Dandelion Dispatch #0246: One Detroit Credit Union

One Detroit Credit Union was founded in 1935 as the Detroit Newspaper Credit Union, serving those who worked in the newspaper industry. As the news industry grew to include new mediums such as radio, television, printing and publishing, the credit union’s brand evolved. They changed their name in the 1970s to Communicating Arts Credit Union (CACU).

By 2015, the credit union had broadened their services again, welcoming anyone who lives, works or worships in the city of Detroit to become a member. They needed a fresh brand to reflect their new position, and a suite of digital, print and web assets to accompany it.

How Dandelion Helped

Dandelion facilitated a two-day branding workshop with a cross-section of CACU team members — from board members and executive staff to tellers and customer service specialists — to evaluate their current brand and come to consensus on a new path forward.

In preparation for these workshops, our team conducted a series of video interviews with current CACU members as well as non-members who were unbanked, to better understand their perspective on credit unions, banks and alternative financial institutions. These video clips were played for CACU team members during the workshop. Additional activities helped the group understand what they thought about their current brand, how they thought other internal and external stakeholders felt about it, and what they wanted their new brand to convey.

Following the branding workshops, Dandelion developed a brand for One Detroit Credit Union, the new name selected by the CACU team. Their team wanted a name which conveyed a sense of interconnectedness: although we may come from many different backgrounds and have different experiences, we are all Detroiters. The brand also reflects a sense of inclusiveness both for residents who had lived in the city for a long time and new folks who were just arriving.

Based on this new name, our team established a visual identity and written message, including brand marks, style guidelines, and high level messaging.