When First Niagara Financial Group (First Niagara), a top 35 U.S. bank, announced plans to merge with New Haven, CT-based NewAlliance Bank, First Niagara retained GBPR to develop a strategic communications plan to support the merger. Faced with a challenging political and economic environment, First Niagara recognized that the communications plan would need to support the regulatory approval process and sell the attributes of the deal to key government, business and community leaders, as well as the media. GBPR developed a plan that helped First Niagara showcase the details and benefits of the proposed merger to key audiences, and also supported the company as they launched major philanthropic and community-oriented initiatives.