Whether it is a bank, a credit union, an investment firm, or a credit card company, financial institutions have one major thing in common: they all want to tap into the middle school, high school and college sector and capture their share of the gold mine that these up and coming customers represent. When it comes to attracting young consumers, the stakes are immense and financial institutions are working hard promotionally to edge out the competition.

Credit Unions in particular are in a race against time to attract and retain youth. A recent study by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) found that the average age of today's credit union member is 47 years old, up from 40 years old in 1985. To combat its aging member population, credit unions are scrambling for ways to reach out to youth of all ages, starting with the under-12 age group, all the way up to college students. At a recent conference, credit union leaders voiced their concerns and their need for savvy marketing tools that could help them connect with the youth sector.

Instant access and personalization are critical to today's youth, and digital entertainment answers the call. With nearly two million songs and thousands of ringtones, images and games to choose from, music download and cell phone entertainment promotions enable youth to select the content that reflects their tastes and personalities. What's more, because they are delivered virtually via the Internet, these digital content promotions give students the instant gratification they demand, while providing financial institutions with a powerful interactive marketing tool that enables them to communicate with prospective customers, drive Web traffic and capture valuable information for ongoing marketing efforts. And nothing has been proven more effective than music downloads and cell phone entertainment.