Signals from the Field

Picture this: a potential member opens ChatGPT and types, "What's the best way to finance a used car?" ChatGPT gives its answer. And just below that answer, in a clearly labeled box, sits a sponsored ad. OpenAI began testing ads in ChatGPT for U.S. users in February 2026, and by May, it had opened an Ads Manager that lets businesses of nearly any size create campaigns directly.

Let's imagine this scenario.  A member opens a 48-month auto loan in March. Makes every payment. In month 30, she logs in to mobile banking more frequently than she has in the past two years. Her direct deposit went up. She's started making transfers to savings. She could just appear to be an active member in good standing. However, consistent payments throughout a loan term, increased engagement, and income growth are fairly reliable indicators that she's approaching a point at which a new financial decision is imminent. Maybe a vehicle upgrade. Maybe a home purchase. Maybe a HELOC to finish a renovation she's been putting off.

Google Marketing Live is Google’s annual advertising event where it unveils new features, products, and platform updates across its advertising ecosystem. It’s one of our team’s most anticipated events of the year, not because every announcement changes how we run campaigns immediately, but because it signals where the platform is heading. Coming out of the event and taking a couple of weeks to digest all of the announcements, Geear’s approach is to begin testing new features deliberately and roll them out for clients in a way that is thoughtful and backed by data, not hype.

Picture this. A loan officer wraps up a call with a member who's been with the credit union for six years. She has a checking account, a savings account, and a personal loan she's been paying on time for 18 months. The call was about a routing number. It lasted four minutes. The loan officer said goodbye, closed the tab, and moved on.

Having HubSpot and Using HubSpot Are Two Very Different Things

After onboarding HubSpot at more than 60 credit unions, a pattern has emerged. Many credit unions that purchase HubSpot end up underusing it. Not because the platform isn't capable, but because nobody told them upfront what successful onboarding actually requires.

Not Every Credit Union Should Buy HubSpot Right Now

That's not a sentence you'll hear from most HubSpot agencies. But we've been working with credit unions long enough to know that buying a platform before you're ready to use it is one of the most reliable ways to waste a marketing budget.

Most Credit Unions Are Losing Applicants They Don't Even Know About

Most credit unions, if not all, use a Loan Origination System (LOS) and will experience application abandonment. People land on your auto loan page, click Apply, start filling out the form, and then disappear. The application closes. The session ends. And from your credit union's perspective, that person never existed. Or you’ve paid for a started application that never converts.

Twice a year, HubSpot pulls back the curtain on its biggest product updates. This year’s Spring Spotlight took a more focused approach, prioritizing tools that drive measurable revenue outcomes, not just new features.

Digital advertising has never been more complex for credit unions and community banks.