Ep 41: How Meridian Credit Union Uses Member Stories to Build Brand Trust

Scott Dane, Senior Manager of Brand Marketing at Meridian Credit Union, shares how Canada’s second-largest credit union is rethinking its approach to brand building by putting members and their lived experiences at the center of its storytelling. In this episode, Scott walks us through the research that led Meridian to shift away from competing with Canada’s big banks and instead focus on the relationships, values, and community impact that make cooperative banking different. Scott explains how this strategy inspired Meridian’s first large-scale storytelling initiative: a series of member-driven documentaries and companion films that highlight real people, their challenges, triumphs, and the deep support they’ve found through the credit union. We discuss how the team built a content engine to support the campaign, the unexpected learnings from casting and production, and why long-form authentic storytelling is helping Meridian stand out in a crowded financial landscape—both emotionally and strategically.