award winning ideas
Transcription
award winning ideas
2012–2013 award winning ideas n at i o n a l c l u b a c h i e v e m e n t c o m p e t i t i o n w i n n i n g e n t r i e s AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS HOW-TO GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 DC Ad Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 AAF Omaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 AAF Baton Rouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 AAF Jackson, Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Ad 2 Tampa Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 ADVERTISING EDUCATION DC Ad Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 AAF Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 AAF of the Midlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 AAF Fort Worth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Ad 2 DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Austin Advertising Federation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 AAF Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 AAF of the Midlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Ad 2 Honolulu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 CLUB OPERATIONS Austin Advertising Federation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 AAF Omaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 AAF Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 AAF Northeast Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Ad 2 Orlando . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 PROGRAMS AAF Dallas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 AAF Omaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 AAF East Central Indiana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 AAF Fort Worth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Ad 2 DC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 COMMUNICATIONS DC Ad Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 AAF Cleveland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 AAF Baton Rouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 AAF Emerald Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Ad 2 Tampa Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 PUBLIC SERVICE Austin Advertising Federation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 AAF Omaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 AAF Baton Rouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 AAF Emerald Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Ad 2 Honolulu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURAL INITIATIVES AAF Louisville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 AAF Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 AAF of the Midlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 AAF Raleigh-Durham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Ad 2 Tampa Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 2 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S ABOUT THE CLUB ACHIEVEMENT COMPETITION HOW-TO GUIDE The AAF Club Achievement Competition is designed to recognize and honor the hard work of the many volunteers comprising the 200 AAF affiliated local advertising clubs and federations. Clubs participating in the competition enter any combination of eight categories: advertising education, club management, communications, diversity and multicultural initiatives, government relations, membership, programs and public service. To facilitate the fairest possible judging, each ad club competes within its membership size division. Ad 2 clubs—for advertising professionals under the age of 32—compete in their own division. This “how-to” guide was written to assist you in entering and winning AAF’s National Club Achievement Competition. The categories of the competition reflect the areas of operation of local advertising clubs and are recognized by the AAF as the primary objectives of our organization. If you have questions regarding the competition, please call the AAF Club Services Department at (202) 898-0089. We can provide you with ideas and resources to assist you in your role as president and/or club achievement chair. We look forward to receiving your club’s entries this year and in the years to come. Your success as a local advertising club is important to both the AAF and the advertising industry as a whole. This year, 59 clubs participated in the competition, submitting 296 entries to be judged. Winning clubs are awarded certificates of achievement and honored at a special ceremony held during the annual AAF National Conference. In addition, corporate sponsors, Crain Communications and Saatchi and Saatchi, provided cash awards totaling $22,500 to winning clubs’ advertising education, communications, public service and diversity and multicultural initiatives. The Jim Fish Foundation provides cash prizes totaling $2,500 to clubs who achieve first place in public service. CLUB ACHIEVEMENT COMPETITION Purpose: One of AAF’s major objectives is to recognize excellence and encourage high standards among industry professionals. The Club Achievement Competition is designed to recognize outstanding accomplishments of AAF-affiliated advertising clubs and to showcase the programs and projects that these clubs undertake each year. The following pages contain the winning narratives from the entries that were awarded firstplace honors in the 2012–2013 competition. Although entry collateral has not been included, many useful ideas and strategies can be found in the narratives themselves, and should you want more information, a contact name appears at the beginning of each narrative. Additionally, to assist your ad club in entering the competition, this publication, Award winning Ideas, contains a “how-to” guide for entering and winning next year’s Club Achievement Competition. Structure: The AAF National Club Achievement Competition recognizes achievement in eight categories: advertising education, club management, communications, diversity and multicultural initiatives, government relations, membership, programs and public service. These categories were chosen to reflect the areas of operation of local ad clubs. Advertising clubs are segmented into five membership size divisions as follows: The AAF congratulates all the clubs that entered the competition. If your club has never entered the Club Achievement Competition, next year is the time to give it a try. Competition guidelines are mailed to all club presidents, executive directors and club achievement chairs each year and are posted on our Website at www.aaf.org. Additionally, you can contact the Club Services Department at (202) 898-0089. Division I Division II Division III Division IV Division V 500+ members 250–499 members 100–249 members up to 99 members Ad 2 Clubs 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 3 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S appropriate chairs whose committees correspond to the Club Achievement categories. Included with the guidelines are category summary sheets, which preface each entry and contain points and topics to be covered in the narrative. Each chair should be familiar with the summary sheet for his or her corresponding category. In January, the call for entries, containing the official entry form and entry deadlines, is sent to presidents, executive directors and club achievement chairs. Clubs compete within their membership size divisions. These divisions provide for a more equitable competition and thus for an opportunity for any size club to win. Ad 2 clubs compete in a separate division regardless of membership size. Each category is judged by a separate panel of professionals with expertise in that specific field. Each panel of judges reviews and scores each entry in each of the membership size divisions. First-, second-and third-place awards are given in each division for each category, at the discretion of the judges. A club and president of the year award are designated in each division to the club with the highest total points. Awards are announced and presented annually in conjunction with ADMERICA! AAF’s National Conference. Entry Content and Submission Each entry is submitted in in PLAIN three-ring binders and contains the narrative and collateral. The narrative is a written description of the project and/or activity and the collateral is the support material, which relates to the narrative. Benefits of Entering: Gaining district and national recognition is but one of the many benefits of entering the Club Achievement Competition. Entering the Club Achievement Competition is an excellent way to document your club’s activity in any given year. This can prove to be a useful tool for self-evaluation and goal setting for the coming year. Entering consistently provides a historical record of the progress your club is making. Narrative: The narrative is used to describe your club’s activity in each area outlined on the category description sheet. Judges evaluate objectives versus results. It is therefore advisable to document the planning meetings where goals were outlined and a plan of action was drawn up and to outline how these goals and objectives were met. Statistics are an excellent way to provide a concrete measure of performance and a record of the club’s progress and growth. Preparing to Enter The Club Achievement Chair: The AAF recommends that each club appoint a Club Achievement Chair. The immediate past president is an excellent choice for this position. The Club Achievement Chair should be the official liaison to AAF headquarters. It is this person’s responsibility to familiarize the appropriate committees within the club, with the competition categories and the documentation necessary for entry. It is recommended that all Club Achievement entries be assembled at the same time so that materials can be shared and/or redistributed to different committees for entries in other categories. It is therefore best that the Club Achievement Chair coordinate this activity. For example, in the membership category, a statement of growth in membership should include the number of new members who joined in the past year, the type of attendance at your programs and the number of members versus guests. Also, consider the following questions: Are the same members coming back each time or is attendance different at each event? Are new members getting involved? Do past officers stay involved? How do your current members compare to last year’s? What is the difference in the growth and profitability of the club? What is your total count for participation in all events, compared with that of the previous year? Competition Rules and Guidelines: In the fall, guidelines and category summary sheets are sent to the presidents, executive directors and club achievement chairs of all local ad clubs, to use as a model to start preparing entries for competition. In addition, Club Achievement chairs receive a copy of Award Winning Ideas. The individual responsible for your Club Achievement Competition entries should make sure that he or she obtains a copy of the current rules, categories and guidelines for the competition from AAF headquarters. The competition may change from year to year, which makes a current set of competition guidelines important. This information should then be passed on to the Collateral: The collateral portion of the entry contains material that directly supports the points in the narrative. Please keep in mind that judges look for the degree to which the collateral material documents the narrative of the project or activities. Collateral pieces may include, but are not limited to, press releases, flyers, newsletters, testimonial letters, thank-you letters from public service projects, new member pieces, etc. All collateral material, in all categories, must have been produced. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 4 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S Audio/visual is allowed for the Public Service category only, but should not exceed three minutes of television and three minutes of radio. These should be submitted together on a DVD. In all other categories, scripts and/or storyboards should be submitted in place of film, tapes, etc., as part of the collateral. It is a good idea to keep at least five extra copies of all publications, news releases, meting notices, etc., for use when compiling books. The membership chair should collect minutes from board meetings in order to accurately keep track of planning sessions and upcoming events. The membership and program chairs should also track attendance figures to monitor progress. Compiling Club Achievement Entries When to Start: Ideally, preparations for the Club Achievement Competition should begin as soon as the previous year’s entries have been sent. It is therefore advisable that the “old” committee chairs continue collecting material for next year’s competition until the new chairs are elected, in office, and ready to take over this responsibility. The narrative may directly follow the category summary or be integrated into the collateral of the entry. However, if you decide to keep the two elements separate, label the collateral as “exhibits” and refer to them in the narrative. Integrating narrative has the advantage of providing a better flow of information. But keep in mind that the competition rules limit the number of sheets of paper to four two-sided or eight one-sided. The Deadline Is Near: The Club Achievement Competition deadline changes each year, so once the current year’s deadline has been announced, you should plan three months out to begin writing the narrative. If you adhere to this timetable, there is sufficient time to collect any extra material needed to support the narrative. Keep in mind that the same narrative and collateral can be used in several different categories. For instance, the advertising education projects that your club undertakes are often eligible in the programs category as well. Your club newsletter should definitely be included in the communications category, but it may also be collateral materials for the membership category. There is a different panel of judges for each category, so judges will not review the same material twice. Once the committee chairs have gathered the material for each entry, it is advisable that the final compiling be done jointly. Although it is not necessary for books from the same club to be uniform, it may be helpful to have this sort of “workshop” atmosphere for the sharing of information and collateral material. Once each book is assembled, ask another committee member to look it over. Make sure that all of the competition guidelines have been met. Entries must be submitted three-ring binders provided by the local club or federation. Affix a completed official Club Achievement entry form to the outside cover of each binder. This is all that should be on the outside of the binder; no artwork, colored paper or other material may appear on the cover, spine or back of the binder. Awards AAF Awards: First-, second-and third-place awards are given in each club membership size division for each category at the discretion of the judges. The outside measurements of the binder may be no larger than 11” x 12” or exceed 1.5” in width at the spine. When full, the width of the binder on any side may be no more than 1.5”. Binders exceeding 1.5” will be disqualified. Submit only one binder for each category. Club and President of the Year: In each division, a club and president of the year award is presented to the club with the highest total points. Sponsored Cash Awards: Several AAF corporate members sponsor cash awards for categories of the Club Achievement Competition. Currently, there are cash awards for the advertising education, communications, diversity and multicultural initiatives and public service categories. Additionally, the narrative and collateral materials must be submitted electronically on CD/ DVD. The narrative must be a Microsoft Word document, single-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman font. Collateral pieces must be high resolution (300 dpi), image files (JPG, EPS, TIFF or PDF, with fonts embedded). Use a separate CD/DVD for each category entered. Clearly label the CD/DVD and tape it to the inside cover of the binder. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 5 advertising education div I: d i v II : dc ad club AA F H o u s t o n d i v III : d i v I v: d i v v: AA F o f t h e m i d l a n d s AA F f o r t w o r t h A d 2 DC AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Social Media!, New Rules for New Business, The Do-it-yourself Lobotomy, and Defy Everything). We also presented two evening events: a screening of The Naked Brand, a documentary about the advertising revolution, where brands have a social responsibility to tell the truth and work hard to create better products and a better planet, and the ADprentice competition, where agency teams developed an integrated marketing campaign for a real client. DIVISION I: DC AD CLUB Overview: Through initiatives during 2012, the DC Ad Club continued our goal of providing professional development to our members and the greater communications community, the student population in the DC area, as well as the general public. Our goals included: 1) Provide hands-on training; 2) Raise the stature of our industry by highlighting local speakers, as well as bring in relevant speakers from other markets; 3) Educate the general public about the positive impact of advertising in this market; 4) Provide educational programming that is on par with national conferences; 5) Showcase DC area agencies and businesses to highlight the award-winning advertising community to area students in an effort to have them remain in the DC market after graduation; 6) Bring awareness to the general public the economic impact the communications industry has on the DC economy. Target Audience: Communications professionals of all levels, representing advertising agencies, in-house marketing departments, PR firms, media, and clients. Strategy: Design the theme and content of the conference to attract entry-level and C-Suite participants alike. Develop content that will help all participants expand their knowledge base. Use Advertising Week DC promotions to educate the public about the impact of the advertising industry on our market by including key economic facts in emails, press releases, and the event program (see also Advertising for the General Public, below). • We attracted 18 national speakers and with the exception of one, were able to secure all without speaker fees or travel cost reimbursement Execution Tactics: The theme of “AWE” was applied to all promotions and content development. To bring in a large audience, we delivered nationally-recognized speakers. We asked our speakers and planning committee to submit videos of what makes them awestruck and enlisted junior-level staff to execute awe-inspiring surprises at their offices in a “Groundswell” event. The DC Ad Club Foundation, a 501(c)6 organization dedicated to fostering the education of students pursuing careers in advertising, allocated $1,500 to purchase tickets for students from area schools to attend the conference. Offers were extended to local schools with AAF chapters—Howard University, George Washington University, the Art Institute, and Virginia Tech. • Our Tips & Tricks workshops drew over 220 people • During 2012 we saw an increase in Young Professional (Ad 2 DC) membership of 11% and an increase in student membership of 155% ADVERTISING FOR THE PROFESSION Advertising Week DC (ADWKDC) ADWKDC is the largest and most robust educational program/event for advertising professionals in the mid-Atlantic region. Over the course of 4 days, we brought 24 programs, 46 speakers, and the opportunity to network with over 550 of the area’s leading communications professionals. We celebrated our 9th year of providing a weeklong event focused on education for our club members and the general public alike. We offered a two-day conference featuring a combination of keynote speakers, panel discussions, and the domestic premier of the Cannes Advertising Festival winners reel. Concurrent with the conference, we offered four training workshops (Good Morning, Results: A total of 683 tickets were sold to Advertising Week DC events. Nine students from three schools attended the event on the passes purchased by the DC Ad Club Foundation. Through the training workshops, we provided hands-on training to over 120 registrants. Our speakers included a mix of nationally renowned advertising professionals as well as local luminaries. In a post-event survey, almost 70% of respondents said they attend the program for professional development. Ninety-four percent of respondents said they agreed that the conference fulfilled their reason for attending. Advertising Week DC generated a net profit of about $45,000 for the DC 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 7 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N