Fifth Third

http://www.53.com/

Fifth Third traces its origins to the Bank of the Ohio Valley, which opened its doors in Cincinnati in 1858. In 1871, that bank was purchased by the Third National Bank. With the turn of the century came the union of the Third National Bank and the Fifth National Bank, and eventually the organization became known as "Fifth Third Bank." Since its beginning, Fifth Third has provided superior customer service and followed sound banking principles.

Quick Tips:

• Utilize the talents of your marketing department to its fullest extent.
• Include a link to United Way on your employee home page.
• Find visible leaders throughout the organization to serve on your committee.

Follow Your Plan

Over the course of their relationship with United Way, Fifth Third Bank has fine-tuned a campaign strategy to the point that they feel they have it down to a science. The plan has remained relatively consistent from year to year and they consider it a “roadmap” that, when followed correctly, leads to a great outcome. Among the strategies Fifth Third employs is assembling a committee of individuals from various departments that can contribute different skills, such as marketing department personnel who step up to assist with campaign communications.

With the location and theme of their kickoff breakfast as the main factor that changes from year to year, Fifth Third has made their United Way commitment a basic aspect of their corporate culture, and that approach has proven effective every year.

Star Power

Each year, Fifth Third places great emphasis on coming up with the right theme, the right location and the right speaker to make the greatest impression at their annual kickoff. For their most recent campaign, the stars aligned for Fifth Third as they staged their kickoff breakfast at the Buckeye Hall of Fame just prior to football season, with noted former Buckeye Archie Griffin as their speaker. As the “living legend” told football stories, he effectively wove them together with a message of community service and the importance of giving back to the community through United Way.

Something for Everyone

Because of the size of their workforce, Fifth Third is unable to include everyone in the kickoff breakfast, but in order to offer everyone equal incentive and recognition, they hold smaller events in each department throughout the campaign to create a sense of inclusion. Also, the employees who are not able to attend the kickoff breakfast are included in special prize drawings, and departments that accomplish full participation receive a special reward, such as a pizza party, to celebrate their accomplishment.