ING Direct ran a slew of Black Friday offers again this year (see screenshots below; last year’s coverage). And they weren’t the only one. Service Credit Union also ran a homepage-dominating ad for its 6 AM-to-noon “doorbuster deals” today:
- 10% APY 3-month CD with maximum deposit of $1000…$23 in extra interest compared to its regular CD (pre-tax)
- Fee-free Visa gift cards (limit 5)
- 1% rate reduction on new personal loans
- $25 Visa gift card for opening a new credit card
- Unspecified “in-branch checking account specials”
The credit union’s U.S. branches opened at 6:00 AM to mimic the retail craziness on the day after Thanksgiving. Specials were available until noon only, and all required a branch visit to redeem.
I was going to say something about the lack of online-redemption options, but luckily I checked back after noon and found that a Cyber Monday promotion had taken the place of the Black Friday ad. Online users are being offered similar specials on this coming Monday (aka Cyber Monday):
- 7% APY 3-month CD with $1000 max deposit (a $17 interest bonus)
- $100 bonus for opening a new checking account (requires direct deposit and estatements)
- $25 Visa gift card for opening a new credit card
- Free personalized credit card design for first 100 members ($9.95 value)
- $25 Visa gift card for a referral
Bottom line: The dual promotion was a clever way to involve both online and in-branch members.
Service Credit Union placed a bold advertisement on its homepage promoting its Black Friday deals (10:00 AM Pacific, 26 Nov. 2010)
Later in the day, the CU posted Cyber Monday specials on the homepage (1:00 PM Pacific)
Landing page (link)
ING Direct homepage on Black Friday (26 Nov. 2010)
Landing page (link)
Note: Offers are good for the entire weekend