event calendars. In order to attract young professionals, DC Ad Club members were allowed to attend at no charge and non-members were charged a reasonable fee of $15. Ad Club. We reached our goals of providing hands-on training, raising the stature of our industry by highlighting local speakers, as well as bringing in speakers from other markets, providing educational programming that is on par with national conferences, and bringing awareness to the general public the economic impact the communications industry has on the DC economy. Results: The series was covered by Capitol Communicator, member blogs, Washington Networking Group, and agency social media outlets, which helped us reach over 15,000 people enhancing our awareness in the market. A total of 220 attended the four sessions. We reached our goals of providing hands-on training to our junior staff, raising the stature of our industry by highlighting local speakers and showcasing DC area agencies. Tips & Tricks Workshops To provide hands on training, with a focus on young professionals, we presented four programs in the Tips and Tricks series: • “An Insider’s Look into DC’s Own Advertising Agencies”: Speakers discussed the various functions within agencies as well as insights into to their respective agencies and why young professionals should want to work for them. (March 2012) ADVERTISING FOR STUDENTS Tips & Tricks Workshops As described above, the Resume Review session in February 2013 gave students and other young professionals access to advice to position themselves for a job in the advertising industry. • “Taking LinkedIn to the Next Level”: A discussion of using LinkedIn to its fullest potential in the quest to advance your career (May 2012) Results: The Resume Review gave participants time for one-on-one counseling with industry professionals. The program attracted 40 attendees. • “The Power of Brand Charisma”: A former brand manager for the Walt Disney Company discussed how agencies can work both internally and externally to create a brand that is approachable, likable, and charismatic (August 2012) AAF Student Conference In October, three leaders of the DC Ad Club along with our Executive Director participated in the AAF National Student Conference. We hosted a panel on Careers in Advertising discussing how to break into the business, the various careers available in advertising, and the potential barriers and glass ceiling issues facing women in the industry. • “Resume Review”: Agency recruiters and staffing agencies provided tips on landing a first job or making a career change, followed by one-on-one resume/portfolio reviews (February 2013) Target Audience: Young professionals and those new to the profession who want to develop the skills and knowledge needed to advance their careers. Results: The AAF Student Conference was attended by over 200 students from across the country. When the panel ended, a line formed in front of each panelist for follow up questions, and they spent the next hour talking to attendees. Students were proactive in reaching out after the event as well by following our speakers on Twitter, Like-ing the companies’ Facebook pages, and contacting the companies regarding intern and job opportunities. Strategy: Develop the next generation of talent. Use local speakers to demonstrate the talent and opportunities that exist for advertising professionals in the DC market. Execution: The committee focused on topical presentations and finding local speakers as presenters. The events were promoted to the DC Ad Club’s email list (with a distribution of 3,800) and via our social media (which reaches over 2,500 member and business industry professional accounts). We also posted the events on local online University Lectures, Mentorship Programs and Agency Visits DC Ad Club’s President was a guest speaker for a marketing panel at the George Washington University Women in Business Conference. She also taught a graduate class on business development at Georgetown University. We have Board members that taught classes at 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 8 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N to highlight the award-winning advertising community to area students in an effort to have them remain in the DC market after graduation. Howard University, Georgetown University undergraduate (GW), Georgetown University Graduate School for Continuing Studies, George Mason University (GMU), and American University. Topics of these lectures covered client service, marketing, video marketing, integrated communications, and media. Additionally, our Immediate Past President is a regular speaker through the AAF speaker series visiting university students at GW, GMU and Georgetown. Our area’s largest agency and largest group member of the club, LM&O Advertising, developed and hosted a Futures Lab with area marketing students. The Lab was mutually beneficial for both the host and the students. The students were asked to provide insights on their demographic cohort and in return the agency participants provided mentoring to each of the students. Each class focused on a specific topic and also worked to communicate the great advertising community in DC. An agency immersion was also held for George Washington University marketing students at LM&O, along with Media 101 sessions each summer for Howard University students. The Media 101 day begins with a media department process session and concludes with an agency tour. ADVERTISING FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC Advertising Week DC (ADWKDC) Per capita, Washington DC has the most advertising and marketing professionals, more than New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. According to research from IHS Global Insight released in April, 2011, advertising expenditures accounted for $104 billion in economic impact in the DC Metro Area and contributed more than 21 percent to the Washington, DC area economy. And, advertising helps produce nearly 13% of all jobs in the DC Metro Area. There are nearly 36,000 commercial advertising and marketing professionals in Greater Washington. By 2014, the region is expected to have more than 39,000 advertising and marketing knowledge workers. Results: Each lecture reached an average of 50 students, addressing various areas of advertising education, the possibilities of a career in advertising, and ways to get involved in the club. Through the George Washington Women in Business session, our president reached close to 50 students and her company hired one of the participants. The summer Media 101 sessions reached close to 30 students. The Futures Lab reached 20 students. The GWU immersion afternoon reached 15 students. Target Audience: With these statistics, one of our specific goals for Advertising Week DC is to ensure that the general public (specifically the business community) knows of the impact our industry has on our region. Strategy: To get the story of our impact on the economy out, these statistics were included in Advertising Week DC promotions, including emails, press releases, and the event program. DC Ad Club Internship Directory The DC Ad Club Foundation publishes Intern Central, a members-only Intern Directory. This is a central location where students can access information about our members—including agencies, media properties, and vendors—their capabilities, and intern programs. Execution: News releases on Advertising Week DC with our industry statistics were sent to all local business reporters and the Washington, DC bureaus of advertising publications. The event program was also distributed to 17,000+ subscribers as an insert to the Washington and Baltimore Business Journals. An application for a city-wide proclamation of Advertising Week DC was sent to Mayor Vincent Gray’s office. Results: Thirty-one member agencies chose to participate in the directory which is available on the DC Ad Club website. Personal contact with university professors and contacts kept the directory top of mind as an industry resource. The club itself is benefiting from an intern found via Intern Central for the spring semester. Results: Outdoor ads were provided by Hutzpah Outdoor Media. Capitol Communicator ran banner ads and covered the event live daily. Banner ads were placed on Capital Communicator and the CityBizList site. ADWKDC was covered in the Washington Business Journal, Capitol Communicator, Washington Networking Group, and Capital Business. Through our student outreach efforts, we realized our goals of raise the stature of our industry by highlighting local speakers and showcasing DC area agencies and businesses 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 9 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Facebook pages. The event was sold out at 80+ plus attendees. Association Partnerships While our club boasts a membership of over 500, there are many more communications professionals in our region. With that in mind, we partnered with other associations to extend the message of the club and enhance our education efforts beyond our members and to the public at large. Execution: Capitol Communicator Survey—Capitol Communicator, a regional online publication that provides news, trends, education, and opportunities for networking, career enhancement, business exchange, and showcasing great work, commissioned a “State of the Communications Industry” survey. An economic sentiment-type study, the results will provide the communications industry with valuable data to make betterinformed decisions. Strategy: Extend our reach by engaging other associations in promoting DC Ad Club events and establish cross-promotional partnerships to provide additional advertising education. Results: Capitol Communicator Survey—We encouraged DC Ad Club members to respond to the survey and received recognition in Capitol Communicator emails and website for our support of the survey. Execution: ADWKDC—Enlist association partners to help plan Advertising Week DC and promote the event to their members. Results: ADWKDC—A representative from the 4A’s served on the Advertising Week DC steering committee and assisted us in securing two keynote speakers. For the third year, PRSA-NCC scheduled its annual Thoth Awards during Advertising Week DC, and the awards gala was included on the schedule for the week. These organizations also promoted Advertising Week DC to their members, who were offered the member rate to attend. Execution: Radio Interview—DC Ad Club’s president was featured on Nonprofit Spark National WebTalk Radio Show in early March 2013. She discussed the club’s recent rebranding and outlined steps for organizations considering rebranding themselves. Result: Radio Interview—As of this writing, only a few days after the interview was posted, there were over 40,000 downloads of the interview. Execution: DMAW Bridge Conference—The DC Ad Club signed on as a co-sponsor of the Direct Marketing Association of Washington’s annual Bridge Conference, held in July. This two-day conference features topics on current trends in direct mail and fundraising; information that has relevance to some of our members, so we save resources by partnering with their programming rather than inventing our own. Results: DMAW Bridge Conference—DC Ad Club promoted the event via email blasts and social media. We received some exhibit hall passes as part of our sponsorship and distributed them to members. DMAW promoted Advertising Week DC to its membership and people on the conference registration list were sent the ADDYs call for entries. Execution: DC Week—During DCWeek, a week-long festival focused on bringing together designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and social innovators of all kinds, DC Ad Club hosted a program called “The (anti)social Network.” The program addressed what makes “good” content and how to get noticed and engage the audience. Results: DC Week— The event was promoted on the DC Week calendar and via the club in emails and social media. Following the event we also received mentions on member 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 10 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Target Audience: Our speaker series offered a diverse range of content that would appeal to a wide array of advertising professionals that represented advertising agencies, graphic design firms, media companies, creative suppliers, consultants, academia, public relations, digital marketing and advertisers. DIVISION II: AAF HOUSTON Overview/Goals: To educate and provide relevant and timely information to our members and advertising community through our monthly programs, membership workshops, e-newsletters and website. Strategy: We launched the “Creative Thought Leader Speaker Series” in January 2010 which we positioned as bringing top names in any creative endeavor to the community. By positioning our speaker series as “creative thought leaders”, we were able to attract top talent speakers and to broaden the audience for our club. ADVERTISING FOR THE PROFESSION In 2012 we launched a new member “How to Network” workshop series on Saturday mornings. It was very well received by our new members that attended and will be implemented again in 2013 during our membership drive time period. Educational Luncheon Programs Event Details: Our chapter held a semi-monthly educational luncheon speaker series. Depending upon the speaker’s interest, we tailored additional events to help maximize their time in our city as well as to raise additional revenue. Some speakers were sponsored by firms in our market who used the opportunity to develop a personal relationship. For other speakers, we had limited “meet and greet” occasions. Execution/Tactics: Speakers were flown in, wined and dined and put up for one evening if necessary. Most cost was covered by program sponsors. The speakers presented at our monthly luncheons at the Junior League, the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Each luncheon was promoted through email campaign, newsletters, local media outlets the, and social media, artwork for which were developed by different member companies each month and promoted the event sponsor. Examples of the speakers and programs included: • May, 2012, Jane Maas, Are you MAD for Advertising?, a presentation on how some of Madison Avenues great MADMEN and MADWOMEN created some of the most iconic campaigns in all of American Advertising history! Results: According to an online survey of participants from the January 2013 luncheon, the program resonated on relevance of topic. Also, 73% of respondents felt the program was “…very interesting and (they) learned something.” And 94% of respondents said they received knowledge they could apply to a client or project • September, 2012, Scott Brown, Chief Creative Officer FKM, Why We Did The Pitch, shared his perspective on how they won The Pitch and how to acquire new business. • October 2012, Matt Knight, Director of Marketing & PR at Mid-South Health Systems, “Leaving Fingerprints at the Scene of the Crime!”, discussed going behind the yellow tape and uncovering the secrets of making creative and lasting impressions. ADVERTISING FOR STUDENTS Scholarship Program Goal: Provide financial support and guidance for students as they work toward a career in advertising. • January 2013, Andy Sernovitz, acclaimed author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking. Creative presentation that demonstrated how using the right message for your brand can get consumers talking about your product. All attendees also receive a free copy of his book. Event Details: The American Advertising Federation–Houston has an established Advertising Education Foundation of Houston that oversees awarding scholarships to college students within our region. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 12 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Target Audience: College Students, College Professors and Ad Fed Members. Student Conference Event Details: The AAF Houston Student Conference was designed to give college students from our region an opportunity to network with professionals, provide real world experience in preparing an advertising campaign and also offer guidance on future careers within the advertising industry. Execution/Tactics: • Repositioned the focus of scholarship communication directing to the student population and the university professors. • Revised the Scholarship Foundation website to include a New Scholarship Application on-line page with a new, more progressive look, showing scholarship winners from last year. Target Audience: College Students, College Professors, AdFed Members Strategy/Goals: To put on a quality conference where both students, as well as their professors have real world take-aways. Increase the number of universities and students participating while also involving more of our Ad Fed members in the project. • Increased the number of student on-line applications to over 250. • Increased the number of qualified student scholarships awarded annually to fifteen scholarships with a value of $2,000 for a total amount of $30,000 in scholarship awards. Execution/Tactics: A committee was put together to lead the conference, over ten subcommittee chairs were established. The chairs met early in 2012 to map out committee strategies to meet the goals and pave the way for a successful event. Committees included: Judging, Registration, Professor Liaison, Communication, Logistics, Sponsorship and Host site locations, Portfolio/Resume Review, Saturday Speakers Panel and Sponsorship. Regular meetings were held to coordinate progress of the committees and discuss opportunities, as well as concerns the chairs were having. A sponsor was secured (Academy Sports and Outdoors) and the project case study was prepared for the students. The communication committee added social media and a text message sign up messaging components to the existing direct mail and email campaign elements. The communication committee also worked with the agency and developed materials that spoke to the students in a bold attention getting manner. Results: Previously, the association awarded twelve scholarships and increased the total to 15. Through additional promotion to students, universities and professors, available applications increased from 136 to over 250; an increase of 83%. Scholarship information was vastly improved on the AAF-Houston website and a mini-site was developed and promoted. A unique URL, www.houstonadscholarships.com, was established, which would be easy to communicate to our target audience and also help in online searches. Prior to the launch, we tested the functionality of the new online application with students to ensure it was easy to use. Email messaging to professors and social media was increased to communicate with universities and interested students within the AAF 10th District. Letters of announcement went out to 56 communication professors and advisors in the 10th District Region. This was followed up by two mailings to the same professors and advisors reminding them of the deadline dates for receiving student applications. Results: We had over 200 students from 14 different universities from three states. There were over 15 professors that attended the professor’s tour and dinner. We had over 25 local advertising businesses participate in the two day event, by either hosting a student team or participating in the resume review, speaker’s panel or professor tour. The judges were bowled over by the quality of the work the students prepared in such a short time period (advertising plan, media plan and creative executions). The students learned to come together with other students from different universities form a quasi agency, assign tasks to team members and get to work on a tight deadline. Students were also asked to present their work on a short video, just as they would present to the client, thus honing A panel of 24 judges has been recruited from current and past board members as well as key participants in the AAF-Houston organization. The success of the AEFH scholarship foundation should continue for years to come, since all awarded scholarships are from a growing base of individual scholarship funds that are committed to the future legacy of each donor. Our scholarship foundation currently has over $260,000 in our newly established 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 13 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N their presentation skills. Nine Houston Area Advertising Professionals participated in the judging of the 20 team’s submitted work. The conference also included resume/ portfolio review workshops where AAF Members were asked to participate and review with students during a specific time period. Over 75 students took advantage of this part of the conference. Before the final presentation to the top three winning teams a panel discussion /presentation was held. A panel of five Houston Advertising/ Marketing professionals discussed a wide array of topics designed to assist the students as they pursue employment upon graduation, an opportunity for them to ask questions was also provided. The Ad 2 Houston club provided a flyer for the students that complemented this goal designed as a tip sheet for employment with valuable resources. Ad 2 also assisted with the resume/portfolio review. A short presentation by local University of Houston Advertising Professor, Larry Kelley, winner of the 2012 Educator of the Year Award, was given discussing the importance of team building and strategies as they approach NSAC in the next semester. Overall the Professors and Students were thrilled with the results of the 2012 Houston AAF Conference and Competition and deemed it a successful learning experience. Professor Bobikay Lewis from Oklahoma State in an email on November 8, 2012 to Tammy Guest (Student Conference Chair); “As always a wonderful job and the competition was such a great experience for the students”. