FORT LAUDERDALE – August 28, 2026 – 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) on behalf of Tropical Financial Credit Union – titled “Banking for the Next Generation.”

Founded in 1935 by employees of the former Southern Bell company, Tropical Financial Credit Union is a not-for-profit, federally insured financial institution that serves members in 12 counties throughout Southeast and Southwest Florida.

“For our team, the Bernays Award is an exciting recognition of the strategy, creativity, and collaboration that went into this campaign,” said BoardroomPR’s VP, Social Media, Ashley Kearns. “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.”

“Banking for the Next Generation” was a five-month Florida social media campaign developed for Tropical Financial Credit Union to strategically connect with younger millennial and Gen Z audiences through trend-driven, educational, and community-focused content on Instagram. The campaign aimed to modernize Tropical Financial’s digital presence and position the credit union as a relatable, approachable, and culturally relevant financial institution for younger consumers opening their first checking account, building credit, financing vehicles, saving money, or learning how to navigate personal finances independently.

The campaign sought to build trust and long-term relationships with the next generation of banking consumers while creating measurable demographic growth across the credit union’s social media platforms. As younger consumers increasingly rely on social media to discover brands, learn financial habits, and evaluate institutions, the campaign aimed to position Tropical Financial as a trusted financial partner for the next generation.

Following a full content analysis, the campaign identified opportunities to replace static, corporate-style social media posts with content that felt more engaging, relatable, and native to platforms like Instagram. The strategy introduced several new creative approaches incorporating:

• Trend-driven reels and short-form video content
• Influencer partnerships
• Interactive stories, polls, and educational carousel posts
• Relatable financial humor and lifestyle-focused messaging
• More dynamic graphic design and visual storytelling
• Community-centered and behind-the-scenes team content

Content topics focused on everyday financial milestones relevant to younger audiences, including budgeting, savings, credit, auto loans, debit rewards, and homeownership.

The campaign blended entertainment with financial education to make banking topics feel more approachable and accessible while still reinforcing products, services, and community presence. Content was strategically tailored to current social media trends and user behaviors, enabling the brand to engage younger audiences more authentically and meaningfully.

As Instagram was the campaign’s primary platform, success was measured by audience demographics, engagement metrics, audience growth, and content performance over the five-month campaign period. The campaign achieved a significant demographic shift among Tropical Financial Credit Union’s Instagram audience, successfully reaching the younger audiences targeted at the start of the initiative.

Based on a comprehensive analytics study, the campaign successfully positioned Tropical Financial Credit Union’s social media presence to connect with younger millennial and Gen Z audiences through trend-driven, educational, and community-focused content, while generating significant growth in engagement compared to the previous five-month period.

About BoardroomPR

BoardroomPR is one of Florida’s largest public relations and integrated marketing agencies, with offices in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa Bay, Naples/Fort Myers and Aspen. The firm specializes in media relations, social media, digital marketing, branding, public affairs and crisis communications. Powered by a seasoned team of strategists and creatives, BoardroomPR transforms client visions into impactful, results-driven campaigns. By blending traditional and digital media, the agency secures coverage across local, regional, and national outlets—including online platforms, print publications, broadcast media, blogs and podcasts.

For more information, visit www.boardroompr.com.

Media Contact
Company Name: BoardroomPR
Contact Person: Don Silver
Email: Send Email
Phone: 9546297523
Address:1776 north pine island road 320
City: Fort Lauderdale
State: FL
Country: United States
Website: boardroompr.com