Credit union marketing is becoming a more important driver of growth as competition for deposits, loans and member relationships intensifies. A new analysis from Capital Performance Group and The Financial Brand shows that while marketing spend is rising across much of the credit union industry, the gap between large and small institutions is growing wider. Larger credit unions are not only spending more on marketing but also increasing their budgets at a faster pace and reporting stronger financial performance across key growth metrics.
The study, based on 2025 NCUA call report data from 2,915 federally insured credit unions, found that mid-sized and large credit unions increased marketing budgets by roughly 9% year over year. In contrast, credit unions under $100 million in assets reported zero median marketing spend growth in 2025. This divergence matters because marketing is increasingly tied to member acquisition, deposit growth, loan growth and revenue expansion — not just brand awareness.
The largest credit unions, those above $5 billion in assets, allocated 4.30% of noninterest expense to marketing in 2025, compared with just 1.23% for credit unions under $100 million. That means the largest institutions are dedicating more than three times as much of their operating budgets to marketing as their smallest peers. The performance gap is also notable: credit unions above $5 billion reported median deposit growth of 6.1%, while those under $100 million grew deposits by only 1.2%.
For credit union leaders, the takeaway is clear: marketing is no longer a discretionary expense. As digital acquisition costs rise and fintechs and large banks continue to invest heavily in brand visibility, credit unions need to evaluate whether their marketing budgets are aligned with their growth goals. The question is not simply whether to spend more, but whether current marketing investment is enough to compete for the next generation of members.
Read the full article on The Financial Brand.
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