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 14 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N • December Luncheon: A how-to session on entering the ADDY® Awards. We reviewed the new ADDY software and rules changes to help members show off their hottest, most exciting work of the year. DIVISION III: AAF OF THE MIDLANDS Overview/Goals: Education is a part of the DNA of AAF of the Midlands. Our mission statement’s first objective is to “provide and promote a better understanding of the functions of advertising and marketing and their value”. Everything our club does, from programs to government relations to student outreach, works towards this objective. • January Luncheon: Rob Wilson shared “The Innovator’s Toolbox,” which had everyone standing on their chairs to get a new perspective on things. Results: Approximately 45-75 people attended each luncheon meeting. In addition to members, we welcomed guests and students (discussed later in this report). We used surveymonkey.com to solicit feedback so we can keep improving. Feedback has been very positive, with some attendees even tweeting about their enjoyable luncheon experiences. ADVERTISING EDUCATION FOR THE PROFESSION Target Audience: AAF of the Midlands serves the advertising, marketing and communications communities of the greater Columbia, South Carolina area. Our membership includes ad agencies, in-house marketing departments, creative boutiques, media, production studios and freelancers. Most of these organizations are small and depend upon our club as a vital resource for information and networking. Inform and educate our members about local, state and national issues affecting our industry and our members. Results: We actively monitored legislation that could affect our industry and were proactive about informing our membership before anything was enacted. We used a variety of tools to inform our members about pending legislation, including Facebook posts, tweets and announcements at our monthly meetings. Present a series of luncheon programs that inform and inspire our members and their guests. Spread the word on our website, social media and press releases. • April Luncheon: Mike Craney presented a case study of the tourism advertising during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Crisis. Topics included the timeline of the entire crisis and the strategies, tactics and creative used across all media types to counteract the impacts on the tourism industry. Keep members informed of new job opportunities in marketing, advertising and public relations. Invite employers to post openings on our website, a free service to members of AAF of the Midlands (non-members pay a one-time fee of $25 to post a position). Also spread the word of opportunities through email and social media. • May Luncheon: Advertising legend Jane Maas shared eye-opening tales of what it was like to be an advertising woman in the sixties. Audience members lined up to get signed copies of her newly released book, Mad Women. Results: The job postings section is one of the most utilized pages of our website. Email and social media have produced very positive results. For example, the University of South Carolina needed to fill three adjunct teaching positions to meet enrollment demands. Within one hour of the initial posting, all three positions had been filled with professionals, all eager to make a difference in the lives of students. • September Luncheon: Carolina Panthers’ Henry Thomas offered a behindthe-scenes view of the Panthers’ marketing and advertising efforts. • October Luncheon: Tim Cox, Director of Creative Strategy for Publix Super Markets, shared the story of how his team created the brand identity for a not-so-ordinary grocery retailer. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 16 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N agencies The Adams Group and Chernoff Newman helped sponsor the event. After much anticipation, we staged our program to a packed room full of students, eager to learn about the ADDY awards. District 3 Treasurer Ace Evans and District 3 ADDY Cochair Melissa Harper presented a comprehensive program that introduced students to the Student ADDY Awards, got them excited, and taught them how to put their entries together using the new ADDY software. The students asked lots of questions, brought samples of their entries, and began the process of entering the ADDYs. ADVERTISING EDUCATION FOR NEW PROFESSIONALS Target Audience: Young professionals who are making the transition from college to career and need mentors and networking opportunities. Strategy: Create and fund a “New Professionals Scholarship,” which awards a one-year membership to AAF of the Midlands to a deserving senior in college, graduating in 2013 and majoring in advertising, public relations, marketing or visual communications OR an alumnus/ alumna who has graduated within the past year and is still seeking a professional job in one of the listed fields. Results: The workshop was a winner! Students from three colleges and universities entered the ADDYs, a first for our club. The workshop also attracted USC students who weren’t members of SAF. An email exchange between a Vis Com major and her professor is a testament that our workshop worked. The number of entries was also up. Results: We funded the scholarship through proceeds from our annual oyster roast/ silent auction (discussed later in this report). The application for the 2013-2014 scholarship was posted online on February 25. Applications will be accepted through April 5. We received 41 student entries, up from 27 the previous year. Eleven student ADDY® awards were given: Best of Show, two Special Judges Awards, four Gold and four Silver awards. Winners were from USC and South University. ADVERTISING EDUCATION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS & FACULTY Involve college students in club activities in the hopes that they will later join and strengthen our club. Tactic #1: Invite students to volunteer with the ADDY® Awards. Target Audience: Columbia is a college town. More than 700 students major in advertising and public relations at the University of South Carolina. Columbia is also home to several smaller colleges and for-profit universities, which teach business, art, creative writing and other topics that provide great background for advertising careers. Results: USC and Benedict College students assisted with logging in entries, setting up the judging rooms, shadowing judges and helping decorate the awards venue. The students got the opportunity to network with the judges and local professionals and were rewarded with free admission to the gala. A student volunteer from Benedict College wrote to thank the board, marveling at the opportunities and creative genius he experienced while volunteering. USC has reached out to this student, welcoming him and his friends to Student Advertising Federation meetings. Establish a two-way conversation between the various academic programs and the local advertising community. Include university faculty and staff on the AAF of the Midlands Board. Results: The relationship between the university and professional advertising community is thriving. Board members include an advertising professor (honorary lifetime board member) and the director of student media (treasurer). Tactic #2: Invite students to attend our monthly meetings at a discounted rate of $15 (our break-even cost). Reach out to all area colleges and encourage students to enter the Student ADDY® competition. Event Details: We co-hosted a Student ADDY workshop with USC’s Student Advertising Federation (SAF) on November 7th. Students from all local colleges were invited through social media and posters in their schools. To attract students, we enticed them with free pizza and an incentive ($15 off their first Student ADDY entry). Columbia advertising Results: Two to five students from USC and Benedict College regularly attended each monthly meeting. This is the first time students from Benedict College attended our meetings, another example of the results of our Student ADDY outreach. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 17 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Tactic #3: Offer to speak in classes and student club meetings. ADVERTISING EDUCATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Results: AAF of the Midlands board members spoke at several USC SAF meetings and participated in a college-wide panel discussion during the College of Mass Communications & Information Studies annual I-Comm Week, which drew a crowd of more than 100 students. Target Audiences: Primary audience: Columbia area minority high school students, educators and career counselors. Secondary audience: local advertising and communications firms to speak with students and host a summer intern. Strategy: Give engaging presentations about the rewarding career opportunities in advertising. Offer an internship and scholarship to the most promising student. Tactic #4: Award two scholarships to rising juniors or seniors majoring in advertising or a related field. Selection is based on scholarship, participation in extracurricular activities and financial need. The scholarships are funded through proceeds from our oyster roast/ silent auction. Results: Our oyster roast, held on November 1st, brought in $6,455 in auction sales items and $843 in ticket sales (previous year was $6,151 in auction sales and $525 in ticket sales). This funded the two student scholarships, the new professionals scholarship, and our contribution to the District 3 Advertising Educational Sponsor program (see AES details later in this report). USC seniors Stephen Bandstra and Chris Beauregard each received a $500 scholarship. Applications for the 2013-14 scholarships are being solicited and the AAF of the Midlands board will choose the winners in April. Results: More than 150 minority high school Juniors and Seniors were presented with an overview of careers in advertising. From the pool of internship applicants, Eau Claire High School senior Taliyah Wolff rose to the top. Ms. Wolff participated in a two-week summer internship program and spent time at Chernoff Newman, SCANA and the Colonial Life Arena, shadowing staff members in their day-to-day tasks and getting a glimpse of what it’s really like to work in the advertising industry. At the successful completion of her internship, Wolff was awarded a $500 scholarship from AAF of the Midlands and AAF Third District’s $1,000 Diversity Scholarship. She is pursing a major in digital media and video production at the Art Institute in Charleston, South Carolina. We are currently reviewing the 2013 applicants. ADVERTISING EDUCATION IN THE THIRD DISTRICT ADVERTISING EDUCATION FOR THE COMMUNITY Background/ Target Audience: Students from more than 200 universities compete at the district level of AAF’s National Student Advertising Competition. The winning team from each district advances to compete nationally. While AAF covers the travel costs to nationals for five presenters from each winning school, most teams have at least 12 students, a financial burden to the winning team’s university. Target Audience: Columbia is home to the state capital, the flagship state university, a major military base and several corporate and regional headquarters. Inform the various constituencies about advertising topics and monthly meetings that may be of interest to them on a personal or professional level. Tactic: Reach out to the community through press releases and social media. Members are encouraged to invite clients, friends and colleagues to meetings that may be of interest. For example, USC Women Studies professors were invited to the Jane Maas presentation. PRSA members were invited to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Crisis presentation. Strategy: AAF of the Midlands is an Advertising Education Sponsor of the team that wins the AAF District 3 competition. We solicit donations from our members at meetings and on our website and then match the funds. Result: AAF of the Midlands donated $937 in 2012, which supported the University of Virginia, winner of the District 3 competition. Results: Stories about our club appeared in numerous local media outlets including ABC Columbia, The State, MidlandsBiz, Columbia Metropolitan, The Star and military.com. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 18 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N We also spread the word through social media and increased our Facebook likes by 24% and increased our twitter followers by 49.75% over last year. Our personal outreach paid off. USC’s Athletics Marketing Director became a member of AAF of the Midlands after coming to the luncheon featuring the Carolina Panthers’ marketing director. Educate South Carolina legislators about the $65.2 billion economic impact of advertising expenditures in our state. Results: We will cohost our first legislation session on March 6 to inspire an informative and meaningful dialogue with South Carolina legislators and their constituents. SUMMARY Our education initiatives touched a wide constituency. We welcomed the community at large to our meetings so they could appreciate how advertising touches their lives. We educated legislators on the impact of advertising in our state. We informed and excited high school students, their parents and educators about career opportunities in our field. We continued our strong relationship with USC and reached out to other area colleges and universities. We created an opportunity to help new professionals in their transition from college to career. We offered beneficial sessions to our members, kept them informed of legislation that could impact their business, and gave them the opportunity to network and learn from each other. In the process, we learned a lot ourselves. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 19 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Execution/Tactics: From creative case studies to political campaigns and print advertising to digital navigation, we strive to not only vary these programs, but also keep them relevant to our market in an effort to draw a diverse crowd and keep attendees interested. DIVISION IV: AAF FORT WORTH Overview/Background: AAF-Fort Worth is a small club that does big things. With approximately 65 members and just over 20 events per year, education is at the heart of everything we do. Education is vital to retain members, recruit and influence the next generation of advertising professionals and reinforce the value of our organization to the general public. Additionally, in the Tenth District of the AAF, we have a program called Advertising Education Sponsorships (AES). AES was created to ensure that students from the Tenth District would have a strong base of support financially. For example, AES pays for all expenses associated with the district’s National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) and provides stipends to the competing teams to help support their travel, hotel, registration and other expenses. The AES program also awards scholarships each year to deserving students within the district. There are other, smaller, initiatives at the district level as well. As an AAF chapter it is our charge to support district plans and to create our own local programs. Results: Feedback is encouraged and surveys are distributed intermittently throughout the year to gauge attendees’ perceived value. All feedback and attendance numbers are reviewed by the programs committee and adjustments are made accordingly. Average attendance is maintaining from 2011. AAF-FW News Page & Social Media Project Details: Utilize these outlets to reach interested parties not currently in our database to drive home the value that our club brings to the industry. Target Audience: Primarily students and public, but also some membership Execution/Tactics: Updates are made to the AAF-FW News page and social media outlets on a very regular basis that include updates on programs, ADDYs, local job postings, local new-hires and general club news. Goals: Results: This allows students and the general public that might not be in our database to get updates that they might otherwise miss. Multiple students and non-members have attended mixers and charity events because they saw our website and/or social media post about it. • Provide continuing education and professional development for our membership in the advertising industry/profession in general and continue to explain the benefits of AAF. • Educate local students by getting them involved in our activities and raise money for our District 10 initiative, Advertising Education Sponsorships. Networking Mixers Project Details: We held five different after hours mixers this year at local restaurants/ bars, promoting them as a time to relax, drink and network with fellow professionals. • Educate the general public on the value that AAF brings to the industry and keep them abreast of issues that affect their daily lives. Target Audience: Membership, prospective membership, students and public Execution/Tactics: We view mixers as a way to allow our membership to let loose and also as a way to network with a slightly different crowd than our typical luncheon attendees. By charging a minimal $5 per person and providing appetizers, we get mixer attendees to make a commitment that they’ll attend, without a large financial obligation. In an effort to maximize results with limited manpower, a primary focus this year was to incorporate events that reach all three of our target audiences. Monthly Luncheons Project Details: Monthly luncheons are our primary and consistent outreach to all three of our target audiences. Everyone in our database receives an e-mail invitation to the monthly luncheon. Results: We get continuous praise on these mixers as many vendors appreciate the atmosphere of being able to approach agencies in a non-threatening way. Likewise, jobseekers, including many students, are able to begin conversations with potential employers in a casual environment. Target Audience: Membership, prospective membership, students and public 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 21 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Execution/Tactics: Our education committee, along with the help of our ADDY committee, reached out to more than seven schools in the area including large institutions, community colleges, and technical schools encouraging students to submit their best creative work in hopes of winning gold. After submissions, we recruited two student volunteers to help and learn from the judging process. Finally, our club extended five free event passes to students interested in attending the ADDYs and assisting our board in tasks throughout the night. Presence at District Leadership Conferences & Convention Project Details: Send as many AAF-FW members to district conferences as possible. Target Audience: Board members Execution/Tactics: It has been our goal to send every board member to at least one district leadership conference or convention each year. These trips build camaraderie and provide a venue for brainstorming our arsenal of development ideas for the club and provide an opportunity for continuing education and professional development. Results: This year’s student entries totaled 35 entries made by 25 entrants. This statistic proves that our efforts in building a deeper more direct relationship with our student community is paying off and that they see value in participating with our organization. Results: The results have shown themselves profusely as far as the team morale within the board and all the great ideas that we come back with. We’ve also been able to hear a variety of great speakers and then book them for our monthly membership luncheons. Annual Holiday Party Project Details: The Annual AAF-FW Holiday Party is a time for the club to give back to the membership and to raise money for AES. AES Board Member Challenge Project Details: This project