What’s Inside?
In this episode of The Eltropy Exchange, Michael Pupil sits down with Mike Bridges, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Five Star Credit Union, for a conversation that spans from covering national sporting events to leading marketing at a credit union. Mike shares his unique journey from a 17-year career in television, where he covered everything from the Stanley Cup to the Country Music Awards, to his current role transforming member engagement at a credit union.Â
Mike explains how the principles of storytelling he learned in journalism—creating a beginning, a middle, and an end—are essential for effective marketing campaigns today. He shares how Five Star Credit Union is using a modern, multi-channel approach to social media, focusing on keywords and audience demographics rather than traditional peer-based marketing. The discussion also covers the critical role of advocacy, building relationships with legislators, and how credit unions can make a tangible impact beyond being just a logo. Finally, Mike shares powerful stories of empathy in action, highlighting Five Star’s foundation and its “Express Loan” program as a compassionate alternative to predatory payday loans.Â
This episode is a masterclass in connecting with people, demonstrating how thinking differently and leading with a “people helping people” mindset can drive both member engagement and community impact.
Featured Links
- Advocacy, Credit Union, Credit Union Storytelling, Digital Strategy, Empathy, Financial Institution, Financial Services, Five Star Credit Union, Marketing, Member Engagement, Mike Bridges, Social Media
Mike Bridges
VP – Marketing/Communications, Five Star Credit Union
Mike Bridges is the vice president of marketing and communications at Five Star Credit Union. The Dothan Alabama based $1.2 billion credit union has 29 financial centers in Alabama and Georgia servicing more than 66,000 members. Growing up with a love of journalism, Mike went to the University of Oklahoma majoring in journalism. He parlayed that into a 17-year career in television that saw him work in Oklahoma City, Lafayette, IN, and Kalamazoo, MI. Among his favorite parts of TV was hosting the Western Michigan Coaches show, live sports events, covering the red carpets for the TV show Survivor and the Country Music Awards. Mike transitioned out of television and into credit unions by working for the Michigan Credit Union League and the League of Southeastern Credit Unions. In 2016, Five Star had an opening in marketing and Mike made another transition to Dothan. Since Mike has been at Five Star, the credit union has grown three times larger than when he started. Mike is married with one son that is a senior at Auburn majoring in finance.
