In a city crowded with large banks and fintech companies, SF Fire Credit Union ($1.6B, San Francisco, CA) leans into its legacy to distinguish itself from the competition.
The Bay Area institution was founded by firefighters for firefighters more than 70 years ago. Today it has a community charter, but its connection to San Francisco’s first responders remains.
“There are some funny stories from those early days,” says Josephine Chew, chief marketing officer at SF Fire. “They used to run the credit union out of the fire stations. People would line up to do their banking, and sometimes they’d have to wait until the firefighters got back from a call. It was that grassroots. Honestly, up until pretty recently, firefighters were still serving as part-time tellers.”
Chew joined SF Fire in 2022, just in time to help the credit union tackle a difficult question: Did the firefighter brand limit or empower?
On the one hand, an institution with “fire” in its name could suggest exclusivity and deter potential members. On the other hand, the brand aligns the institution with local heroes.
“People love firefighters, especially our San Francisco firefighters,” Chew says. “They’re loved, trusted, and seen as brave, selfless, and heroic. We want to be associated with that, to channel that spirit.”
So, Chew’s team crafted a new marketing strategy around a central message: “Built for local heroes and everyone who wants to be treated like one.”
Credit Union To The Rescue
The City of San Francisco is famous in part because of its financial sector. The area boasts approximately 50 banks and 80 credit unions as well as investment, insurance, and fintech companies. That kind of competition would be daunting for any marketing department.
To grab consumers’ attention, SF Fire launched a series of marketing campaigns featuring actual San Francisco firefighters and the tagline, “Rescuing You From Banks.”
“We’ll never be able to spend as much as the big guys, but we really want to punch above our weight class,” Chew says. “So, it’s a little bit provocative, but we need to stand out.”
Using an integrated marketing approach, the credit union launched a variety of campaigns between January and June of 2024. The push included brand campaigns emphasizing values in addition to demand-generating campaigns promoting rates, products, and services. The credit union placed ads on the sides of city buses and at certain billboard locations as well as embraced digital marketing, including social media — particularly Meta’s platforms — and commercials.
“TV ads are something we’re testing,” Chew says. “Today you can go on Disney+ and Peacock and track views by IP.”
SF Fire worked with MNTN, a TV advertising company designed to make it easier to target ads across CTV and streaming services. This demand-side platform (DSP) allows the credit union to target specific audiences based on data like demographics, behaviors, and device usage.
“We were able to get one or two spots in front of March Madness, which we were really excited about,” Chew says.
An Evolving Effort
The credit union’s digital marketing did indeed result in improved ad performance, and its optimized efforts gave SF Fire a wider reach without needing a higher budget.
Although direct results can be difficult to quantify, Chew says member growth and sentiment at SF Fire moved directionally upward, achieving a bump of 19% aided brand awareness.
“New members actually did tell us, ‘I didn’t realize this credit union was for us’,” Chew says. “Our front-line staff reported that people had a lot of pride because of the campaign.”
Building off lessons learned in 2024, SF Fire is running the “Rescue” campaigns again this year with some refinement. Chew says her team is focusing more on clarifying eligibility to potential members while expanding into new digital spaces such as Zillow, the popular real estate marketplace.
“One of our best ads this year says ‘Not just for firefighters. We bank everyone,’” the marketing executive says.
Chew encourages other credit unions to revisit their own legacy stories and explore whether those early foundations might still hold meaning for today’s members.
“Not every legacy brand works this way, but for SF Fire, it’s an authentic and powerful differentiator,” she says. “Firefighters care deeply about trust. In the financial world, trust is everything, and just like them, we’re also here to help our community.”
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