challenges our board members to not only understand the AES program to the point that they can effectively communicate its benefits and promote it to others within the club and beyond, but to donate the equivalent of a bronze ($75) membership on their own. Target Audience: Membership, prospective membership and students Target Audience: Board Members Execution/Tactics: We almost have this down to a science. So this year, we were able to focus more of our attention on obtaining silent auction items, which go straight to our AES commitment. And, by charging a minimal $10 per person we can provide appetizers and host the event at a venue with good happy hour specials in an effort to encourage our attendees to have a good time. Execution/Tactics: We remind our board at the beginning of every year what AES is about and that their donation of $75 supports the future of advertising. We challenge them to continue to spread the word about AES, specifically how easy it is to donate when registering for an event by simply adding a small amount to one’s payment and how important the program is overall to our district. Results: This year, because of our new focus on silent auction items, we had more than 50 different items, everything from Texas Rangers tickets to a top of the line grill. We also created an additional fun way to generate funds by asking for donations to “Sit with Santa” for a photo. The event raised more than $2,485, DOUBLING our AES donation from 2011. Results: Not everyone on the board can donate, but those that are able do. The board member challenge raised $900 this year. UTA Communication Day Project Details: Attended the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) Communication Day and hosted a table to let college students know more about our organization. ADDY Student Involvement/Participation Project Details: The ADDYs are the ideal way to get our student community invested in the fun of ad club. We encouraged students to enter the competition, participate in the judging process, and volunteer at the event. Target Audience: Students and university faculty members who are not club members Execution/Tactics: We had board members manning our AAF-Fort Worth table at UTA Communication Day, answering questions about our organization, how to get involved and handing out ADDY entry forms. Target Audience: Students at local colleges, universities and technical schools 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 22 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Results: Through our continued presence in the community and ongoing outreach to local universities, we are able to find or be invited to opportunities such as these. This event only took a couple hours out of our day and we always get told how helpful it is. Beatles Benefit Bash Project Details: This event is a one-night concert with the best Beatles cover band around and draws a very diverse group. Classroom Outreach Project Details: This year we made an effort to connect with students on a classroom level. Multiple board members were invited to come and speak to local universities on a variety of topics related to advertising. This opportunity provided a two-way communication with students in a comfortable environment. Target Audience: Membership, prospective membership and public Execution/Tactics: By partnering with a local venue that has a stage and bar, we keep costs low, so that all our proceeds benefit our chosen cause: PMR Charity, which supports those in need, from stroke victims to amputees, whose mounting medical bills cause a tremendous strain on their quality of life and on their families. Target Audience: Students Results: This event, in its sixth year, is becoming known around our community as a must-attend event, which lets people know one of the many things that AAF-Fort Worth is capable of and reinforces our support of the Fort Worth community to our members and the general public. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate this year and since our venue is outdoors, this dramatically impacted attendance. Even so, AAF-Fort Worth was able to contribute $3,795 to PMR Charity. Execution/Tactics: Board members spoke to students on a variety of topics including “Agency vs. Non-profit” and the ADDYs. Results: University outreach provides our club a platform to discuss AAF and educate students on the benefits of joining and how our organization can help positively impact their career. Professor Outreach and Student Discount Pricing Project Details: We’ve found that making a special effort to keep communication open between our club and local university professors is to our benefit. We also go the extra mile to offer discounted registration for students to all of our events once they have registered as such in our system. CONCLUSION Through a variety of projects and activities, we proudly accomplished our three goals. And we’ve built a strong foundation for program improvement and expanded reach in the 2013-2014 year Target Audience: Students and professors Execution/Tactics: Through explaining the process to professors at the beginning of each school year, we get both professor and student buy-in early on. Having students register as such in our system allows us to maintain constant correspondence and offering discounted pricing makes it more likely that they’ll actually attend. Results: We’ve continued to see our student attendance rise and occasionally are asked to sign off for a student’s attendance so that they can receive extra credit for a specific class. Our efforts paid off this year when a large group of students from Abilene Christian University drove 150 miles to attend one of our afternoon luncheon programs and tour two local agencies! 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 23 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N DIVISION V: AD 2 DC Tips & Tricks Series Tips & Tricks is our educational programming series that provides interesting topics and insights, aimed to help attendees grow professionally. This series was created to be educational in a casual atmosphere, attracting various levels of professionals to share their knowledge and personal experiences. Ad 2 DC aimed to vary the content to reach all levels of membership—students, recent graduates and seasoned professionals. The overall goal of Ad 2 DC is to inspire future industry leaders through advertising education. To accomplish, this we set specific goals for educating the profession, students and the general public. Our goals for advertising education for the 2012-2013 year were as follows: • Educating the Profession by providing high quality programming for prospective and current members at a low cost to increase their industry knowledge and help them become future industry leaders. Tips & Tricks: Taking LinkedIn to the Next Level (May 2012): We all have a LinkedIn account and make connections after attending networking events, but there’s so much more it can be used for. We wanted to provide young professionals tips on how they can leverage this job search tool to further enhance their careers • Educating Students by providing accessible events to local college students to help them make connections in the advertising, marketing and communications industry in the DC metro area. Target Audience: Ad 2 DC members and young professionals with a few years of work experience looking for their next career opportunity. • Educating the General Public about Ad 2 DC’s mission through programs and public service initiatives. Strategy: We wanted to bring in a speaker that had exceptional knowledge of LinkedIn to provide attendees strong advice on how to leverage LinkedIn to land their next job or climb up the ladder. One of our Steering Committee chairs met Victoria Ipri, LinkedIn Marketing Consultant & Coach, at a local marketing conference and reached out. Ipri spoke about how to clean up your profile and get your profile in the top search results. Overall successes include: • Tips & Tricks event series resulted in 130 attendees, 38% non-members • (Anti)Social Network event partnered with a local business and sold out within two days Execution/Tactics: For the event, we used existing Tips & Tricks branded creative. We deployed e-blasts to our mailing lists and promoted it online via social media and ad2dc.org. • Water Cooler Wednesdays averaged five students in attendance • Events featured speakers from well-known companies, including LinkedIn, Blackboard, Rock the Vote and LivingSocial. Results: Ipri did a great job of giving clear tips to attendees on how to get their profile noticed and interacted with attendees via social media. We asked attendees to fill out feedback forms and of those forms, attendees ranked the event and speaker at least a 4 on a scale of 1-5. We also asked for suggestions for future events and will take those into consideration for our next planning meeting. Our Tips & Tricks emails have an average of a 20.11% open rate and 3.16% click through rate. EDUCATING THE PROFESSION The goal of each Ad 2 DC program was to provide a high-quality event at a low cost that would expand our target audience’s industry knowledge. All but one program was free for members and low-cost to non-members, increasing the value of being an Ad 2 DC member. We covered a broad range of topics, hitting on key areas within the advertising, marketing and communications industry. Tips & Tricks: Brand Charisma (August 2012): This year, we wanted to provide educational opportunities to learn from high profile speakers and well-known brands. Because of Ad 2 DC’s recognition and network, we were able to bring on Christian 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 25 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Attendees were asked to sign up in advanced to have one-on-one time with a recruiter/HR professional to ensure everyone was able to have an opportunity. During the resume review time, attendees networked with one another. Campagnuolo, former Brand Manager for the Walt Disney Company and Blackboard’s current Vice President of Brand Strategy & Creative. Campagnuolo spoke about how agencies can work both internally and externally to create a brand that is approachable, likable and charismatic. Execution/Tactics: With the launch of the new brand, we developed new Tips & Tricks creative. The event was promoted on dcadclub.com, social media and three e-blasts. Target Audience: Ad 2 DC and DC Ad club members, general public and industry non-members. Results: With seven recruiters/HR professionals, all attendees were able to spend 10 minutes with at least one of them to receive feedback on their resumes. Almost all attendees were members and fell in the Ad 2 DC target demographic. When attendees were leaving, they expressed their enjoyment of the event and two non-members converted to members on-site. Many of the panelists expressed interested in doing another event with us. Strategy: By utilizing resources and connections, we were able to provide high quality programs on interesting topics to members at no cost and a low cost to non-members. All events are hosted by local companies at no charge. Execution/Tactics: For the event, we used existing Tips & Tricks creative. We deployed e-blasts to our mailing lists and promoted it online via social media and ad2dc.org. The (Anti)Social Network For the second year, Ad 2 DC hosted an event during DCWEEK, a weeklong festival of hundreds of distributed events powered by the community that is attended by over 10,000 people. To stand out in the crowd, Ad 2 DC partnered with a growing creative digital agency in DC, BRINKmedia, who hosted, sponsored and provided a moderator (their Executive Vice President) for the event. With the ever-changing landscape of the web and social media as a focal point, the panel discussed what makes “good” content for the web, how users expectations have changed, and how to measure effectiveness of messaging through social media. To conclude the event, the panelists discussed how social media is a career tool, what employers expect from young professionals when it comes to their online presence, and what harm can it do. Results: This event was a packed room with over 60 in attendance, our biggest Tips & Tricks of the year. Attendees were an even split between members and non-members, there was a wide variety of professionals in the room, ranging from recent graduates to seasoned professionals. We received praise from multiple sources for the event, and were even told from a veteran DC Ad Club Board member that this was one of the best programs she’s attended. Resume Review & HR Panel (February 2013) Whether someone is a recent graduate trying to land his/her first job or a young professional that has a few years of work experience under his/her belt, everyone needs a little help to stand out. This event provided attendees tips on how to get their resume to the top of a recruiter’s list and a chance to have their resume critiqued by a recruiter or HR professional from local companies. Target Audience: Local industry professionals of all levels, particularly with an interest in social media. Strategy: By partnering with an agency and hosting the event during DCWEEK, we aimed to increase the reach of the event to various industry professionals. This event was free for members and non-members, to increase attendance and stay competitive with the other events occurring. Target Audience: Ad 2 DC members and young professional non-members who are recent graduates or have a few years of work experience. Strategy: We partnered with local recruiters and HR professionals from various size and company type to provide tips and resume feedback to attendees. This allowed attendees to hear real insights from local companies on how to landing a job in the tough DC job market; they were also able to make direct connections with the recruiters and HR professionals. Execution/Tactics: Promotions on DCWEEK website; social media through DCWEEK, BRINK and Ad 2 DC accounts; and e-blasts to our mailing list. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 26 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Results: This event sold out within two days of posting, resulting in high attendance of non-members. With the partnership of a growing agency in DC and during a wellknown community industry week, we were able to expose attendees to Ad 2 DC’s great programming. This event was also put on at no-cost to Ad 2 DC; BRINKmedia coordinated the catering with a local restaurant. now serving as our membership co-chair and regularly reaches out to students from his school to attend Ad 2 DC events. Student Outreach This year we sought to get our name out to the local colleges so that students would learn more about Ad 2 DC and attend our events. In partnership with the DC Ad Club, we developed a Student Outreach Committee. The Student Outreach committee designated a delegate to each local college and university in order to build contacts and promote our events to the students. Several Ad 2 DC Steering Committee chairs went to local colleges to participate in various events. Two chairs sat on a panel at the Art Institute’s Consumer Behavior class to critique their presentations. The Ad 2 DC Chair and Membership Chair attended a speed networking event to provide guidance to upcoming graduates. Lastly, the Student Outreach Committee and the Ad 2 DC Past Chair attended American University’s Marketing & Communications Day hosted by the School of Business and School of Communications. At the event, we had a table at the career fair and attended a networking event right after. At the career fair, there was a constant flow of students; all those interested in learning more about Ad 2 DC were contacted after the event. EDUCATING STUDENTS Ad 2 DC wanted to provide accessible programs and events for students to help them build connections with current professionals in the local advertising, marketing and communications industry. In addition to the Resume Review Tips & Tricks listed above, to follow are other initiatives. Water Cooler Wednesdays (WCW) WCW, another Ad 2 DC signature event, is our free networking event where young professionals network in a relaxed atmosphere, exchange ideas and collaborate. Target Audience: Local professionals and students who are in or interested in the advertising, marketing and communications industry. EDUCATION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC Strategy: Hold free networking events on a consistent basis at locations throughout DC to increase reach; WCW serves as an introductory event for non-members to learn about Ad 2 DC. Our goal is to either partner with another association or secure a sponsorship for these happy hours. Besides the items listed above and below, in the upcoming months we are ramping up our new blog ADitude—an industry blog for young professionals in advertising, marketing, technology and creative careers living in or looking to relocate to the DC metro area. It is a place to share tips and tricks, announce exciting or relevant industry news, shine a spotlight on the great things local companies or individuals are doing and promote our vibrant community. Execution/Tactics: Creative stayed relatively the same for each WCW; if there was a big sponsor, we’d incorporate their logo into the email banner. If there was a special focus, such as end of the year or public service, we’d add a twist to the creative and include the information. E-blasts were sent to mailing list and the events were heavily promoted via social media. Public Service Campaign Ad 2 DC Public Service provides pro-bono marketing services to local non-profit organizations. The program develops future marketing leaders and significantly benefits local communities. Results: We’ve seen an increase in students attending our WCW, with an average of five per event. From one WCW, a recent graduate of a local university made connections with Ad 2 DC steering committee chairs that helped him get a job at a local agency. He is also Target Audience: The general public; young industry professionals; local non-profit organizations. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 27 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : A D V E R T I S I N G E D U C AT I O N Results: ADWKDC is a huge membership driver for us; in the month leading up to ADWKDC, there were 15 new Ad 2 DC members. The DC Ad Club Foundation provided free passes for local college students to attend. 90% of survey respondents said they enjoyed the conference and would attend again. The top three reasons survey respondents attended were for professional development, networking and to learn something new. Strategy: The public service campaign is the key element of Ad 2 DC and what makes us the premier organization for young professionals in the advertising, marketing and communications industry. Through the public service initiative, we engage the general public, educate them on this aspect of the organization and recruit new members. Execution/Tactics: The public service chair put out an RFP for non-profits to submit applications for clients and it was featured on the Capital Communicators website. Email blasts were sent to members, non-members and local area organizations. Ad 2 DC utilized our website and social media to promote as well. To announce our 2012-2013 client and educate the community of the public service campaign, we focused the October WCW on public service. At the event, attendees learned about the campaign, heard from our 20122013 client, Open House, and learned about how they can give back and get involved. CONCLUSION This year, Ad 2 DC provided high-quality programs at a low-cost that helped professionals, students and the general public increase their knowledge of the industry. By providing strong and relevant programming to reach members and prospective members at all stages in their careers, we gained 71 new members, ending with 161 as of February 2013. Year after year our events continue to provide young professionals the opportunity to network with high profile speakers and companies in the DC metro area and grow professionally so that they may become the leaders of tomorrow. We continually fill the rooms for our events and attendees express their enjoyment of them. Results: In April 2012, during our WCW, our public service chair presented our 20112012 campaign to attendees to share with them all the work they did. After the October WCW, the public service committee grew by five people, received cash donations, secured a production company, and secured free media for the campaign. Advertising Week DC (ADWKDC) ADWKDC is an annual conference that brings together nationally recognized talent to share industry trends, insights and best practices in the rapidly changing industry of marketing communications. Target Audience: The general public and ADWKDC registrants, from students to CMO’s and Presidents Strategy: Partner with the DC Ad Club to promote the conference and theme of “Awe” to our networks, and attend events to share insights. To build anticipation, we promoted the Groundswell project which challenged the young professionals of local agencies to come up with a video that was AWE-inspiring. To help increase attendance, creative workshops were added for those that were unable to attend the full day of conference programs. Execution/Tactics: Promotions consisted of e-blasts to members, flyer, social media and a dedicated ADWKDC website. Groundswell videos were posted to advertisingweekdc.com. Ad 2 DC promoted through our social media accounts and posted it on ad2dc.org. