The first step is to instrument data collection on every member touchpoint using Segment Connections. Credit union members interact through a variety of channels, online account opening pages, mobile banking apps, public websites, even in-branch or call center systems.
Web and Mobile Tracking: Install Segment’s libraries (Analytics.js for web, iOS/Android SDK for mobile) to capture key behaviors. For example, track events like Application Started, Member Signed Up, Account Funded, Card Activated, or Loan Application Submitted along with relevant properties (account type, product name, amount, etc.). These events fire in real time as the member navigates your digital properties.
Server and Core System Events: Leverage Segment’s server-side APIs or cloud sources to ingest events from back-end systems. For instance, when a new member is created in the core banking system, send a Member Created event into Segment.
Cross-Channel Identity: Use Segment’s identify calls to tie anonymous browsing to known profiles once a user logs in or completes signup. For example, when a prospect submits the membership application (providing an email or member ID), call analytics.identify("member123", {name: ..., email: ...}). This ensures all prior actions (even anonymous ones) link to the member’s profile as soon as identity is known.
By capturing data across web, mobile, and backend systems, the credit union establishes a rich, centralized stream of member data. This comprehensive dataset is the foundation for all personalization to follow. It ensures no matter where a member engages – applying on a laptop, checking balances on the mobile app, or talking to a representative, their actions funnel into a unified timeline.
With data now flowing from all channels, maintaining clean and consistent tracking is critical. This is where Protocols comes in. Protocols allows your team to define a Tracking Plan, a schema of expected events and properties, and then automatically enforce those standards on incoming data.
Begin by designing a tracking plan that covers your key onboarding and engagement events. For example, you might specify:
Event: "Member Signed Up" – Properties: member_id (string), signup_channel (enum: "Web","Branch","Mobile"), product_opened (string).
Event: "Product Viewed" – Properties: member_id, product_type ("Auto Loan","Credit Card", etc.), device(e.g. "Mobile App").
Event: "Funds Deposited" – Properties: member_id, amount, account_type.
Segment will start comparing incoming events against the plan: any event that doesn’t match (wrong name, missing properties, type mismatches) will be flagged as a violation. You can even turn on enforcement to reject events that don’t conform, preventing bad data from ever reaching downstream tools. Consistent data definitions ensure that Braze and other destinations aren’t getting messy or ambiguous inputs.
By enforcing a strict tracking plan, the credit union builds trustworthy data. All teams, from analytics to marketing, can rely on event data knowing it’s complete and in the correct format. Downstream in Braze, campaigns can trigger off events with confidence. In short, Protocols eliminates the garbage-in problem, so you can deliver better personalization with reliable data.
Capturing standardized events is powerful on its own, but the real magic happens when you stitch those events together into unified member profiles. Unify takes all the disparate data points and merges them into a single view of each member.
When a new member joins, Segment’s identity resolution will automatically merge identifiers (device ID, browser ID, email, member ID, etc.) into one profile. For example, say Jane Doe browsed your auto loan rates on the website (anonymous ID XYZ), then later downloads the mobile app and logs in (member ID 1234). Segment will link Jane’s anonymous website activity with her identified profile once she authenticates, giving you a complete history of her journey. This happens in real-time using the identity graph and matching rules defined in Unify.
Next, enrich these profiles with computed insights and leverage them to build robust audiences.
Computed traits: Enrich member profiles with real-time computations directly built by business users in the UI. You can create custom traits to capture behavioral insights (ex. Active User = true if a member logs in 3+ times in their first week), recommended content (Recommended Products based on recent browsing or purchase history), or predictive insights (Predictive Churn Risk = 45 to proactively engage at-risk members).
Profile Audiences: Build segments of users based on behaviors and traits. For example, an audience “Cross-Sell Target: Single-Product” might include any member who has exactly one product after 30 days. Another audience could be “High-Value New Members”, members under 35 years old and Active User = true (indicating strong early engagement). Audiences update continuously as data changes.
Linked Audiences (Unlock Warehouse Data): Use the Data Graph to model relationships between members and various entities (e.g., accounts, transactions, loans) stored in the warehouse, enabling deeper personalization, proactive support, and tailored cross-selling opportunities. For example, credit unions can target members with high credit scores who recently browsed auto loans; Segment queries the warehouse, enriches the payload with non-sensitive indicators (e.g., auto_loan_preapproved=true), and incorporates real-time behavioral signals like recent page views.
Segment’s Braze destination will send user traits, events and audiences to Braze in real-time. Braze is now ready to run highly targeted campaigns.
The next step is to deliver personalized onboarding and cross-sell journeys using Braze Canvas.
