CASE STUDY
One Person,
One Playbook,
Real Results
Kristin Olson's Marketing Strategy Story
Kristin Olson didn't set out to become a marketing expert.
When she stepped into the Marketing Officer role at Crossroads Credit Union in 2017, it was supposed to be temporary, a maternity leave coverage position.
But as the role evolved into something permanent, so did the challenges.
Company: Crossroads Credit Union
Representative: Kristin Olson, Marketing Officer
Industry: Financial Services
Asset Size: 373+ Million
Branch locations: 4
Website: www.crossroadscu.ca
The Challenge
Too Much to Do, Not Enough Structure
As a department of one serving three branches and advice center in rural Saskatchewan, Kristin faced what many credit union marketers know all too well: endless requests, constant pivoting, and the overwhelming feeling of being pulled in every direction.
"Every day is different," Kristin explains. "Every email that comes into your inbox is a to-do or something to do. You can plan and organize, but there's always those unexpected things that come up."
But the real struggle wasn't just the volume, it was the nagging feeling that something was missing. Words like "strategy" and "playbook" felt intimidating. They sounded like a lot of work, and Kristin didn't feel like she had any time left to tackle them.
"When you hear words like 'strategy playbook' or 'social media strategy,' those words become scary," she admits. "You're thinking, that sounds like a lot of work, and I don't know if I have the time to do this."
The Turning Point
Making Time for What Matters
After nearly eight years of learning on the fly and managing the day-to-day, something shifted. Kristin realized that staying current and challenging herself to learn more wasn't just nice to have, it was essential.
"Once I got comfortable and this became my full-time position, it was about finding new ways to do things, easier ways to do things, and always wanting to learn," she says. "I wanted to find these connections and learn new things to better my confidence in my role."
That's when she began working on the Marketing Strategy Playbook in January 2025.
The decision wasn't easy. The biggest barrier? Time. But Kristin made a crucial mindset shift: "This is important. This is what I need to do. I need to make time to do it."
The Process
Supported, Not Alone
From the first meeting, Kristin felt something different. Unlike other professional development experiences that leave you to figure things out on your own, the Playbook offered structure, guidance, and partnership.
"I didn't feel alone at all throughout the process," Kristin emphasizes. "You (Lyanne) did the heavy lifting, and there was take-away homework, but every single piece of homework helped me learn a little bit more."
The process uncovered things Kristin didn't even know existed within her organization—programs that had been shelved, member data that painted a clearer picture of who they were serving, and opportunities to connect marketing efforts directly to corporate goals.
Working through components like the SWOT analysis, member personas, and strategic frameworks gave Kristin the education she needed. "I didn't know what a SWOT analysis was before, and now it's like, 'Oh yeah, and it makes complete sense.'"
But perhaps the most valuable aspect was learning to think differently about marketing itself.
The Transformation
Major Shift #1
1. From Reactive to Strategic
Before the Playbook, Kristin was constantly fielding requests and ideas from colleagues across the organization. Now, she has a framework to evaluate those requests and have meaningful conversations about them.
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"When you understand fully what you're doing and why you're doing it, you can have that conversation with the person who has the idea," she says. "Maybe they'll have that aha moment where it's like, 'Oh yeah, that makes sense.'"
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The Playbook gave her tools like campaign timelines that the whole organization can access, helping everyone see what's happening and when. This visibility alone has reduced ad hoc requests and increased understanding across teams.
The Transformation
Major Shift #2
2. From Isolated to Collaborative
One of the most significant changes came in how Kristin works with leadership. The Playbook process prompted quarterly collaboration meetings with supervisors and managers, something that wasn't happening before.
"That first meeting really started something for us," Kristin reflects. "I was able to take the information and guided questions you (Lyanne) gave me, and I think it opened their eyes too, like maybe we need to have deeper conversations about how marketing can support organizational goals."
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These meetings have become a regular practice where Kristin shares how marketing can support departmental goals, and departments share what they need. It's building a true marketing culture across the organization.