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 28 club operations div I: d i v II : a u s t i n a d v e r t i s i n g f e d e r at i o n AA F O m a h a d i v III : d i v I v: d i v v: aaf lincoln AA F n o r t h e a s t t e n n e s s e e Ad 2 orlando AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S reveal initially that the Ad Fed is conducting the focus group in order to receive open and honest feedback) DIVISION I: AUSTIN ADVERTISING FEDERATION • Determine what members want and need to attend Ad Fed events other than ADDYs and Big Wigs Overview: The Austin Advertising Federation is fortunate to have received recognition for its achievements the last few years. The Board of Directors realizes that Austin is a city with high expectations; so almost every professional organization in Austin performs at top levels. Our board noticed early in 2012 that our membership was less engaged than when we were a considerably smaller club five years ago. As part of our Long Range Plan, our goal is to remain relevant and meet member needs to thrive in the future. In order to achieve continued membership growth and engagement, our members must perceive the Austin Ad Fed as the Greatest Professional Organization in the region. This requires: Method and Results: A board members’ research firm led our board to conduct focus groups: 17 member and non-member agencies and media companies were invited to participate. We interviewed a cross-section of employees at 7 of those companies (members of each department were included for diverse opinions). By keeping their responses anonymous and urging them to be brutally frank, we gathered telling and useful information. As shown in Listening Tour exhibits, the exercise provided valuable feedback from our members. Clearly, they were not impressed with our history of winning AAF awards and told us not to rest on our laurels. The survey results formed the framework for discussion at this year’s annual board retreat. The challenges are clear: we’ve got work to do in meeting the expectations of our bright, young, innovative and well informed membership. They asked for the following: A Better Sense of Community; Real Professional Development; Better Events; Career Tools and Resources; More Interaction with other Members; More Resourceful Web Site and Group Buying Power and Value. During our August 2012 Board of Directors Retreat, we shared the outcome of the listening tour and our revised Mission and Vision Statements. Armed with our “Membership’s Wish List” and an exciting Mission and Vision (below), our committees were ready to revise their goals for the coming year to reflect our members’ needs. • Understanding What our Members Want from the Austin Ad Fed • Improving Programs and Events Each Year to better Engage our Membership • Rewriting our Mission, Vision and Constitution to Reflect our Evolving Organization ANALYSIS OF MEMBER NEEDS Plan and Conduct an Annual Listening Tour Issue: Remain Relevant. For the last few years, the Membership committee reported positive reviews in the annual member surveys. Still, attendance at events was declining, the percentage of opened member emails decreasing and the number of volunteers shrinking. The membership committee studied the data. In recent online surveys less than 6% of members responded (77 members of 1400 invited). Recognizing that half of respondents were likely board members, the reality was only 3% of our “at large” members responded. This revealed a high level of member apathy or disengagement. A Listening Tour was conducted to evaluate the club’s perception among members and the ad community at large. Develop Programs and Events that Exceed Member Expectations Issue: Members wanted more from our programs and events. During the Listening Tour, they described precisely what they’d like the Ad Fed to provide. In their words, “Connect me, build my network, inspire me. Help my career. Provide professional development. Bring out of town speakers. Discuss industry best practices and emerging trends. Have panel discussions or workshop-style programs, with activities, exercises, simulations, facilitated breakout discussions. Create programs that provide continuing education credits. Give us multi-faceted events—mini-conference concept with social/ happy hour. Design events that appeal to different types of professions.” A tall order, but we needed the feedback to make the positive change needed. Goal: Launch Listening Tour with the following goals: • Discover members’ current perceptions of Austin Ad Fed • Determine what people want and need from a professional association serving advertising, marketing, and PR and media professionals. (Do not 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 31 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Goals: Deliver the cutting-edge and varied Programs and Events that our Membership requested. purchased a sponsorship and was visible in promotional communications and at the event. This was one of the years’ highest attended events. • 2012 Big Wigs Awards—The goal of the Big Wigs program is to celebrate the unsung heroes in advertising. The entire ad community participated in the nomination and election process to celebrate the behind-the-scenes heroes and heroines who allow the creative folks to focus on developing ADDYworthy work. Sample Nomination Categories included: Best Receptionist, Best Sound Editor, Best Media Buyer, Educator of the Year and Biggest Wig of All. The Silver Service Medal recognized the person(s) who best helped promote the Austin ad industry. The 2012 recipients were Mark McGarrah and Bryan Jessee, principals of McGarrah Jessee Advertising. This event was the perfect opportunity to mingle with members of our top prospective member categories: Media, Interactive, and Film. All of the political and patriotic fervor resulted in the most profitable Big Wigs event in club history. • Each year, create a calendar of varied programs that includes options that appeal to our broader membership as well as more focused programs that appeal to our new target business categories. • Use specific feedback from the Listening Tour for time and location of programs/events. Change program times to afternoons, from 4:30-6:30 pm for greater attendance. • Provide extended opportunities for networking at events. Method and Results: The Programs Committee developed a strong schedule of programs and events to appeal to broad segments of our advertising community. Feedback from our membership has been extremely positive. Our events have experienced far higher attendance than in the past. Sample programs include: • 2013 Austin ADDY Awards—Our “Listening Tour” meetings with agency principals yielded suggestions for an improved and more professionally produced show that focuses on the great work. • Ethics in Advertising. Members received a Certificate for the Practice of Enhanced Ethics. This type of certification opportunity was requested in the Listening Tour. Produced in conjunction with the University of Texas and the national American Advertising Federation, this half- day event was just the second of its kind in the entire nation. The ADDYs are Austin’s largest advertising event, this year attracting 518 entries. To further elevate the ADDY brand to something more than “just another awards show”, we feature a public service or advertising education client during the show. This year ADDY Gold Sponsor McGarrah Jessee donated their $3,000 sponsor benefits to E4 Youth, an educational nonprofit helping at-risk high school students learn creative skills and build portfolios. To recognize the value of our members’ ADDY wins, we place stories and on-line slideshows in the Austin Business Journal, Austin American Statesman, industry blogs, and promote virally using social media. The stories help general readers understand Austin’s prominence in the national ad market, the contribution made to the local economy by agencies serving national clients, and the role played by the Ad Fed in promoting the advertising industry. We solicited suggestions for judges from leading agency partners, allowing them to have “skin in the game”. This years’ ADDY event sold out at 500 tickets. To accommodate an • The “Nooner” Series. The goal of our Nooner programs is to “feed the creative soul” of our members. This provides educational, inspirational and networking opportunities for our members in the creative community, who are notoriously difficult to attract to events. • Game That Shall not be Named due to Trademark Restrictions Fest—We hoped to create an event that would attract the Media providers in Austin, as well as offer networking opportunities with our agencies’ creative leaders. We capitalized on Super Bowl excitement. Top commercials from past Super Bowls were shown, taking some of the audience down memory lane and introducing others to the commercials for the first time. Creative Directors from top agencies GSD&M, Proof, and McGarrah Jessee provided critiques and comments for audience discussion. KEYE, the CBS affiliate that aired the Super Bowl, 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 32 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S overflow crowd, we added an ADDY After-Party, allowing additional guests to attend at reduced prices while still viewing the winning work. This answers our memberships’ request to enhance the networking opportunities at the ADDYs and provide a lower cost alternative for junior professionals. LONG-RANGE PLANNING Develop an Updated Mission and Vision Statement Issue: Our former Mission and Vision Statements do not reflect the club we aspire to become. Goal: Create an updated Mission and Vision that will inspire our transformation to becoming the Greatest Professional Organization in the region. The results from our program improvement were immediate; our membership grew 16% this year, from 1,753 to 2036. The average attendance at our events and programs grew by over 27%. Method and Results: Our “Mission/Vision Task Force” reviewed the Listening Tour Feedback. They considered the club’s history and more importantly, the membership’s requests for our future evolution. They set out to “Define the Greatest Advertising Club in the Nation”. After collaboration and brainstorming, they produced a more succinct and substantive vision statement: Collaborate with Other Austin Organizations to Broaden our Reach Issue: Austin is fortunate to have many professional organizations whose memberships have interests similar to ours. We should combine forces to provide value to our collective membership. “POWERING THE WORLD’S MOST CREATIVE MINDS” Goal: Our members asked us to collaborate more, to help expand the networking opportunities and programs that we offer. We committed to do just that; both this year and in the years to come. And a more inspiring Mission Statement: “UNITE. CHALLENGE. PROMOTE.” The new mission and vision were unveiled at this year’s ADDYs on February 28th and will roll out in full force with the launch of our new website in March as well as display advertising in the Austin Business Journal and on Austin billboards provided pro-bono. Method and Results: We collaborated with several Austin organizations on the following events: • Dream Fund Biloxi Night Fundraiser to support freelancers with no health insurance. Create a Constitution that Reflects our Changing Needs Issue: Our constitution was written in 2008. It was obsolete and prevented our board from taking action when necessary. It didn’t provide sufficient controls to prevent spending or other abuses. Yet it was overly specific in other ways, making positive changes almost impossible. We cannot remain relevant if our structure prohibits us from embracing change. • The Summer Shindig, a networking event that connects many advertising related organizations including AIGA, the American Marketing Association, the Association of Women in Communications, the Association of Business Communicators, the Social Media Club, the Public Relations Society, and the Society for Marketing Professional Services. Goal: Write and present an improved Constitution reflecting our evolving organization. We needed flexibility for future growth, while providing stricter controls on spending and fee implementation. • Austin Kleon “Steal Like an Artist, an hosted with the AIGA, to introduce the membership of each organization to the other. We are helping our members by expanding their networking opportunities, increasing their membership value. Method and Results: A Constitution Revision Committee looked at our current organization and considered the changes that a future Ad Fed may require. We reviewed the National AAF MODEL BY-LAWS for best practices. We reviewed the Bylaws and Constitutions from other AAF Clubs. We produced a much, improved constitution in March 2012. We updated the Membership classes; provided clear auditing procedures; defined limits on committees’ abilities to create financial or legal obligations or to waive fees without board 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 33 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S approval. We changed a quorum to reflect the National AAF recommendations; and we defined the board voting and nomination process with deadlines and procedures to solicit volunteers for board service. The improved Constitution was a vital step in remaining a relevant and vibrant advertising federation. LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT Provide Thorough Orientation for New and Returning Board Members Issue: One half of our Board of Directors is new each year. Even returning board members often forget their responsibilities and requirements as leaders of our organization. Diversify our Membership Issue: Our membership is largely comprised of agency personnel (70.3%) with one agency constituting 23% of our total membership. We limit our impact and success if we do not diversify and target additional business categories. Media companies and service companies often provide active, involved board members and are regular sponsors in many other AAF organizations across the country. Goal: Create a Board of Directors Leadership Manual and conduct a thorough Board Orientation at our Annual Board Retreat. Update this Manual annually and share long range Board goals. Method and Results: Our Executive Director produced a Board of Directors Leadership Manual that was distributed at our 2012 Board Retreat. For the first two hours of our Retreat, we provided a thorough orientation to our board. Goal: To reach our long term goals, we must diversify and expand our membership base. Subjects included: An Introduction to the Austin Ad Fed; Our Mission and Purpose; How to Effectively Run and Recruit for Your Committee; Board Member Roles and Responsibilities; The 2012/2013 Budget—Fiduciary Expectations and How to Set and Exceed Event Budgets; Individual Committee Goals from Last Year; and the Individual Committee VP’s Job Descriptions. Even returning Board Members commented that this enhanced orientation provided them with better guidance about effective Board Leadership. Our new Board Members “hit the ground running” because they clearly understood what was expected of them. Method and Results: We identified non-member companies in three areas: 70 potential interactive companies, 15 potential media companies, and 114 potential film companies. Only 5% of our membership is from Media Companies. Only 35 members are with Film and Interactive Companies. In order to attract these business categories, the membership and programs committee have joined forces to develop specific programs and communication to attract participation from these companies. We visited them during our Listening Tour to understand what would cause them to join and become involved. We added Media executives to our Membership committee, to provide connections to their networks. We created personalized recruitment letters and made calls and followed up in person to ask them to attend upcoming events. The team encouraged potential members to engage in the club’s social networking activities to keep abreast of developments and upcoming events. The results have been encouraging. Film/Interactive memberships have increased from 35 members to over 50 and should double by the end of the fiscal year. Since the beginning of our fiscal year we received $2,000 in TV station sponsorship plus an in-kind ADDY sponsorship ($5,000 value) from the Austin Business Journal. Media memberships increased from approximately 95 members to 122 as of the end of February 2013. This should put us on track to reach 150 media members by the end of the year—a great start. Long Term Strategic Planning at our Annual Retreat Issue: If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else. —Yogi Berra Goal: Plan for the coming five years, heeding the needs and requests of our membership so that we will become the Greatest Professional Organization in the region. Method and Results: Armed with our “Membership’s Wish List” and an exciting Mission and Vision, (see above), our committee VP’s were ready to write their goals for 2012 and for the coming five years. They reviewed their committee goals and Club Achievement reports from the previous year. Each Committee VP noted the Listening Tour findings that impacted their Preliminary List of Goals and adapted their goals to reflect the needs of our members. As reflected in our committee Club Achievement reports, each committee VP produced revised goals that they presented to our board at the September Board of 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 34 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S the country. We also were tickled to introduce the nation to a truly Austin Experience. The event was a success. Our membership raved about the evening and fun was had by all who attended. Directors’ Meeting. Almost immediately our membership noted the impact of the Listening Tour. We’ve heard repeated comments that our changed and enhanced program schedule and improved ADDY show were exactly the type of improvements they’d hoped to see. Our members appreciated more national speakers, true Professional Development and better networking opportunities. All 2012 goals that we set at our 2012 Annual Retreat have been implemented. We will share our long range goals with future board members to ensure we stay on track. FISCAL MANAGEMENT Budget Conservatively, Monitor and Adjust Regularly Issue: In previous years, we set pie-in-the sky revenue budgets and didn’t closely monitor shortfalls. Strong Involvement at the District and National Level of AAF Issue: Austin has a responsibility to participate in District 10 and National AAF events. Without exposure to the best ideas in the nation, our club could miss out on programming and income opportunities. Also, by encouraging our thought leaders to remain active with other clubs, we can help to promote their brand in our District and the National AAF. Goal: Set conservative budgets for the club and for our committees. Then set Aggressive Goals internally. Focus on developing real world plans and budgets. Frequently monitor progress and adjust expenses or efforts as necessary so that the budgeted profit goals are met. Goal: To send at least three board representatives to every District Convention and Conference each year and to collaborate with National AAF for the 2012 National Conference in Austin. Method and Results: The Executive Committee set preliminary budgets in July, ably assisted by our long-time treasurer who works as an accountant at a major agency. The committee VP’s and Board of Directors review and approve all budgets at the annual retreat in August. They are clear that they must meet their budgeted profit for each event or initiative. Every month the board reviews committee actual finances to ascertain if we are on track. If the committee is not pacing to meet revenue goals, we adjust accordingly. Expenses are reduced or sponsorship efforts enhanced. As a result, every program for 2012/2013 had met or exceeded budgeted profit. 