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Local Voices

Work by The Pita Group & Union Savings Bank wins New England Financial Marketing Association award

(Rocky Hill, Conn., October 17, 2013)—On Thursday, September 26, The Pita Group and Union Savings Bank (USB) were recognized by the New England Financial Marketing Association (NEFMA) with a bronze award in the Deposit category. Pita won this award for the development of Union Savings Bank’s 1-2-3 Checking Challenge – an online game created to incent current and potential customers, particularly the bank’s largely untapped 18- to 34-year-old market, to open checking accounts at their local USB branches.

“We are excited to have our work recognized by a prestigious professional organization like NEFMA,” said Paul Pita, managing partner and executive creative director of The Pita Group. “The 1-2-3 Checking Challenge was hugely successful for Union Savings Bank, achieving several key business objectives within a brief period. With Millennials spending so much time online and connecting with one another through social networks and gaming, it is essential for financial institutions to mold their marketing strategies accordingly.” 

The game, first launched in October 2011, required players to assemble rows of numbered circles so that each row read 1-2-3 in numerical order. With only one minute to complete as many rows as possible, the game motivated players to come back and try to beat their high score. If players lined up a minimum of three rows, they received a $30, $60 or $100 voucher, deposited when they went into a branch to open a new 1-2-3 checking account. Players were also entered for a chance to win one of three grand prizes: an Apple iPad 2, a $500 cash prize or a $500 travel voucher.  

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“We were excited to work with our agency of record, The Pita Group, to strategize and aid in the development of the Checking Challenge game,” said Michele R. Martin, senior vice president, marketing at Union Savings Bank. “The game was a progressive way to tap into a market of potential customers and entice our current, non-checking customers to play the game and open a checking account. The game brought more than 2,200 players to the website. During the two-and-a-half-month game period, 1,267 individuals opened 1-2-3 Checking accounts, totaling $6.5 million in deposits.” 

Since 2011, Union Savings Bank has hosted two additional game periods. Each time, the game was enhanced with new prizes. In addition, the game is now mobile-friendly, and free checking accounts may be opened automatically online following game play.

The NEFMA Awards were developed to acknowledge the internal teams and external businesses that develop the marketing plans for banks in the New England area. After gathering a large selection of contenders, a panel of judges drawn from community banks and marketing companies in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania were tasked with determining winners within the 13 predetermined categories.

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About The Pita Group
The Pita Group is made up of brand advisors, innovators and true business partners who build success for our clients by developing and executing strategies that create momentum, change behaviors and prompt action. 

Through our three divisions – Pita Marketing, Pita Interactive and Pita Productions – The Pita Group provides traditional and new media solutions that utilize the most relevant media channels to educate audiences and grow brand loyalty. Learn more at thepitagroup.com, and get marketing news and insights at blog.thepitagroup.com, facebook.com/thepitagroup or on Twitter (@pitagroup).

About Union Savings Bank

Established in 1866 and headquartered in Danbury, Conn., Union Savings Bank is a $2.5 billion mutual bank dedicated to being the bank of choice. As a full-service financial institution, Union Savings Bank provides banking, mortgage, investment, trust and insurance products throughout western Connecticut with 28 offices in Bethel, Brookfield, Canton, Danbury, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Marble Dale, Monroe, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, Ridgefield, Roxbury, Sharon, Southbury, Torrington and Washington Depot. The bank provides financial services to individuals, businesses, not-for-profit organizations and government entities through its commercial, residential and consumer lending, corporate services, retail banking and wealth management divisions.

For more information, please visit unionsavings.com, and connect with the bank on LinkedIn and Facebook.

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