Marketing Your Chapter Carol McDaniel Vice President HR Florida State Council 2012 State Leadership Conference

What we will cover today… What is branding Why is branding important How to develop your brand Best practices for branding & marketing Agenda

What is branding? “Branding is a formal marketing process designed to create an automatic association in the mind of the consumer of quality with any product or service offered by the owner of the brand.” Dr. John Sullivan

“Branding is the promise of an experience.” Keith Fox, VP, Branding Cisco Systems Through a successful branding strategy – individuals know exactly what to expect.

A Voyage of Discovery Branding is NOT something you create. It is something you discover or reveal; your chapter brand already exists— you just have to find it

Brand Ambassadors Branding tends to attract brand ambassadors Brand ambassadors are members and volunteers who embrace and promote the behavioral and cultural characteristics of your chapter to fully deliver on the brand promises you extend to your market I am an ambassador for my local chapter, HR Florida and SHRM. I believe in the brand of our organization and promote it to my employer and contacts that I have in other industries. I discuss our conferences, our educational and professional development and networking opportunities. Who are your brand ambassadors? Do you charge your board to be brand ambassadors?

Why is branding important? It impacts your ability to attract and retain members, volunteers, speakers and sponsors It helps to articulate your chapter’s values and explain why you are invaluable as a resource It leads to developing a lasting reputation

Member/ vendor loyalty The Service-Profit Chain Agenda Member satisfaction Vendor satisfaction Member/ vendor loyalty Chapter revenue Your members are essentially the brand ambassadors for your chapters. When you have strong brand awareness in your marketplace you create a strong membership satisfaction rate. This means you have high attendance at your meetings, people want to volunteer and be part of the organization, and this in turn leads to vendor satisfaction. Vendors want to sponsor events and be a part of the process, contributing more to the organization financially or through in-kind services. This combination creates member and vendor loyalty that generates a strong reputation for your organization. It also helps to build strong commitments to your organization, leading to members and vendors selecting your organization over another. Pepsi vs Coke example – for whatever reason some people prefer coke over pepsi and vice versa. When this foundation is built successfully it leads to increased exposure and revenue for your chapter.

How to develop your brand Where do you start? Vision, mission, values and goals – do they need to be updated? Do you celebrate chapter milestones or history (past board members, anniversaries, etc.)? Does your website or logo need a refresh? Analyze the reach of your organization. Create member surveys or focus groups. Identify what sets you apart from other professional associations in your community. Review the demographics of your chapter’s members.

Identify, create and/or enhance your brand Consider your reputation within your membership, industry and business community How well known is your chapter? What enables your members to be brand ambassadors? What prevents them from doing this?

Other professional associations HR Specialists HR Generalists Identify your market – who are you marketing to and communicating with? SHRM chapters HR Florida SHRM Other professional associations HR Specialists HR Generalists Executives Small business owners Media outlets Do people know what your organization is in your business community? Do they know you exist?

Assess and Enhance Is there anything outstanding that needs improvements? Develop strategic partnerships and seek guidance from successful chapters, other professional organizations or even the council Enhance your brand image and finalize your program Do people know what your organization is in your business community? Do they know you exist?

Market your brand Identify methods/resources to market your chapter Targeted email blasts Print ads Radio and television Pamphlets Business cards Next you need to identify the most effective and efficient methods and resources to utilize. What are some ways that you currently use to market your brand? Newsletters, fliers, business cards, scripted conversations, cold calling, television, radio, etc.

Market your brand Think strategically when budgeting for marketing programs Capitalize on FREE tools and resources available Solidify and maintain your relationships Don’t forget about social media! Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and blogs.

Best branding Practices All print and electronic marketing materials are consistently designed (color schemes, formatting, etc.) Press releases sent to local news papers to announce your incoming board of directors or major milestones Provide support to other organizations – career fairs, mock interviews, resume writing

Partner with other organizations to provide speakers or sponsorships for conferences and seminars Participate in charitable fundraisers – SHRM Foundation, Bird Sanctuary, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Provide volunteer support to HR Florida and SHRM Solicit HR industry experts for educational programs Capitalize on the reputations of your members HR Florida State Council vs HR Florida State Conference

Best branding Practices

Best branding Practices flyer Screen booth

“Your brand and your people are the most important competitive advantages in the new economy.” Agenda Robert B. Reich Secretary of Labor (1993-96) Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy, Brandeis University Heller Graduate School of Business

Carol McDaniel @carolmacd vicepresident@hrflorida.org