2012-13 has been our most financially successful year in the club’s history. Method and Results: Austin consistently sends three to four representatives to all Conventions and Conferences at the District level. The ideas implemented from the conferences continue to strengthen the board’s resolve to budget for future conferences and conventions. Our board members are generous in donating time and talent to AAF District 10 and to the National AAF. Examples include: Marc Eisenberg, our Director of Operations serves on the National ADDY Committee, Chairs the District 10 ADDY and Newsletter committees; Paula Smith is the Co-Chair for the Internal Communications/ Newsletter for District 10; Jason Lucio Chairs the District 10 Ways and Means Committee; Kevin Cassis is the incoming Governor for District 10. Several former and current board present regularly at programming events for other Advertising Federations. Finally, Austin was fortunate to be chosen as the host city for the AAF ADMERICA 2012 Conference. We had the opportunity to host an Austin event during the National Conference. Our membership had the opportunity to network with advertising professionals and thought leaders from across Sponsorship Development Issue: Sustaining and consistent sponsors are vital to our financial health Goal: Develop Annual and Program Sponsorship Packages. Create an annual event calendar to encourage more multiple-event sponsor opportunities. Create a sponsorship sales commission structure to incentivize sponsorship procurement in 2012 and the years to come. Method and Results: Our Sponsorship committee created Annual and Program Sponsorship Package materials that highlight the benefits of sponsoring the Ad Fed and its events. The programming committee created a full and varied calendar of events that allows our sponsor committee to combine event sponsorships and create custom packages. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 35 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Finally, a set commission plan was formulated, ranging from 10-15% of sponsor income generated. We copied the model of other Ad Feds to create incentives for those who focus on generating sponsorship income. Sponsorship income for 2012 and 2013 is the highest in Club History. Increase Event and Program Income During the 2012-2013 year, club income was supported by the following programs: (described above) • ADDYs: Generated over $30,000 in profit for the club, up 48% from 2011 • Big Wigs Awards: Generated over $4,700 in profit for the club, a record for this event • Ethics in Advertising: Generated over $1,175 in profit. • Game that Shall not be Named due to Trademark Restrictions Fest: Generated $1,637 in profit CONCLUSION The Austin Ad Fed’s Listening Tour was the most effective member engagement initiative to date. We asked our members what they wanted and we listened. We are well underway to fulfilling our Mission Statement: “UNITE. CHALLENGE. PROMOTE.” 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 36 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S annual budget which details income projections for club activities; increase income through events, programs and new memberships; streamline operations; reduce expense; and provide timely information to the board. DIVISION II: AAF OMAHA The American Advertising Federation Omaha (AAF Omaha) is the unifying voice for advertising in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area. We educate policy makers, the media and the general public on the value advertising brings to the wellbeing of our community. We foster the highest standards of practice and cultivate the industry’s present and future leaders. We are the only professional association in the area that binds together the mutual interests of corporate advertisers, agencies, marketing and media services, suppliers, academia and other advertising and public relations professionals. Our image is projected through all aspects of our federation: membership, communications, public service, education, programming, special events, government relations, award programs and club management. TACTICS Long-range Planning Each year AAF Omaha develops a marketing plan which lays out the goals for the upcoming year. This provides vision for our board and ensures that our club remains prosperous and relevant to our membership. The plan is presented at the beginning of the year at an annual board retreat for the incoming Board of Directors. At the retreat, the board reviews the plan, discusses the state of the club, reviews board responsibilities, and is presented with an initial budget. Prior to this retreat, we hold a meeting with the outgoing and incoming Executive Boards to lay the groundwork for the upcoming year. This added step helps with our long-term planning by getting the leaders of the club to really analyze club activities and budgets in order to feel confident that what’s being presented at the retreat is both realistic and necessary for the club to be successful. CLUB OPERATIONS Long-range Planning Objective: To develop a marketing plan and fiscal-year budget for all club activities to be presented at the annual board retreat. AAF Omaha plans two years out, adjusting the plan annually in order to reach specified goals pertaining to the advancement of advertising and initiatives set forth by AAF Omaha. The goals for the year are then revisited at the monthly Executive Board and Board of Directors meetings and are revised as needed to make sure that AAF Omaha is meeting the current needs of our members, while also meeting the annual budget numbers. Goals are also included on every agenda sent out, so they are always in front of our board members. Areas of focus in the 2012-2013 marketing plan include: Analysis of Member Needs Objective: To promote ongoing communication between the AAF Omaha board and membership in order to a) provide greater participation at club events, b) increase retention and recruitment of club members, c) adjust planning to reflect members’ desires and stimulate interest in club activities. • Committee engagement, recruitment and retention • Membership and member retention • Member participation • Educational opportunities for professionals and students Leadership Organization and Development Objective: To enhance membership recruitment, retention and involvement by developing a plan and organizational structure that will foster the growth of current and prospective club leaders and motivate them to enhance club performance. • Consistent communication • Awareness of diversity in advertising • Financial sufficiency Fiscal Management (budgeting, dues, non-dues income and fundraising) Objective: To practice sound fiscal management procedures; develop and maintain an • Operational efficiency 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 38 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S position and the expectations for their committee. Also this year, we continued with a plan started a few years ago that assigns an Executive Board Member to each committee to supervise, assist and serve as a mentor to the group. This system helps ensure that the committee has the support it needs to achieve the club’s objectives and also fosters growth of the club’s future executive leaders. Analysis of Member Needs One of AAF Omaha’s goals during the 2012-2013 year has been member retention and recruitment. We are continuing to work from our member and non-member survey done previously to provide programming, events and other membership benefits. In addition, we continue to reach out to our members in a variety of ways to invite feedback about the club and our member offerings. We include requests for feedback in our club newsletter, we have greeters assigned at each luncheon to talk to members and non-members as they come in, we provide a formal survey after our Meet the Pros educational event, and our Executive Director receives calls from members throughout the year with suggestions. Changes have been instituted in several areas in response to feedback received from members. AAF Omaha’s leadership development is aided by our committee structure. Every year we ask that our chairs recruit committee members that can be developed into future leaders. This year we assisted our committee chairs in building their committees in order to facilitate our club goal of “no committees of one.” Each chair was given a list of members that they were responsible for calling. They were asked to thank the member for being part of AAF Omaha and to invite them to join a committee. We also helped grow committees by highlighting a different committee each month in a Committee Spotlight in our monthly AdMuse newsletter. Leadership Organization and Development The AAF Omaha Board of Directors consists of 21 individuals. The Executive Board is made up of the Chairperson, President, 1st Vice President and 2nd Vice President. They conduct the general management of the club and are charged with directing the longrange planning for the club. The remaining 17 positions are the committee chairs that are specific to each area of the club. Almost all committees have two co-chairs, which has greatly improved board involvement, communication and meeting attendance. In addition, each committee is asked to submit a written report prior to each board meeting, so that if neither co-chair can attend, the board can still be apprised of the committee’s accomplishments. Another goal for the board this year was to get more involvement from a wide variety of Omaha agencies. To that end, the nominating committee reached out to a large number of agencies and was able to secure representation from them on the 2012-2013 AAF Omaha board. Fiscal Management (budgeting, dues, non-dues income and fundraising) Initial planning for the annual budget begins during the meeting with the outgoing and incoming Executive Boards before the year begins. Thorough analysis is done for each area of the club to decide which events will be carried into the upcoming year and which will be removed from the plan. The Executive Board outlines a budget that is realistic and ensures that the club will remain fiscally responsible. The budget is presented to the entire Board of Directors at the board retreat. It outlines projected income and expenses and shows the profit goal for each area of the club. Each board member is required to carefully analyze their projected numbers before September and bring up any concerns. The board then votes on the projected budget setting financial goals for each committee. At the annual board retreat, each board member is given a binder that contains their position’s objectives and responsibilities, as well as their budget goal. At this year’s retreat, we decided to make a change and also include a formal presentation regarding the state of the club, the marketing plan for the year, club goals, and board member responsibilities. A significant amount of time was allocated to reviewing the expectations for each chairperson. We feel this helped our new chairs get a better feel for their The budget spreadsheet is continuously updated with actuals and monitored throughout the year. The budget is reviewed at each month’s board meeting committee by committee. This helps ensure board members know what is needed in order to meet their profit goal. During the 2012-2013 year, club income was supported by the following activities: ADDY® Awards—Our club works in partnership with AAF Lincoln to facilitate the Nebraska ADDY® Awards Show. This year was Lincoln’s turn to handle the show and 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 39 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Educational Events professional entries. Omaha was responsible for student entries and judging. Student entry fees go to support the Omaha club. One of our goals going into this year was to secure an ad agency to handle creative for next year when it is Omaha’s turn to handle the show. We successfully recruited a local agency and brought one of their people onto the board to learn the ADDY ropes this year. • Meet the Pros—This is a two-day conference full of programming to prepare college students for the real world. The event includes seminars, breakout sessions, keynote speakers, panel discussions and one-on-one portfolio reviews. Income is raised through registration fees, and expenses are offset with sponsorships, donations, etc. This year exceeded all goals for attendance and income. There were 216 students and 19 professors who attended. Club Events • Ad Wars—Each spring, we hold an advertising trivia competition where agencies and companies compete. Money is earned through entry fees and raffles. • Creative Boot Camp (new this year)—Our education committee took advantage of a great creative speaker coming for Meet the Pros. They featured Stefan Mumaw at a creative boot camp for professionals in the evening. Seventy people attended the boot camp, raising $2,250 for the club. • Ad Nights—Several Ad Night After Hours events are scheduled throughout the year. The events provide networking opportunities to our membership at area businesses and offer an educational component. Non-members are charged for the events, and money is raised through sponsorships and raffles. • 6 in 60 (new this year)—This is a fast-paced workshop in which six presenters from different advertising disciplines present their thoughts on various advertising topics in six minutes each, followed by an open forum and networking. • Holiday Party—This year, our annual holiday party supported the Salvation Army. Members were asked to bring a toy for the Salvation Army and had the opportunity to donate money. A silent auction and sponsorships provided additional income for the club. Membership—Income is raised through membership dues. Therefore, emphasis is placed on retaining current members and recruiting new ones. Our membership committee has been offering discounts to any non-members that attend our events, sending out an email with a discount code. We also reply to anyone wanting to join our member-only LinkedIn group with membership information and a discount rate for the remainder of the year. The club would like to re-engage veteran members who are not active or are no longer members. One of our past presidents has formed a group of veteran members tasked with reaching out to other past members to try to get them re-engaged. They are also going to focus on new agencies that have not yet gotten involved. • Bowl-A-Rama—AAF Omaha hosts a friendly, competitive bowling tournament among local agencies and companies. Income is generated by team entry fees and raffle sales. This year had a record attendance with 18 teams participating. • Blocktoberfest Volleyball Tournament—Volleyball teams from the club and metro area competed at our volleyball tournament that raised proceeds for the club. Programs—Most months, AAF Omaha schedules a luncheon entitled “AdBites” that provides professional programs where attendees can network while they eat. Members are charged twenty-five dollars to attend and non-members are charged thirty. We try to offset program expenses with sponsorships, donations, etc. Luncheon attendance averaged 81 people this year. Sponsorship—to help us meet our budget goals this year, AAF Omaha put together several packages for overall sponsorship of the club and club events. A letter was sent out to organizations that were not already sponsoring individual events asking them to consider sponsorship. We received our first Elite level sponsor earlier this year. This is in addition to the many sponsors that already contribute to specific events throughout the year. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 40 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S In addition to increasing income, the club has also made it a goal this year to cut back expenses wherever possible. We changed our club phone service to a less-expensive option, we have an agency that has loaned us audio/video equipment so we don’t have to pay to rent it, and we are getting a computer donated from another agency. We are making every effort to save wherever we can. Leadership Organization and Development We have a great group of leaders on our board and a strong committee structure that will continue to allow us to grow new leaders. We have increased interest in board participation, business sponsorships and new membership. We have brought a large number of agencies back into the club and increased their participation at the board level. We’ve seen our new members show interest in getting involved, and we are quick to get them hooked up with a committee. Current board members have shown incredible dedication and are seeing success with their projects. Many of our current board members have expressed interest in continuing as part of the board next year. RESULTS Long-range Planning Through long-range planning, we have already met many of the club goals established for this year. Highlights include growing our membership to 330 members; exceeding our average monthly attendance goal for AdBites luncheons; increasing attendance at events such as the holiday party, Bowl-A-Rama and Meet the Pros; securing thousands of dollars in event sponsorships to offset costs; increasing communication to our members and prospects via social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) ; providing an educational element in as many of our programs and events as possible; highlighting diversity throughout our communications and through a school outreach program; and being fiscally responsible in all of our club activities. Our main successes this year include improving and growing the Meet the Pros educational event; starting a new Public Service initiative that will help a local non-profit group while also generating income for the club; kicking off a successful educational boot camp; and strengthening our relationship with area agencies and veteran club members. Fiscal Management (budgeting, dues, non-dues income and fundraising) The current budget is in line with figures that were projected at the beginning of the club’s fiscal year, and it is anticipated we will meet our projected budget for the fiscal year. We have succeeded in cutting costs, and have found some new revenue sources to assist us. We still have many fundraising events to come this year, which will also add to our bottom line. Analysis of Member Needs We continue to improve programming and club services from what we learned through surveys, and to make changes and adjustments based on what we hear from members. This year we will be moving our luncheons to a new location based on what our members have indicated they would prefer. We also moved our Meet the Pros event to a new, more-convenient, location, based on feedback from last year’s event. This new location played a part in the great success we saw with this event this year. We continue to introduce new things, such as the 6 in 60 educational event, and to offer programs at various times to meet the needs of our members. We believe our members are seeing the value in being part of AAF Omaha and appreciate the new things we are offering. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 41 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S DIVISION III: AAF LINCOLN plan became an undeniable asset in overcoming several of our bigger weaknesses, challenges and threats. Overview: Entering the 2012-2013 year, we were lucky to have a wealth of experienced board members returning, each with ideas of things we could do to strengthen AAF Lincoln. To best utilize this fortunate situation, we viewed this as a year of experimentation. Nothing ventured, nothing gained became my credo for the year, with a goal of controlled experimentation that allowed us to retain our strengths from the past, while sampling some possible opportunities for the future. With a board that was occupied with their respective assignments for the year, the AAF Lincoln executive board took on the task of developing a formalized four-year plan. Four high-level topics came to the surface as pillars of our plan, and were assigned to the following executive board members for further definition and development: 1.) Tracking/Utilizing Member Data- Jeff Deans 2.) Evaluating/Updating Member Benefits- Brenda Weyers Goals: 3.) Formalizing a Board-Wide Sponsorship Process- Melissa Hoops Long Range Planning 1.) Establish a four-year plan to provide a guiding light for some of the larger issues our club has been facing. 4.) Formalizing a Year-to-Year Transition Process for Board Turnover- Chris Linville Results: Since large-scale events are the primary focus of AAF Lincoln during the early parts of every year, the development of our four-year plan was not finalized at the time of this writing. That task will be priority focus during the late Spring and Summer of 2013, as plans from the assignees indicated above are combined into one master document. Analysis of Member Needs 2.) In a college-based market, take “member value” beyond professional development and give networking/socializing some needed attention. Leadership Organization and Development 3.) Work to merge new and ambitious board member perspectives with experienced (or outgoing) knowledge. ANALYSIS OF MEMBER NEEDS: MEMBER VALUE After spending time segmenting our membership and discussing our members’ needs, we identified college students and entry-level professionals as huge priority targets in a University town with a thriving advertising community. So we felt adding more casual social and networking events to our lineup of educational events should be a priority. 