How Lake Trust Turns Member Experiences Into Brand Strategy

A member doesn’t call to say their credit union changed their life. They call because something went wrong — a car accident, a declined card, a business on the brink. At Lake Trust Credit Union ($2.7B, Brighton, MI), those moments are where member stories begin and where the work of capturing them really starts.

The Michigan cooperative made telling member stories a key pillar of its 2019 rebranding effort. Creative + Brand Director Megan Green says the goal is to use real member experiences to show what the credit union stands for rather than what it sells.

“The goal is to inspire possibilities and empower our membership through the voices of our members themselves,” Green says.

Today, anyone can browse more than two dozen stories on Lake Trust’s website. Stories often involve members who are giving back locally, overcoming financial barriers, or growing small businesses. It’s a way for Lake Trust to show how it helps real members reach their goals. And with purpose at the forefront, the credit union measures success by emotional resonance and authenticity, not conversion alone.

Organically Sourced. Selected With Intention.

Lake Trust doesn’t source member stories through a single formal pipeline. It learns about most stories through word of mouth from front-line teams. Business development managers flag impactful moments they witness in the community while relationship centers and contact centers share meaningful member experiences.

“Storytelling is ingrained into our culture,” Green says. “We often make it a practice in our meetings, especially large ones, to kick off our conversations with our why, our member stories.”

When selecting what stories to pursue, the brand and creative team starts by examining the credit union’s overarching goals.

“For example, a younger member named Kadence came in thinking she wouldn’t be able to get a car loan,” Green explains. “That story aligned because we’re trying to reach Gen Z to help them understand what a credit union is and that they have power over their financial lives.”

Lake Trust gave Kadence two options: a larger loan with a co-signer or a smaller amount she could finance on her own. Green says independence mattered to Kadence, so she chose the second option.

“The story wasn’t about making more money for Lake Trust,” Green says. “We could have pushed the bigger loan. It was about doing what was right for the member and supporting her financial goals.”

Watch it now. Kadence is a high school student whose grandparents have been Lake Trust members for many years. Her story starts on the road, en route to her part-time job at an animal shelter. Watch Kadence’s story on laketrust.org.

In addition to goals, the team at Lake Trust considers geography when selecting member stories.

“Our membership is Michigan-based, but we’re concentrated in the lower third of the state,” Green says. “We also have three branches on the west side that don’t always get as much attention, so sometimes we’ll say we need a Holland-specific story. We’re actually working on one right now.”

Even when the right story and location align, capturing the story is not always easy. It can be difficult for individuals to open up about their financial lives in one-on-one situations, let alone on record for a larger audience to see.

“The challenging part of getting members to tell their stories sometimes is vulnerability,” Green says.

That means the pool of stories to tell narrows depending on members’ comfort on camera and willingness to share.

“A great example is a member of ours named Michael Meza,” Green says. “He wasn’t shy about sharing his struggles, because from those struggles he found triumph.”

Meza was in recovery after falling victim to the opioid epidemic, and the financial impact of his addiction made it difficult for him to get help from bigger banks. That’s when Lake Trust did what credit unions do best: step in when other institutions won’t.

“He has since became a counselor himself, and he recommends Lake Trust to his clients because he knows they’ll be treated like people,” Green says.

Watch it now. Personal perseverance and community support can help anyone write a new chapter in their story. With the help of Lake Trust Credit Union, and after overcoming personal challenges, Michael Meza is now helping other people rewrite their stories, too. Watch Michael’s story on laketrust.org.

The Small Business Message

Because Lake Trust frequently collaborates with the local business community, member stories are far from limited to personal financial journeys. One story the credit union launched earlier this year centered on a local retailer called Brass & Oak.

“It’s a great story because it took advantage of one of our products, but more importantly, it also benefited from a sponsorship we had for an event downtown where our headquarters is,” Green says.

