Stop Playing the Victim Card: How Credit Unions Can Reclaim Their Power

Let’s rip the Band-Aid off: credit unions, we’ve got a victim complex.

Not all of us. It's not a blanket statement (becasue I hate blanket statements.) But it’s there—lurking in boardrooms, strategy sessions, and sometimes in our marketing. It sounds like this:

Are those real challenges? Absolutely. But repeating them like a mantra does something dangerous: it keeps us stuck. It turns us from the scrappy, mission-driven movement we were born to be into something... fragile. Defensive. Afraid. And worst of all, irrelevant.

When we see ourselves as victims, we stop innovating. We justify mediocrity. We lower expectations.

We convince ourselves that “good enough” is all we can do because we’re not Wells Fargo. And hey, we’re not Wells Fargo—and thank God for that. But that’s not a crutch. It’s a superpower.

Victimhood kills our storytelling. It dilutes our messaging. Instead of boldly declaring what we do offer—community, personal service, shared values—we end up apologizing for what we don’t. And guess what? Members and potential members can smell it. If we don’t believe in ourselves, why should they?

Let’s be fair. This mindset didn’t come out of nowhere. Credit unions have been through it. From regulatory hurdles to industry consolidation, we’ve had to fight to stay alive. But survival isn’t the goal anymore. It’s time to thrive.

There’s a generational shift happening. Younger consumers don’t care that you’re not-for-profit unless you show them why that matters. They’re looking for brands that lead with confidence and purpose. Playing the underdog card doesn’t move them—it bores them.

Here’s the part where we flip the script:

1. Embrace the Underdog—Don’t Apologize for It
Being small means you can move faster. Being local means you know your people. You have stories the big guys can’t tell. Tell them effectively and proudly.

2. Shift from Scarcity to Strategy
Yes, you have limited resources. So use them strategically. Pick a lane. Focus. Say no to the scattershot approach. Say yes to what aligns with your mission and moves the needle.

3. Own Your Brand Voice
If your messaging sounds like it’s trying not to offend anyone, it’s offending everyone’s intelligence. Be bold. Be clear. Be unapologetically you.

4. Invest in Marketing Like It Matters—Because It Does
Marketing isn’t an expense; it’s a growth engine. And you’re not “wasting money” by telling your story—you’re wasting potential by not telling it well.

5. Stop Blaming, Start Building
Blaming regulators, competitors, or “lazy consumers” isn’t a strategy. Building a better member experience is. Building trust is. Building relevance is.

You don’t need a miracle. You need a mindset shift.

Credit unions were founded by people who saw a problem and did something about it. Not by people who complained from the sidelines.

So let’s stop playing the victim. Let’s be scrappy. Let’s be smart. Let’s be the kind of financial institution our communities can’t wait to join.

Because here’s the truth: No one is coming to save us. But we don’t need saving—we just need to remember who we are.

Need help reclaiming your credit union’s voice? Let’s talk. At Your Marketing Co, we’re in the business of turning underdogs into champions. Because we believe this industry still has a lot of fight—and a lot of future—left in it. Email me: bo@yourmarketingco.com