Credit Union Contest: Win Money by Bashing Banks

There’s a new genre of dating disaster stories, and they center on you, banks.

Indeed, the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) is luring state residents to leak their disaster banking stories — or their positive encounters with credit unions — with its new “Bankziety” campaign.

As part of the new bank bashing marketing effort, the Network that represents roughly 141 credit unions is soliciting Minnesotans to share their stories of banking anxiety, money stress or how credit unions have been the “bankziety” cure through Facebook in 200 words or less. The top four stories will be awarded $2,000. Stories can be submitted through May 7 on the MnCun Facebook page.

Part of the new campaign also includes launching SeeYouLaterBank.com, a website offering events, contests and promotions to offer consumers credit union membership tools and resources.

Beyond big bank smack-talking, the effort aims to point out how credit unions can be the Xanax for banking.

The website touts the Bankziety campaign’s reasons as “to provide ideas, insights and tools to help people learn more about how credit unions can alleviate the things that stress them out about their banks. Through our website, within media and social media, and in many of the credit unions across the state, you’ll feel the energy behind this movement.”

“Our credit unions have been telling us that they’re seeing more and more new customers coming through their doors because people are ready for something different,” said MnCUN President and Chief Executive Mark Cummins in a statement.

The new MnCUN marketing play underscores mummers of a rebirth of the Occupy Wall Street sentiments of dumping the big bad banks. Living in downtown Manhattan, I’ve seen clues of OWS coming back together as the weather warms up. Big bank bashing is far from over.