The Transformation
Major Shift #3
3. From Educated to Educator
Perhaps the most powerful shift has been in Kristin's role as an educator within her organization. She's moved from being the person who executes marketing tactics to the person who helps others understand the strategic thinking behind those tactics.
"As that leader in your organization, you are now the educator about marketing," she notes. "You're helping your teams go from the tactic focus to understanding the process; from corporate goals to why we're doing this tactic."
The Results
Tangible and Emotional Wins
The impact of the Playbook has been both practical and profound.
Practical Outcomes:
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Strategic direction is clear: The Playbook provides the foundation for all marketing decisions, making it easy to align tactics with goals
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Campaign planning is streamlined: With direction established, Kristin can develop campaigns that she can package and present to staff for implementation
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Social media has purpose: She created a social media strategy where content aligns with marketing goals, thereby supporting corporate goals and eliminating the guesswork
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Decision-making is faster: Instead of recreating the wheel, she can quickly reference the Playbook and "press play"
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Member understanding is deeper: Having data-driven member insights helps the entire team understand who they're serving
Personal Impact
When asked what difference the Playbook has made personally, Kristin doesn't hesitate: "It's definitely increased my confidence in conversations. It's given me that leadership ownership of what I'm doing. It takes the guessing out of things."
The transformation is clear when Kristin reflects on the before and after: "It took time, but it saves time. You can connect things in all kinds of ways if you really think about it, but this makes the connection and the why just comes that much easier."
The Ripple Effect
Beyond Marketing
The impact hasn't stopped with Kristin. The success of the Marketing Playbook has inspired leadership at Crossroads Credit Union to extend the approach across the organization.
"They would like each department to make their own little playbook," Kristin shares. "Finding their goals for their departments, tying them to the corporate goals, and then finding ways that marketing can support them."
This ripple effect speaks to something powerful: when marketing leads with strategy and demonstrates its value, it elevates the entire organization.
Advice for Others
Just Start
For credit union marketers considering a similar journey, Kristin's advice is simple but powerful: "Give it a chance and give it a go. A lot of times you don't see the value something can bring until you experience it yourself."
She acknowledges the fear: "My biggest reason for not saying yes right away was the time piece. What is this going to require from me? Am I going to be able to handle this?"
But the reality surprised her: "Not once did I feel like I couldn't. There was enough time between meetings to have the information that was required. Yes, it took time, but it was valuable time."
Her other piece of advice? Build those internal relationships. "Taking time to develop relationships is foundational. When you can get everybody seeing the same understanding, that's huge."
The Bigger Picture
A Living Document
Unlike a traditional marketing plan that gets created once and shelved, Kristin uses her Playbook as a living document. When planning a campaign or crafting a social media post, she references it to ensure alignment with strategy and audience.
"When I'm going to do a campaign or a certain social media message, I look back in that playbook to make sure it makes sense," she explains. "Who am I trying to capture with this post? How am I speaking to that audience?"
And as new information comes in, she updates it, preventing the overwhelming task of a complete overhaul later.
Educational, Informative, Inspiring
When asked to describe her Playbook experience in three words, Kristin chose: "Educational, informative, and inspiring."
But perhaps the most telling moment came in her final reflection: "The playbook is a story, our credit union story. It just has made things easier, and that's huge, especially in a role where you're responsible for everything from creative content and community outreach to tactical execution and strategic planning."
The Bottom Line
Kristin's journey illustrates what's possible when credit union marketers move from reactive to strategic, from isolated to collaborative, and from overwhelmed to empowered.
Her experience proves that investing time in strategy doesn't add to your workload, it multiplies your effectiveness. It transforms you from someone who executes requests to someone who leads with purpose, educates with confidence, and delivers measurable impact.
As Kristin puts it: "You (Lyanne) took everything to the next level; a higher level, deeper understanding of why we do all those things. The playbook developed our credit union story and made things easier."
And in a world where credit union marketers are pulled in a thousand directions, easier, backed by strategy, confidence, and clear direction, is exactly what we need.
Kristin Olson is the Marketing Officer at Crossroads Credit Union, serving communities across rural Saskatchewan. She began working on her Marketing Strategy Playbook in January 2025 and continues to use it as her strategic foundation.
