We are proud to share that South Florida’s BoardroomPR was recognized by the Gold Coast Public Relations Council (GCPRC) with a 2026 Bernays Award for Best Social Media Campaign (For Profit) for “Banking for the Next Generation,” our social media campaign for Tropical Financial Credit Union.

For our team, the Bernays Award is an exciting recognition of the strategy, creativity, and collaboration that went into “Banking for the Next Generation.” More importantly, it reinforces what we see every day in social media: understanding your audience and meeting them where they are can make all the difference.

BoardroomPR COO Don Silver, EVP Todd Templin, Social Media VP Ashley Kearns, Creative Director Veronika Vernachio, and Social Media Manager Andrea Ugarte accepted the award.

A Strategy That Delivered Results

After five months, the shift was clear. Compared to the previous five-month period, Tropical Financial saw an 86% increase in impressions, a 40% increase in engagements, and a 209% increase in shares.

Most importantly, we reached the younger audiences the campaign was designed to connect with. Tropical Financial’s 25–34 audience grew by 135%, while its 18–24 audience grew by 308% over the course of the campaign.

The results showed that evolving the content did not mean changing who Tropical Financial was as a brand. It meant finding new and creative ways to communicate its message to an audience that consumes content differently.

Reaching the Next Generation

The five-month campaign started with a clear challenge: Tropical Financial wanted to reach the next generation of members, particularly younger millennials and Gen Z, while continuing to connect with its existing audience.

At the start of the campaign, Tropical Financial’s social media audience skewed heavily toward older demographics, particularly those ages 35–44 and 45–54. Our goal was to increase visibility and engagement among users ages 18–24 and 25–34, many of whom are beginning to navigate major financial milestones for the first time.

That meant rethinking how we talked about banking on social media.

A New Approach to Financial Content

Our strategy focused primarily on modernizing Tropical Financial’s Instagram presence and creating content that felt more relatable, engaging, and native to the platform.

We began incorporating trend-driven Reels, engaging graphics, employee-led videos, relatable humor, educational financial content, and timely social media trends. We also introduced influencer partnerships to reach younger consumers through creators they already follow and trust.

The goal was to make topics like checking accounts, savings, and financing feel less intimidating and more connected to everyday life.

But we did not want to follow trends just to follow them. Each piece of content still needed to serve a purpose, whether that was educating the audience, highlighting a Tropical Financial product or service, showcasing the people behind the credit union, or simply creating a stronger connection with followers.

We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished alongside the Tropical Financial team and excited to continue building on the momentum.

Looking to reach a new audience or rethink your brand’s social media strategy? Let’s create a campaign that connects and delivers results. Contact BoardroomPR to get started.

Andrea Ugarte

Social Media Manager