4.) Address past board member complaints, and provide an atmosphere where board members feel empowered. Fiscal Management 5.) Promote a culture of value, challenging board members to search for efficiencies. Speaker Meet-N’-Greets Methods: Since we were already spending the money to bring several nationallyrespected speakers to Lincoln, we though any add-on value we could get from an afterhours meet-and-greet with the speaker was a no-brainer. This provided more member value without much additional expense. So we made this a priority request during the planning process for each speaker. This didn’t always work because of scheduling conflicts, but we were able to offer additional member networking opportunities for the following speakers: LONG RANGE PLANNING: FOUR-YEAR PLAN Methods: As several key members of the board discussed our plans for 2012/2013, one thing we realized early on was the value of a vision that stretched beyond one year, as some of our bigger goals simply couldn’t be achieved in one year. This “vision” had always happened informally through a series of conversations, but was never formalized, structured and documented. As we discussed some of our bigger hurdles, a four-year 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 43 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Dan Cassaro, Young Jerks, Brooklyn, NY dwindle over the years, dropping to just 25 attendees last year. Taking a fresh look at this event from the students’ perspective, we reinvented Ad Camp with value in mind. Tad Carpenter, Freelance Illustrator/Designer, Kansas City, MO Ruth Kedar, Creative Design Director at Coupons Inc., San Francisco, CA The event was moved to a local martini bar that donated ample space that was closed to the public during the day. By utilizing local professionals as speakers (whom local students preferred networking with anyways), and securing all food and drinks as sponsorship donations, we were able to create an exceptional event for just $20 per student. Results: As after-work events, speaker Meet-N’-Greets seemed to draw mixed attendance depending on timing. We typically drew a younger crowd of five to ten members, depending on the speaker. But because college students and entry-level professionals was a priority for this year, we delivered high-end value exactly where we needed it, as some of our newest members were able to have drinks and personal conversations with nationally-respected professionals. Results: The reinvented Ad Camp was one of our marquee successes of 2012/2013. Attendance climbed from 25 to 72 (a 188% increase). Financially, Ad Camp had a one-year turnaround from $118.45 profit to $891.16 profit (a 652% increase). Most importantly, students raved about the experience and underclassmen and faculty alike promised to return. Huskers Watch Party at Haymarket Park Methods: In an attempt to deliver more value to our existing members, we partnered with the Lincoln Saltdogs (a local semi-pro baseball organization) to host a “Huskers Watch Party at Haymarket Park”. The idea was to gather members (and non-members at a higher cost) to watch a Nebraska football game in a baseball stadium that’s located a few blocks adjacent from the stadium where the Huskers play. With food and drinks provided in the ticket price, we could watch the game on a large HD scoreboard with the glow and sound of the stadium in the backdrop. In a college town that lives for football, it’s an intriguing proposition. Our event was to be hosted on October 27, 2012 for a home game where Nebraska hosted the University of Michigan. LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT: Merging New Perspectives and Experienced Knowledge Methods: If you spend much time in AAF, you realize that any given year is a negotiation between established (proven) ideas and incoming (ambitious) ideas. The success of any chapter depends on their ability to balance these two sources of energy. With that in mind, we took a few steps to best merge new perspectives with experienced knowledge. The first step was tapping into tenured knowledge during the Summer before the year began. By scheduling meetings with past AAF Lincoln Presidents, as well as gathering insights from district and national AAF conferences (and the connected ties to district and regional peers), we were able to gain a background and context for why things were done, and what has been successful from a historical perspective. Results: This event was a learning moment for AAF Lincoln. Needing 40 prepaid attendees in order to receive our sponsorship from the Saltdogs, we had only secured 28 by our deadline. So the event was cancelled according to our sponsorship agreement. We learned two lessons, and plan to make another pass at this event in the future; 1) home games create too much competition, and away games likely offer a better opportunity and 2) nobody wants to commit to Husker plans early, so an arrangement with discount pre-sales allowing for an at-the-door option allows more sales. The next step was to dedicate time during the Summer “Board Retreat” where outgoing chairs could hand off their most valuable knowledge to incoming chairs. This was a change from the typical Summer Retreat agenda, which dedicated all time to club-wide knowledge and training. Reinventing “Ad Camp” Methods: Historically, Ad Camp has been a large investment for college students, as we were forced to charge over $100 for this daylong career camp event in order to offset our expenses from using rooms and food at Embassy Suites. Because of this cost, we saw attendance Results: Tapping into existing knowledge was a huge benefit to AAF Lincoln, and we aim to keep contact with the past AAF Lincoln Presidents, as well as district, regional 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 44 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S and national resources as a key part of training from year to year. The institutional knowledge provided through these assets is too good to lose. FISCAL MANAGEMENT:PROMOTING A CULTURE OF VALUE As we worked with tenured board members, it became obvious that areas of waste existed. These became especially apparent as we journeyed through interactions with district, regional and national peers. So we took steps to cut unnecessary expense from several areas. Dedicated time between the outgoing and incoming chairs served as a great social opportunity, as well as a first chance to talk about AAF duties. The lesson learned from these interactions was that they need to be scheduled at a time that’s more specific to each area. For example, if a chairperson hosts an event in February, a Summer exchange isn’t helpful because the new chair doesn’t know what to ask at that point. More timely “launch” meetings will be a focus next year. Review of Local Venues for Luncheon Methods: After several years of our established luncheon venue gauging us with price increases and nickel-and-dime fees that were eating into our budget, we spent some time before the year began reviewing all our local options to see if any cheaper alternative existed. This shared effort assigned each exec board member a few local venues for research and estimates. Empowering Board Members Methods: As someone who has served on the board for years, several complaints have come up as “hurdles” to getting the job done (as well as retaining board members). A big part of our goal was to overcome obstacles, and give board members what they need to succeed. Results: While cheaper options were discovered, none were able to match our needs due to Winterfest, our largest fundraiser that requires a larger space than most venues offer. So with competitive bids in hand, we renegotiated our contract with our existing provider, fighting for unwarranted fees to be waived. The biggest piece of this puzzle was software tools. With a younger, tech-savvy generation, it was quickly evident that they wanted access to technology, and little else. Past solutions for website content management, email marketing, social media, event management (and more) put a middleman between the board member and the end goal. Logins, access and permission always seemed to stand in the way. We aimed to fix that. Beyond technology, we aimed to give board members the volunteers and motivation they needed to complete their task; Prioritizing Regional Speakers Methods: For some professionals, it’s assumed that big name cities along the coasts produce the most credible, progressive speakers. Since travel expenses are often the largest chunk of our programs budget, we wanted to challenge that thought in 2012/2013. We asked our programs chairs to prioritize regional and/or local speakers. We were striving to secure 50% or more of our programs with “discount” travel expenses, or none at all. Results: Through a $8,170 in-kind sponsorship from Firespring®, we were able to bring our website and email marketing into a new era of content management that board members or volunteers could control. By loosening control of social media access, we gave a new ring of board members access to contribute to AAF Lincoln conversations online. Successful experiments with Eventbrite helped us streamline event management in the correct applications, while research behind Square and text auction platforms have us looking toward a more efficient, effective future from a technology standpoint. Beyond technology decisions, the executive board worked to personally recruit volunteers and give timely approval of all feasible ideas. Results: Through several creative programming ideas, we were able to host successful, well-attended luncheons with 2 local speakers (Lincoln or Omaha), 4 regional speakers (Midwest) and one program that required no speaker at all. Compared to the travel expenses required to bring in those 7 speakers from bigger cities along the coasts, we saved thousands of dollars. ADDYs Winners Book Goes Digital Methods: As the business world continues to move digital, it’s been an ongoing conversation within AAF Lincoln about moving our annual Winner’s Book to an online 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 45 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S format. For the 2013 ADDYs, we finally made it happen. Not only does this offer many functional benefits to members, show attendees and clients (greater ability to access, sort, search, view and share winning work), it also provides us a much more cost-effective solution since printing of these books is one of our largest expenses, and donations and sponsors are increasingly tough to find. Results: Through a sponsorship with Vipa Solutions®, a local website development and content management provider, we were able to build an online Winner’s Site with an easy-to-use content management system that will allow for annual updating/archiving year after year. Compared to the cost of printing Winner’s Books (which can run into the thousands), we will be able to create this site every year by simply paying for the domain. Since we share the Nebraska ADDYs awards banquet with AAF Omaha, the plan for future Winner’s Books/Winner’s Sites will be an important discussion moving forward. CONCLUSION The 2012-2013 year was an enjoying ride for AAF Lincoln. By experimenting with a number of ideas, we discovered several successful approaches that will benefit the club moving forward. The reinvented Ad Camp and several money-saving measures exemplify this well. But many of our most exciting opportunities came from some of our “failures”. Through such trials (both good and bad) we’re quickly learning how to hone our programming and communications to better serve our members. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 46 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S attended and interactive meetings. Success for the Club sometimes meant having to cut a meeting short to allow for guests to exit! For example, the April Student Portfolio Review lasted more than 45 minutes past the allotted time frame. Another example would be the July meeting where member questions kept the speaker talking for an additional 20 minutes past the close of the lunch. DIVISION IV: AAF NORTHEAST TENNESSEE Goals: The following goals were set for the 2012-2013 Club year: • To maintain personal and professional relevant connections to Board members, potential members and general Club membership. • AAF Northeast Tennessee Board Members and the general Club membership were encouraged to invite the people in their professional networks to visit club meetings and/or to join the Club. Membership brochures were available at public AAF Northeast Tennessee events, including the ADDY drop off event and social in January, and handed out to interested non-members as needed. Leads were followed-up on by the Membership chair, including sending the Membership brochure and sign-up form, as well as providing W-9 information, if needed. While we lost several members this year due to the economy, we gained five new members, a 10 percent increase, including two new and three additional memberships for current members. • To increase the participation by members in Club activities and monthly meetings to encourage long term Club support. • To ensure our Club is fiscally sound through financial planning. Maintain personal and professional relevant connections to Board members, potential members and general Club membership. • AAF Northeast Tennessee assembled a strong Board for the 2012-2013 Club year, including young, old, and seasoned Club members. The Board included two District representatives, one State representative, and seven returning Board members; all volunteers. • Through meetings, socials, public service, conferences, job postings, and networking, the Club continues to strive for membership involvement resulting in long term member personal and professional support. Conference attendance increased in 2012 as the Club sought to increase education, networking, and hopefully longevity in Board members, including two first time conference attendees. The Club posts all job openings on Facebook related to marketing in the area, receiving posting requests from members and non-members; 19 during the past year. Job postings and networking benefits a member personally while leadership, development and new ideas benefit the professional side. • Potential members were present at many meetings throughout the year and invitations to join the club were made at every meeting. • The Club co-sponsored the July meeting with the Public Relations Society of America, Tri-Cities, TN chapter. This allowed for cross promotion between the two groups as well as shared costs and profits. Members of NETN, PRSA, and the general public attended, who were charged a small fee. The meeting garnered wide spread attention with an article on the guest speaker (Jane Maas) in the Tri-Cities Business Journal, conducted by one of their reporters, and a local newspaper. • The Club maintains contact to general membership and potential members through all means possible: club website, Facebook posts/invites, encouraging phone calls, inviting emails, direct mail pieces, press releases, and surveys. This year a Board member volunteered his time to redesigned and launch our website www.aafnetn.com, which lead us to a new member who found us on the web. All of these combine to produce successful, well • In addition to PRSA, the Club also reached out to another area group, AAF Southwest Virginia (SWVA). SWVA was chartered in 2012. NETN is in frequent contact via email and Facebook with SWVA. NETN has attended several events including two members to a regular meeting and two members to their ADDY drop off party. The NETN President and Vice 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 48 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S • This year’s ADDY’s proved to be a huge success with a 30 percent increase in entries, while being supported by our membership, guests, students and attending parents with a total number in attendance of 144. We are proud to report that several members of our club, and their respective guest, attended our event even though they did not enter the ADDY competition. President are going to attend their ADDY night as well. SWVA attended our ADDY drop off party and intend to attend our ADDY night too. • Members of the AAF ETSU Student Club and Milligan College students (two area colleges) were invited to attend each meeting with the Professional members. Highest student attendance occurred during two April events, and November’s Scholarship Jam. The Club goal was to expose students to the content of the monthly meetings and encourage participation in the Club after graduation. • Monthly meetings were solid throughout the year, with an average of approximately 26 members able to attend each month, which is a 20 percent increase from last year. We had an average from 2 to 5 nonmembers attend each meeting. At several meetings, a survey was handed out seeking comments on the meeting and suggestions for future meetings, allowing the Club to improve future meetings. To increase the participation by members in club activities and monthly meetings to encourage long term Club support. • Keeping the AAF Northeast Tennessee members involved in club activities and events was a key strategy. The Events Committee did an excellent job of putting together a slate of meetings with expert speakers and timely content. A notice of all meetings was provided at the beginning of the year, while notices of upcoming meetings and events were sent on a regular basis via email and the Club’s Facebook page. The Club’s website and Facebook page were updated with meeting/event announcements on a regular basis. • Several speakers were found through other AAF clubs and successful conference speakers. This allowed the club to strengthen networking bonds and have another viewpoint on a speaker prior to presentation, therefore ensuring the Club provided impactful speakers. Examples include: Jeff Cuellar was recommended by Executive Committee member David Jacobs and Jane Maas was recommended by AAF Chattanooga. • Attendance at the monthly meetings is detailed below: • Meetings were held on a regular schedule—the third Thursday of every month—so that members could plan ahead for meetings throughout the year. Notification of the next meeting’s speaker, location and date were given out at each meeting as well as job postings, Club news, and any member news. —April 3, 2012 , Networking, Broadcasting or Both!, 3 members —April 12-15, 2012, AAF Spring Conference District 7, 7 members —April 18, 2012, 2012 NSAC Competition presentation, 5 members, 20+ students, 25+ guests • Monthly meetings and special events included some time for informal mingling and networking. The typical meeting begins at 11:30am for informal mingling, with lunch and the program from noon until 1:00pm, and then a post-event discussion a 1:00pm. —April 24, 2012, Student Portfolio & Review, 22 members, 16 students, 2 guests —May 29, 2012, Lunch & Learn with Congressman Dr. Phil Roe, 16 members, 2 guests • The ADDY Drop-off Party was a chance for members and potential members to mingle during the two-hour period allocated to ADDY entry delivery. The ADDY Drop-off Party was promoted on the AAF Northeast Tennessee Facebook page and Club website, a press release, via personal phone calls from board members, a direct mail piece, and through emails to members, potential members and prior non-member ADDY entrants. —June 21, 2012, Millennials, Who are they? What do they want? With David Jacobs, 36 members, 10 guests —July 19, 2012, Jane Maas, author of Mad Woman, 27 Club members, 9 PRSA members, 11 guests 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 49 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Job postings on the Club Facebook page receive an average of more than 150+ impressions per posting. Several Club members followed those leads to new jobs, including the Club’s President. By providing a valuable service to the membership, the Club was able to increase the perceived value of their membership. —August 16-20, 2012, AAF Summer Conference & District 7 Leadership Event, 4 members —August 23, 2012, Tips & Tricks with Adobe!