Design the onboarding and product expansion journey: Map out an ongoing onboarding program that engages new members gradually over their first 60-90 days. For example:
Day 0 – Welcome Message: Triggered immediately when the Member Signed Up / Account Opened event is received from Segment. Braze starts the member on a journey path. Send a welcome email (or in-app message) thanking them for joining, highlighting key benefits of membership and perhaps a prompt to set up online banking access if not done. Personalize it with the member’s name and product (e.g. “Welcome to XYZ Credit Union, Jane! Here’s how to get started with your new Checking account”).
Day 3 – Onboarding Check-in: Braze can wait a few days, then use a decision split: Has the member funded their account or used their debit card yet? This condition is powered by events (e.g., a Card Activated or Funds Deposited event coming through Segment).
If Yes, branch to a path that congratulates them (“Great! You’re all set up. Here are next steps…”).
If No, send a gentle reminder via the member’s preferred channel (if Segment trait preferred_channel = SMS, Braze sends a text; otherwise email) with instructions to complete those onboarding steps.
Day 7 – Usage Encouragement: Check if the member has enrolled in key services like e-statements, direct deposit, or the mobile app (Segment traits/events like Enrolled in E-Statement, Mobile App Installed). For any missing pieces, Braze can send tailored content. For example, if the member hasn’t tried the mobile app, send a push or email about the app’s features with a download link.
Day 30 – Cross-Sell: Use Braze to promote relevant products based on member behaviors and product recommendation traits in Segment. For example, members identified in the “Single-Product After 30 Days” audience can be targeted for personalized offers leveraging Segment’s Product Recommendations feature to dynamically insert the most relevant loan options.
Day 60 – Follow-Up & Feedback: By two months in, ideally the member has adopted an additional product or at least is actively using their account. Set up Braze to listen for a conversion event (e.g., Opened New Product). If it happens, send a thank-you message or a relevant onboarding for that new product (e.g., “Thanks for getting an auto loan with us! Here’s everything you need to know as you start paying it off…”). If by Day 60 no new product was opened, consider a different tactic: perhaps an incentive offer to spur engagement.
In summary, Segment + Braze enables ongoing onboarding: constant, context-aware touchpoints that educate the member and expand the relationship at a comfortable pace.
The final step is to measure results and continuously optimize the program. What’s great about this Segment + Braze setup is that it naturally creates a closed feedback loop: you’re not only sending data to Braze, but also receiving data back to analyze outcomes.
Leverage Braze Source integration to stream engagement events back into Segment. Braze can emit a wealth of granular events: emails sent, emails opened, push notifications clicked, SMS delivered, etc. By adding Braze as a source, these events flow into Segment just like your other data, attaching to the same member profiles.
With this data, you can now assess key metrics for your onboarding and product expansion efforts:
Onboarding Engagement Rate: What percentage of new members engage with the welcome content (open or click the Day 0 email, log into the app, etc.)? If it’s lower than expected, maybe the messaging needs tweaking or a different channel (e.g., younger members might respond better to push notifications than emails).
Feature Adoption Metrics: Track how many members complete critical onboarding actions (set up direct deposit, enroll in bill pay, etc.) within the first X days. Braze can log custom events for these completions, which you can analyze. This helps identify friction points
Cross-Sell Conversion Rate: Among those targeted with a cross-sell (say the credit card or loan offer at Day 30), measure how many actually took up a new product within a certain window. You might find, for instance, that 15% of single-product members opened a second account within 60 days - an increase from a baseline of 5% before this program was in place.
Multi-Product Holders & LTV: Over the longer term, track the growth in members holding multiple products and their retention. You should see an increase in the average products per member and hopefully improved retention or NPS.
By closing the loop in this way, the credit union creates a self-improving system: data -> action -> results -> insights -> refined action. Over time, this yields a highly optimized onboarding and cross-sell engine, grounded in real member behavior data.
Credit unions can transform their onboarding and growth strategy from manual and generic to automated and data-driven. The Segment + Braze combination offers clear advantages:
Unified Data Foundation: Segment captures and unifies real-time member interactions across digital channels and core systems, providing a reliable 360° view. Protocols ensure clean data and maintain compliance, breaking down silos for consistent insights across teams.
Advanced Computations:: Segment dynamically enriches member profiles through real-time computed traits and predictive traits, leveraging behavioral data for personalized product recommendations), and securely references sensitive warehouse data like credit scores through Linked Audiences.
Personalized Engagement at Scale: Braze uses Segment’s rich data to deliver tailored, timely communications through personalized journeys across channels. Members receive relevant messages, boosting engagement and satisfaction.
Increased Product Adoption & Loyalty: With targeted cross-sell offers matching members' contexts, credit unions drive deeper product adoption. Engaged members with multiple products become more loyal, profitable, and likely to refer friends.
Operational Efficiency & Insights: Segment reduces the need for custom data pipelines, and closed-loop analytics clearly show what's working, making ROI measurable and ensuring strategic resource allocation.
With Segment and Braze, credit unions can deliver personalized experiences, deepening member relationships and growing alongside them, truly living their mission to put members first.
Made by Safdar Jaffari