culture of Kaizen” for continual improvement results in empowered employees who consistently deliver stellar CX to a “cult” of loyal customers.

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The reality for most brands, though, is there is an “experience gap” between what people want and what brands deliver. Only 49% of U.S. consumers report that brands deliver a good customer experience and 54% say that brands need to improve their CX to gain their loyalty. CX is so influential, in fact, that it drives path-to purchase everywhere, but most especially in financial services. Armed with five core principles – outside-in perspective, people-led culture, employee experience, understand audiences, and reframe metrics – credit union marketers will be ready to make meaningful inroads with new generations of members.

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The Marketing Association of Credit Unions mini MAC conference is a robust two-day virtual event featuring leading credit union marketing experts from the brand to the branch. The conference is tailored for practitioners of all levels to exchange ideas and share best practices in credit union marketing. For the latest data and insights for credit unions and banks, visit Believe in Banking. To speak with one of Adrenaline’s credit union marketing experts about strategies for the brand and branch, contact us at [email protected].


Adrenaline is an experience design agency that creates and implements end-to-end branded experiences through creative and environmental design. We enhance our clients’ customer experiences across digital and physical channels, from their branding and advertising to design and technology in their spaces. After transforming an organization’s brand, Adrenaline extends it across all touchpoints — from employees to the market to in-store environments. And, we focus on serving industries that sell human experiences including financial, healthcare, sports and entertainment.

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