Heritage Credit Union: Transforming Branch Experience for the Digital Age
"Digital signage became the cornerstone of our branch transformation strategy. We're not just putting screens on walls—we're completely reimagining how we communicate with members, creating a consistent brand experience across all 34 branches, and positioning ourselves as an innovative, modern financial institution."
— Patricia Alvarez, Chief Experience Officer, Heritage Credit Union
Organization Overview
| Organization | Heritage Credit Union |
| Type | Member-owned credit union |
| Assets | $2.8 billion |
| Members | 185,000+ |
| Branches | 34 locations across 3 states |
| Employees | 620 |
| Founded | 1952 |
| SignageStudio Customer Since | January 2024 |
The Challenge: Banking at a Crossroads
Heritage Credit Union, like many financial institutions, faced an existential question: How do we make physical branches relevant in an increasingly digital world?
The Digital Paradox
Despite the explosion of mobile banking, branches remain critical:
- McKinsey research shows bank branches still account for approximately 72% of new account sales
- 82% of customers view having access to a local branch as important
- Yet 65% of US consumers, 68% in the UK, and 73% in Australia use mobile apps as their primary channel
Heritage needed branches that complemented digital channels, not competed with them.
Specific Challenges Faced
Inconsistent Member Experience Each of Heritage's 34 branches had evolved independently over decades. Marketing materials varied wildly—some branches had outdated rate boards, others had no promotional displays at all. Members experienced a different "Heritage" at each location.
Outdated Technology Perception Member surveys revealed a troubling trend: younger demographics perceived Heritage as "behind the times" compared to big banks with modern branches. This perception was affecting new member acquisition in key growth demographics.
Communication Bottlenecks
- Rate changes took 2-3 weeks to fully propagate across all branches
- Promotional campaign launches were inconsistent
- Branch managers spent 8+ hours monthly on manual signage updates
- Compliance-required disclosures were sometimes missing or outdated
Inefficient Wait Time Experience Average branch wait times were 12 minutes, but perceived wait times were 40% longer. Members in queues had nothing to engage with except their phones—a missed opportunity for Heritage to communicate.
Low Product Awareness Despite offering 47 different products and services, member awareness averaged only 23%. Cross-sell rates were well below industry benchmarks.
"We had 74% of millennials preferring digital banking," explains Patricia Alvarez, "but we also knew that the most important purchases—mortgages, business loans, financial planning—still happen in person. We needed branches that felt as modern as our mobile app."
The Solution: Comprehensive Branch Digitization
Heritage partnered with MediaSignage to deploy SignageStudio across all 34 branches in a phased transformation program.
Display Network Architecture
Member-Facing Displays (312 total)
- Lobby welcome walls (2-4 display video walls per branch)
- Queue area entertainment screens (3-4 per branch)
- Teller line promotional displays (2 per branch)
- Private office consultation screens (1-2 per branch)
- ATM vestibule displays for extended-hours messaging
- Drive-thru lane displays (12 branches with drive-thru)
- Exterior-facing window displays (high-visibility locations)
Employee-Facing Displays (68 total)
- Back-office communication screens
- Break room information displays
- Training and compliance reminders
Content Strategy & Governance
Heritage developed a sophisticated content governance model:
| Content Type | Ownership | Update Frequency | Approval Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate displays | Treasury | Real-time | Automatic |
| Product promotions | Marketing | Weekly | Marketing VP |
| Compliance disclosures | Legal | As needed | Legal review |
| Community content | Branch managers | Bi-weekly | Regional VP |
| Member spotlights | PR | Monthly | PR Director |
| Financial education | Content team | Monthly | Compliance |
Integration Architecture
SignageStudio was integrated with Heritage's existing systems:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SIGNAGE STUDIO CMS │
│ (Central content management for all 34 branches) │
└───────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌───────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌────────────────┐
│ Core Banking │ │ Queue Mgmt │ │ Marketing │
│ System │ │ System │ │ Automation │
│ (Rates API) │ │ (Wait times) │ │ Platform │
└───────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └────────────────┘
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
Real-time rate Live queue Campaign
updates on all position & content
displays wait times scheduling
Unique Implementations
Dynamic Rate Boards Gone are the days of manually updated rate boards. Heritage's displays now pull rates directly from the core banking system:
- Updates propagate to all 34 branches in under 60 seconds
- Historical rate comparisons show Heritage's competitive advantage
- Special member tier rates display when relevant
Queue Management Integration The waiting experience was completely reimagined:
- Members receive a ticket number displayed on their phone via QR code
- Large displays show queue position and estimated wait time
- While waiting, members see:
- Educational content about financial wellness
- Product spotlights relevant to common visit reasons
- Community news and Heritage involvement
- Light entertainment to pass the time
Personalized Consultation Screens In private offices, displays adapt based on the appointment type:
- Mortgage consultation: Display home-buying tips, rate comparisons, process overview
- Business banking: Show small business resources, commercial products
- Retirement planning: Present retirement calculators, education content
Implementation Journey
Phase 1: Pilot Program (8 weeks)
4 branches selected representing different demographics and sizes
Pilot Results:
- Member satisfaction increased 18%
- "Modern and innovative" perception up 34%
- Staff reported saving 6+ hours monthly on signage tasks
- Wait time perception improved by 28%
Phase 2: High-Volume Branches (12 weeks)
12 highest-traffic branches
Focus areas:
- Queue management integration
- Drive-thru display installation
- Staff training refinement
Phase 3: Remaining Branches (16 weeks)
18 remaining branches
Standardized rollout with lessons learned from earlier phases
Phase 4: Optimization (Ongoing)
- A/B testing content effectiveness
- Analytics-driven content refinement
- Continuous staff feedback integration
Total Implementation Timeline: 9 months
The Results: Transformation Achieved
After 20 months of full deployment, Heritage has achieved remarkable results:
Member Experience Metrics
According to industry research, digitally mature credit unions experience up to 2x annual revenue growth compared to less tech-savvy counterparts—Heritage achieved this benchmark.