Inspired by Gilmore Girls, Brighton’s second annual Destination Stars Hollow event drew roughly 50,000 visitors to Main Street last September. Still, credit union leadership recognized that kind of foot traffic alone wouldn’t guarantee success for local merchants.

“Some small businesses might not have the funds to take advantage of that opportunity,” Green says. “So, we offered our small businesses a microloan within our product suite to help them stock up for the traffic coming through their doors.”

Brass & Oak was one of several businesses that used credit union financing to build inventory and meet the surge in demand tied to the event. For Lake Trust, that combination of access and visibility reflects its broader brand promise of “multiplying positive impact.”

Watch it now. Jennifer R. had an ambitious dream as a young child: She wanted to own a business. Lake Trust Credit Union helps her live that dream as the owner and founder of Brass + Oak, a clothing boutique in downtown Brighton. Watch Jennifer’s story on laketrust.org.

Another business-focused story highlights Bleu Bowtique, founded by a man named Ne’Gyle B. who started selling men’s fashion out of the trunk of his car. Lake Trust supported his growth by helping him tap into a small business grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and later amplified his visibility with a billboard placed just blocks from his storefront.

“People start to make that association: This is Ne’Gyle, a small business owner in our community, and he banks with Lake Trust because Lake Trust empowers him,” Green says. “It creates this ecosystem of community togetherness, which is one of the goals of our stories.”

Watch it now. Style guru Ne’Gyle is on a mission to put his city back on the map as a fashion Mecca … with a little help from Lake Trust Credit Union. He stocks limited-run articles of clothing and creates high-quality handcrafted bow ties shoppers can’t find anywhere else. Watch Ne’Gyle’s story on laketrust.org.

Media Capabilities

It’s worth noting that Lake Trust’s member stories wouldn’t be possible without significant investments on the credit union’s part.

Last year, the Michigan cooperative acquired Mixer Media, a Brighton-based production company the cooperative had partnered with for years. Mixer continues to serve its existing client base, but it now also functions as Lake Trust’s in-house media team, significantly expanding the credit union’s video and photography capabilities.

Once Green and the creative team select a story, Mixer Media handles most of the production process, from scheduling and interviews to photography, videography, editing, and story packaging.

“Then, we go through the writing iterations, the video edits, and the photography curation,” Green says.

The credit union shares drafts with members before publication and briefs them on where their stories might appear. Distribution spans owned and paid channels alike, including website features, streaming platforms, digital campaigns, and community-facing visuals.

“It’s a wide range of placements, all supporting brand awareness,” Green says. “We’re not selling a product. We’re lifting up member experiences so people understand who we are and what we do.”

Mixer Media also extends its impact by adding value for Lake Trust’s business members. The CUSO offers free 30-minute consultations to small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking guidance on social media, photography, and content strategy.

“When the tide comes in, all ships rise,” Green says. “We want everyone to succeed, and we recognize media as a necessary part of small business success.”

Authenticity As A Strategic Edge

This is just the beginning. Looking ahead, Lake Trust plans to expand its storytelling capabilities.

“This year, we’re partnering with a new agency to help take us to the next level,” Green says. “Now that we have our playbook, what’s the next step? How do we take member stories and that empowerment message even further and deeper? We’re excited to see some evolution in the Lake Trust brand.”

A big focus for the cooperative will be tailoring story elements based on audience behavior. For example, someone shopping for a car might see a different angle of the same member story than a small business owner.

For Green, this evolution reflects the credit union’s continued journey toward its broader goal: using authentic storytelling to create meaningful connections between what Lake Trust does and who it serves.

“Being able to pour resources and my energy into this is what gets me excited about what I do,” the brand and creative director says. “We’re not selling a made-up story of how a member can thrive. These are actual members. These are actual moments where they needed a financial services organization to have their back.”

Your members’ stories belong here. Join fellow credit unions in uplifting the everyday moments that define the movement. Add your member story and help spark a ripple of inspiration across the industry. Submit a story today.