Senior Vice President of Marketing Freda Amir explains how Alpharank helped Cal Coast optimize its digital funnel activities and scale new member acquisition.
In today’s competitive environment, financial institutions need to drive member growth without wasting ad spend on applications that never get funded. For many institutions, high initial digital engagement masks a fall-off further down the funnel.
To solve this, California Coast Credit Union partnered with Alpharank to understand the member journey throughout the application funnel, improve the application process, and make higher-quality decisions about how they go to market and use marketing dollars.
Led by Senior Vice President of Marketing, Freda Amir, Cal Coast combined full-funnel intelligence with its core application technology to create a seamless member journey. The result was a 70% reduction in Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) and a complete increase in marketing efficiency.
Watch the full video testimonial to see how Freda Amir and the Cal Coast team transformed their digital acquisition strategy:
Key Takeaways
1. Solving the "App Start to Funding" Drop-Off
Cal Coast initially saw strong top-of-funnel interest and application starts from digital ads. However, they noticed a sharp drop-off between starting an application and actually getting funded. Alpharank gave the exact data intelligence needed to pinpoint where prospective members were abandoning the process, whether applying for loan products or new deposit accounts.
2. Multi-Touch Visibility (From Digital Out-of-Home to Google)
Understanding the modern member journey requires tracking complex digital touchpoints. Alpharank provided visibility from initial exposure, including Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) campaigns and Google search ads, through to the application portal. This comprehensive view enabled Cal Coast to make higher-quality decisions about media channels and budget allocation.
3. Streamlining Tech with Alpharank + MeridianLink
Data alone doesn't fix a leaky funnel, the application experience itself must be frictionless. Through a strategic partnership and seamless integration between Alpharank and MeridianLink, Cal Coast utilized customizable portal features to:
- Remove unnecessary form fields.
- Tailor the application process to specific campaigns or products.
- Expedite approvals and shorten the time it takes to complete an application.
4. Driving Executive Buy-In with Hard Metrics
A major benefit of this visibility is the ability to present clear, board-level reporting. By tracking conversion rates, approval rates, CPA, and marketing efficiency ratios, Freda Amir and her team can directly demonstrate marketing's impact on the bottom line to executive management.
The Formula for Scalable Growth
Cal Coast Credit Union’s results prove that scaling acquisition isn't just about spending more on ads, it's about eliminating friction inside the funnel:
- Identify the Friction: Pinpoint exact drop-off points between application start and account funding.
- Integrate Systems: Connect full-funnel attribution directly to your loan origination and application platforms.
- Optimize for Efficiency: Use CPA, approval rates, and efficiency ratios to prove ROI and continually refine media spend.
Ready to Scale Your Growth?
Want to pinpoint leaks in your acquisition funnel? Schedule a call with Alpharank today.