Operational Efficiency
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate change deployment | 2-3 weeks | < 60 seconds | 99%+ faster |
| Branch manager signage time | 8 hrs/month | 30 min/month | -94% |
| Compliance display accuracy | 89% | 99.8% | +10.8 points |
| Campaign launch consistency | 67% | 100% | +33 points |
| Cross-sell rate | 1.3 products/member | 1.9 products/member | +46% |
Business Impact
Product Awareness & Cross-Selling
- Product awareness increased from 23% to 67%
- Members engage with an average of 3.2 product messages per branch visit
- Auto loan applications increased 34% after targeted display campaigns
- Credit card adoption improved 28%
New Member Acquisition
- 25-44 age demographic new accounts up 41%
- "Referred by branch experience" citations increased 52%
- Google reviews mentioning "modern" or "technology" up 340%
Member Retention
- Member satisfaction score improved from 87 to 94
- Net Promoter Score increased from 42 to 61
- Annual member attrition reduced by 23%
Financial Performance
Investment:
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hardware (380 displays, players, mounts) | $486,000 |
| Installation across 34 branches | $178,000 |
| Core banking integration development | $85,000 |
| Queue management integration | $42,000 |
| SignageStudio enterprise license | $54,000/year |
| Content development (first year) | $95,000 |
| Training and change management | $45,000 |
| Total Initial Investment | $985,000 |
Returns (First 20 Months):
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Staff time savings | $380,000 |
| Increased product revenue (cross-sell) | $2,400,000 |
| Print and static signage elimination | $120,000 |
| Reduced member attrition value | $890,000 |
| New member acquisition (attributed) | $640,000 |
| Total Returns | $4,430,000 |
| ROI Achieved | 4 months |
Voices from Heritage
Executive Leadership
"The board was initially skeptical about the investment, but the ROI has been undeniable. Beyond the numbers, we've fundamentally changed how members perceive Heritage. We're no longer competing with big banks on their terms—we're offering a differentiated, high-tech yet personal experience that they can't replicate."
— James Richardson, CEO
Branch Staff
"I used to dread rate change days. I'd spend hours updating boards, double-checking numbers, making sure everything was compliant. Now it just happens automatically. I can focus on actually helping members instead of being a human photocopier."
— Maria Santos, Branch Manager, Riverside Location
"The consultation room screens have transformed my mortgage discussions. Instead of flipping through paper brochures, I can walk members through the entire process visually. They leave feeling informed and confident. My closing rate has improved significantly."
— David Chen, Mortgage Loan Officer
Members
"I've been a Heritage member for 15 years, and I've watched them evolve. The new branch experience is impressive—I actually learned about their financial planning services from a display while waiting. Booked an appointment that day. Never knew they offered that."
— Member Survey Response
Lessons Learned & Best Practices
What Worked Exceptionally Well
- Starting with the member journey — Mapping pain points before selecting technology
- Deep integration — Connecting to core banking and queue systems multiplied value
- Governance clarity — Clear ownership of content types prevented chaos
- Pilot-first approach — Four-branch pilot refined the model before scale
- Staff buy-in — Involving branch managers early created champions
Challenges Overcome
- Legacy infrastructure — Some branches required network upgrades
- Change resistance — Older staff initially skeptical; overcome through training and quick wins
- Content creation bandwidth — Underestimated ongoing content needs; added dedicated resource
- Compliance review speed — Streamlined approval workflow after initial bottlenecks
Advice for Other Financial Institutions
"Don't think of digital signage as just screens on walls. Think of it as a complete rethinking of how you communicate with members in physical spaces. The technology is the easy part—the strategy, content, and governance are what determine success."
— Patricia Alvarez, Chief Experience Officer
Future Roadmap
Heritage is planning continued innovation:
2026 Initiatives
- AI-powered personalization — Content adapts based on member history (with consent)
- Interactive product explorers — Touch-enabled displays for self-service research
- Mobile integration — Members can "save" information seen on displays to their app
- Video banking integration — Queue for virtual teller from in-branch kiosk
Long-Term Vision
- Biometric recognition — Personalized welcome messages for recognized members
- Predictive service — Displays suggest relevant products based on member lifecycle
- Branch of the future — Fully automated "mini branches" with 100% digital interaction
Transform Your Financial Institution
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