Signature Program Creation to Elevate Brand & Impact
Client:
Leading financial institution.
Opportunity:
Our client was seeking to distinguish its brand from competitors at a time of great organizational change while entering a major acquisition. Reputational research showed that community engagement was a key way for companies in their industry to distinguish themselves. The communications and social impact teams realized that having a signature program or cause would help them engage employees and build relationships in the communities where they work. However, they lacked the capacity and processes to identify the opportunity space and narrow in on a timely and relevant social or environmental issue to anchor their signature program.
Solution:
Uplift collaborated with our client’s Community & Employee Giving Team to apply our stakeholder-centric approach to identify and develop a signature philanthropic program that would have a measurable impact in the communities where they do business while advancing the brand’s reputation. This included the following activities:
Defined Signature Program Issue by conducting stakeholder research and interviews, collecting the necessary and relevant data, synthesizing it, and determining the most impactful and feasible philanthropic focus.
Designed Concept Framework & Strategy to advance an important societal issue in an innovative way that aligns and supports business priorities, engages employees, and elevates the brand's values.
Helped Navigate the Internal Landscape to socialize, collect feedback, and gain necessary approvals of the concept.
Outcomes:
The client is well-positioned to launch a signature philanthropic program that aligns with their corporate citizenship goals and distinguishes the company’s brand in a competitive market.
Continue to work with the client to identify the right nonprofit partners, develop a theory of change, KPIs, communications, and engagement plan, and launch the program in 2025.