“They are all part of my team” – that’s how Public Relations Coordinator Patricia Lloyd of Redstone Federal Credit Union® describes the image.works copywriter, graphic designer, marketing project coordinator and copy editor who work with her every quarter on the credit union’s newsletter, Aspire. We recently caught up with Lloyd to ask about her experience working with us over the last three years.
What brought you to image.works?
When Redstone Federal CU decided to reboot our newsletter after a five-year hiatus, we wanted a completely new product – a smaller size, more custom content and great graphics. We sought bids and proposals from several companies. image.works was very competitive with at least two other companies, one of which was located just a few hours from our headquarters in Huntsville, Alabama. Their representatives drove over and made a compelling presentation. We liked the idea of working with a company that could visit if necessary, so we went with them.
When I called image.works to let the account representative know we were going with another company, he offered to keep in touch – and he did! I probably heard from him once a quarter. Around that time, it was becoming clear that the company we had hired was not a good fit for us. From one newsletter to the next, my contacts and graphic designers would change. I was limited to a set number of copy edits. I had a difficult time communicating with the team about cover art, story ideas and deadlines. Instead of making my job as editor easier, it became harder. Meanwhile, the image.works representative kept checking in. Eventually, he caught me on the right day, and Redstone became an image.works client!
Can you talk about your goals with respect to your newsletter?
Our newsletter is mailed to 220,000 households each quarter, and our goal is to publish the most professional, informative and creative product possible. In addition to mailing to member households, we also order extra copies to send to the businesses we profile, the nonprofits we support and other people by request. As a result, we have nonmembers who are also readers. For that reason, you will find a mix of articles about our products and services, but there will also be financial education, community and member highlights and information on area resources.
We want the newsletter to facilitate Redstone’s mission of “improving the financial well-being of our members and communities by offering trusted advice, choices, opportunities and solutions.” As the editor, I work to ensure each article, photo and graphic accomplishes that.
What value does image.works bring to your newsletter and to you?
image.works is a partner in this endeavor. I’m fortunate to have an image.works copywriter who produces the articles that I request, and they are always researched and written well. I work with a graphic designer who is available to discuss cover ideas and provide several proofs so we can see which one works best. There’s a copy editor who proofs the newsletter before it goes to print. Recently, when the graphic designer who had been working with me for the past two years left image.works to stay home with her children, she contacted me to say goodbye. In contrast, the previous company we used changed team members so often that I never got a chance to build a rapport with anyone.
Is there anything else you appreciate about working with image.works?
With all that image.works offers, their pricing continues to be extremely competitive.
Turning our attention to you personally, what motivated you to choose financial services as a career?
I grew up in a large family – I have nine siblings. Today, we would be categorized as economically disadvantaged. My dad worked, and my mother took care of the home. She was a self-taught money manager and great at it! She taught all of us to save for a rainy day. I can only imagine what she would have accomplished if she had been educated about finances or was able to take advantage of the resources available today.
At Redstone, we provide that education and can help direct our members to the resources they need to build a stronger financial foundation, regardless of their income. I appreciate that the work we do can help a family be successful in that area.
What is your background, and what brought you to Redstone?
This is my second career. I graduated from college with a degree in journalism and worked at various newspapers for many years as a reporter and editor. One of my last positions was as business editor for a metro newspaper. Having covered the financial services industry as a journalist, I thought that I would enjoy working in it.
I was attracted to Redstone because of its reputation in the community, and it had been my financial institution while I moved from city to city. In a sense, I came home.
What do you enjoy most about working in financial services?
Financial services can be an intimidating field to some, yet it touches so many aspects of our lives. I enjoy providing bite-sized pieces of knowledge that our members and the general community can consume, digest and then use.
We appreciate hearing your story, Patricia – and being part of it. From your team at image.works, thank you for choosing us!