—25 members, 17 guests, 8 students —September 20, 2012, Jeff Cuellar, Bonnaroo & Gentlemen of the Road Promotions Director, 25 members, 11 guests To ensure our Club is fiscally sound through financial planning. • AAF Northeast Tennessee is a small but fruitful Club. We continually seek ways to maximize our dollar through members, member connections and networking. A budget was presented on October 29, 2012 at the Board meeting. After discussion and revisions, it was approved during the November 15, 2012 Club meeting. Staying on or below track was essential to breaking even or hoping for a small profit. —October 18, 2012, Coats for Kids Social, 11 members —October 18-21, 2012, AAF Fall Conference, 2 members —November 15, 2012, Lynsay Caylor on Successful Marketing Programs, 31 members, 7 guests —November 16, 2012, Scholarship Jam, 5 members, 55 students • Each meeting and social invite were monitored via Facebook event tally and email response. This allowed the Club to better predict event food and beverage needs to reduce overage. —December 6, 2012, ETSU Class Presentations, 9 members, 5 students, 2 guests —January 24, 2013, ADDY drop off party & winter social—24 members, 6 guests —January 25-26, 2013, ADDY judging weekend, 6 members • Most events and meetings were held in a conference room of a member or at a local restaurant. This allowed the Club to save on room fees and/or minimum fees related to a hotel or venue conference fees. —February 7, 2013, Robert White, From Meter Reading to Executive Management—22 members, 4 students, 6 guests —February 23, 2013, ADDYS, 116 members and guests, 16 students, 12 non-members • To assist in bookkeeping, the Board discussed and voted to purchase Quicken for the Treasurer, a member with a financial background. This allowed the Club to have a concise record of invoices, bank statements, dues, and taxes. —March 27, 2013, Student Portfolio Review (upcoming) • The Club encouraged members to Like the NETN and District 7 Facebook page frequently. Therefore allowing members to see member interaction, Executive Committee interaction, conference information, and the events and happenings of other clubs. This leads to a better understanding of AAF on all levels, local, district, and national. • NETN held a fundraiser for the August 23, 2012 meeting. A two year-long mission of the President to garner someone from Adobe, the Club flew in Adobe CS6 expert Kevin Stohlmeyer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The meeting was promoted through LinkedIn, Facebook, the Club website, a press release, and phone calls. The morning session was geared toward creative and designers as a ‘how-to’, while the lunch session was more of a general overhaul. Members were allowed to attend the lunch for free but had to pay for the morning session. Attendees had two options, the morning and the lunch or the lunch only. Adobe paid for the speaker’s • Members of the Club were notified of opportunities to apply for area job positions in the Marketing and Advertising fields via the Clubs Facebook page. From April 2012 through mid-February 2013, 19 job openings were posted on the Club Facebook page by both the Club and members. Several members also posted their job openings on the District 7 Facebook page. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 50 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Through careful planning and utilizing club resources, AAF NETN has had an extremely strong year. NETN finished the year at zero profit but that also means we finished at zero debt. We anticipate an ADDY profit of $9,000. With dedicated and focused volunteers, we are in great financial shape! airfare and door prizes. The Club paid for the hotel and everything surrounding the conference room and lunch. While the club broke even, the exposure generated placed the event on the positive side. • Additional financial notes include: a detailed and closely followed ADDY budget, partial financial support from non-board members who attend conferences, the donation of office supplies by members for Club use (paper, notepads, pens, etc), and the donation of ALL printing and creative services. Summary/Results • Maintained personal and professional relevant connections to Board members, potential members and general Club membership. • Increased the participation by members in club activities and monthly meetings. • Took steps to ensure our Club is fiscally sound through financial planning. Through the implementation of the strategies listed above, and through much dedication of the AAF Northeast Tennessee Membership, interest in the Club has never been higher. Our Club is only as strong as its members. Although we lost some members due to job changes and the economy, we have added an equal number of new members to replace the lost membership. We began the year with 54 members and as of mid-February we have 54 members, including two new members and three members who increased their number of memberships. Along the same lines we continue to support the next generation of Board members through increased involvement including conference attendance and the next generation of general membership through increasing college membership and student participation. The perceived value of the Club is very high and we anticipate more growth over the next few months as the economy improves and jobless rates decline. Members and guests continue to remark upon the quality of the monthly programs and the Facebook job postings have been a big hit with members. Participation at Club events and District conferences has increased over last year and the AAF Northeast Tennessee is a Club with which members and professionals are proud to be involved—a strong resource for the advertising professionals in the Tri-Cities market. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 51 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S New Website—As with any rebrand, we had to analyze all our current outlets and determine what needed to go and what needed to stay. The new look and feel of Ad 2 Orlando gave us a chance to do a website overhaul. Built using Wordpress, the new website not only looks more professional but is also much easier to maintain, allowing for our content to be as current as possible. DIVISION V: AD 2 ORLANDO When the 2012—2013 Ad 2 Orlando Executive Committee met at the beginning of year to start planning, it was very evident that in it’s almost 30 year history, Ad 2 Orlando had finally leveled out. The years prior were focused on rebuilding what was once a club with less than 50 members and very few reasons to join. Last years board was dedicated to “fixing” and “restructuring”, which all proved to be very successful. Now, after a year of making strides in the right direction, there was a base to work with and it was time to take Ad 2 Orlando to the next level. Results: By rebranding the club, we not only showed the community that we were a serious and professional organization, but also made our current Board of Directors proud to be part of something historical. Board Members were excited to show off the new brand and say they are leaders of this organization. Since the start of the year, we’ve had an average attendance of over 65 people for our events, mentions on local websites and commitment from 80% of the board to remain in their position for next year. Lastly, the Ad 2 Orlando rebrand and logo won Silver ADDY’s in the 2013 Orlando ADDY competition LONG RANGE PLANNING Solidify Position in the Community and in the Minds of the Board Goal: Solidify position in the community as the industry’s up-and-coming professionals and build board confidence. Diversify Membership Recruitment Efforts Goal: Reach out and build relationships with local colleges to recruit future leaders Methods: Ad 2 Orlando currently has a strong relationship with the local Ad Club chapter at the University of Central Florida. With so many other colleges in town, all without an Ad Club, we began the process of building relationships with those schools in order to make our presence known to future Ad 2 Orlando members. Methods: Over the last 30 years, Ad 2 Orlando has been one of the only Ad 2 clubs in the AAF to not have it’s own identity. All of our promotional materials had no consistency, no clear voice and no real reason for the community to take us seriously as advertising and marketing professionals. This year a Creative Director was recruited to join the board and immediately tasked with rebranding the entire organization. International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT)—President Kristina Doyle went to several events at IADT to promote Ad 2 Orlando and the Student ADDYs. She also was the keynote speaker at the quarterly Faculty Advisory meeting to discuss the benefits of Ad 2 Orlando with faculty and staff members. Logo / Color Palette—In the creation of the new logo and color palette, we wanted to infuse some Orlando without leaning on any of Orlando’s more popular tourism aspects. After doing some research and weighing some options, it was decided to infuse the citrus heritage that Orlando was built upon. Valencia College—The Education Committee held a workshop at Valencia College to discuss the advantages of networking with Ad 2 and how to enter the Student Addys. Business Cards—Through connections with local printers, personal Ad 2 Orlando business cards were designed and distributed to the board for less than $20.00 for 1,000 cards. These are now used to hand out to potential members and contacts. Rollins College—The Education Committee and Ad 2 Orlando President visited Rollins College, a school with no current Ad 2 Orlando involvement, to go over upcoming events and review how to get involved post-graduation. Mission Statement—With the new look came a new frame of mind. The Creative Committee gave Ad 2 Orlando a mission statement and something they can be proud to stand behind. The Ad 2 Orlando motto summarizes who we are, what we believe in and where we are going. Results: Since reaching out to other colleges, the student attendance at our events is at an average of 10 students. Our student membership count is at 14 student members 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 52 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S due to the types of programs that were offered in the past. This year, the focus was to have speakers from all types of businesses discussing topics that are new to the Ad 2 Orlando audience base: and 31 UCF Affiliate Members which is an 18% increase overall compared to last year. Lastly, members from our Board of Directors have since been invited to speak at two upcoming student events, “Freaks and Geeks” annual design event at Seminole College and to discuss networking at IADT. October Program: “Creating a Horrifying Reality” with TJ Mannarino from Halloween Horror Nights. This program focused on the design and production that goes into creating the annual Halloween Horror Nights at Islands of Adventure. ANALYSIS OF MEMBERS NEEDS Receive Member Feedback Goal: Retrieve and analyze member feedback January Program: “A Download on Democracy” with Anton Vuljaj from Google and Patrick Pannett from BlastRoots. This program focused on digital advertising in politics. Methods: Ad 2 Orlando has changed throughout the years, and so have the needs of our members. Often our best ideas for programs and benefits come directly from our members. This year we solicited this feedback once in the beginning of the year and again mid-year: February Program: “Digital Media from All Angles” with Bobby Jones from PRPL, Mark Unger from Push. and John Payne from Monster Media. This upcoming program will focus on all things digital including what’s next for mobile and social media. Results: By making our programs and speakers more diverse, we’ve been able to increase our average event attendance to over 60 (compared to an average of 40 last year). There has been more new members signups than in any previous years and we have served a multitude of interests and connected members with new topics such as Production, Digital Advertising and Interactive. Membership Kickoff Post-It Note Board: During our annual Membership kickoff event, a blank poster board was set up with a pack of post-it notes and markers. Attendees were encouraged to write any ideas they have for the upcoming year. Online Survey: Six months into the club year, we sent out another survey to get additional feedback from our members. This was a 20 question online survey that was open to both members and non-members. Questions focused on member benefits and had open fields for comments. LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT Create Process Flow Goal: Make internal communications between board members more efficient. Results: Both methods for feedback proved to be insightful. The post-it note board had over 100 pieces of feedback that were gathered and discussed during our Board Leadership retreat at the beginning of the year. For the online survey, we received 39 total responses which will be gathered and shared with the board at our next monthly board meeting. Methods: During our board retreat at the beginning of the year, a process flow was presented. This outlined what information is needed by which committee to accomplish certain tasks. This could be event promotions or creative requests. An editable PDF was also created so information can easily be gathered and distributed in a concise manner. Diversify Event Topics/Speakers Based on Feedback Goal: Provide member benefits by serving the diverse nature of our membership that stray outside of traditional advertising agencies. Results: The processes put in place at the beginning of the year have allowed for faster turnaround times for event promotions. On average, each event is promoted two weeks in advance. We have sent out a total of 49 email marketing campaigns over the last 34 weeks. Methods: Over the past several years our membership makeup almost heavily consisted of those who work on the Account Service side of traditional agencies. This was mostly 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 53 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Budgeting: At the beginning of year, the President and Treasurer met to review last years budget and create a new one for the upcoming year. Careful time and consideration was put towards making sure we were aggressive with our fundraising goals but also reasonable with our spending. The club budget of $13,000+ in income and $13,000 in expenses was established and maintained frequently by the club treasurer. Website/Email Marketing Training Goal: Educate board members on how to manage the new Ad 2 Orlando website and use the new email service provider, Growth Mail. Methods: We hosted a training class at the beginning of the year to train the Communications team on how to use the new Wordpress and Growth Mail platforms. A WordPress “How to” was distributed shortly after for easy reference. Dues: Certain financial goals for dues were set in place at the beginning of the year to help maintain our overall financial goals. In order to support this, we implemented a few changes this year: Results: By teaching the team how to use our new technologies, the Communications chairs can now easily update and maintain all aspects of Ad 2 Orlando’s online presence. Introducing new easy-to-use platforms allowed our team to be self sufficient without the need for outside development help, especially when updating the website. Expiration Reminder—With the use of Growth Mail, automatic renewal emails were sent to members 5 days before their expiration date. UCF Affiliate Member—In order to provide local member benefits to our University of Central Florida (UCF) affiliate Ad Club, an “Affiliate Membership Program” was set in place last club year. In order to make the signup process seamless, an option to signup was placed on the UCF Ad Club application. Retreat with Retrospect Goal: Re-engage Board of Directors and provide a retrospect on the first half of the club year. Methods: A mid-year board retreat was held this past January to mark the half-way point of the 2012–2013 club year. Presentations were made by the President and PresidentElect to discuss the years events and highlight pros and cons to learn from and apply to the remainder of the year. Charging for Events: In the past, Ad 2 Orlando never consistently charged for events. Not only did this hurt our perceived member benefits but it also made it difficult to budget for non-dues income. A standard $10.00 non-member entry fee was set in place and strongly enforced throughout the year. Results: The open forum setting allowed for the entire board to provide feedback on past events. We compiled all the feedback and created a “Best Practices” document to share with the board. A document with venue information was also created and shared on Google Docs for easy access when planning upcoming events. Annual Media Auction Fundraiser: The club’s main source of income is the annual Media Auction. Donations from local advertising related vendors and agencies were auctioned off at a discounted rate to local small businesses and non-profits. Also, a portion of the total profits were donated to our Public Service client, Informed Families. FISCAL MANAGEMENT Annual Kickball Fundraiser: On the most anticipated events of the year is the Annual Ad 2 Orlando Kickball tournament. Teams pay a small fee to cover t-shirts, lunch and equipment rental. This event is an all day fun activity where teams compete for the ultimate prize, a 100 lb. trophy to showcase in their place of business. Raising the Bar and Staying in the Positive Goal: Reach increased fundraising goals to provide additional member benefits. Methods: While maintaing a budget was never a problem for Ad 2 Orlando, this year we wanted to set some higher goals for our team to achieve financially and ultimately provide more benefits to our members. In order to do so, the following was put in place: 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 54 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C L U B O P E R AT I O N S Results: With advance planning, this year has proven to be a financial success for Ad 2 Orlando. As a result of all our teams’ hard work, we’ve been able to accomplish the following: • As of February 2013, we’ve met and exceeded the new membership goals for the year and are $112.00 over our expected membership income. • As of February 2013, we’ve also met and exceeded UCF affiliate membership goals for the year and are $240.00 over our expected income. • From our pre-planned revenue generating programs (Membership dues, Media Auction, and Kickball), we have raised $3,775.81 over anticipated income. • The goal set in place for the Annual Media Auction was exceeded by almost double for a total net income of $8,538.31. • For our Annual Kickball tournament, we had an increase in team signups (7 as compared to 4 from the last year) and a total net income of $732.00. • From our programs each month, we have generated a net profit of $605.00. Our ultimate goal for being financially responsible was to increase benefits for our members. Since we’ve been able to exceed income goals, the Programs Committee is now able to utilize small budgets to offer food and drinks to our members. We’ve also, for the first time in 5 years, given Ad 2 Orlando t-shirts to members free of charge. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 55 communications div I: d i v II : DC AD CLUB a a f CLEVELAND d i v III : d i v I v: d i v v: AA F b at o n r o u g e AA F E C o a s t a d 2 TAMPA BAY AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S develop a logo and identity, and the Communications Committee worked closely with the agency over the course of several rounds of brand identity drafts. DIVISION I: DC AD CLUB Results: In early 2012, the Communications Committee presented a summary of its research efforts and unveiled the new club identity to the Board of Directors. A needs assessment and RFP for the development of a new website was developed. Six responses were received and the committee did due diligence in two additional rounds of review and Q&A before recommending the successful bidder to the Board. The Communications Committee and staff worked closely with the vendor over the course of six months to finalize the website design and functionality, prepare a Brand Guidelines document, create branded logos for all DC Ad Club events and programs, and create icons for the club’s social media properties. The new identity and website were launched in December 2012 and were announced to the membership and communications community at large via a press release, email announcement, and social media posts. Overview: The DC Ad Club relies on a variety of communication channels to educate and inform our members, prospective members, and the business community. We have consistent, branded communications for events, in a variety of formats: print, email, web, and social media. This gives us credibility in an industry that knows the importance of a cohesive campaign. This past year, in addition to maintaining the communications standards we set for ourselves, we set the following goals related to the club’s overall brand and outreach: • Fully execute Ad Club rebranding/repositioning across all major program/ member areas. • Increase social media followings by 50% on current social media platforms. Budget Recap: The research and logo development were done by volunteers. The Board approved a budget of $32,500 for the website redevelopment and also provided in-kind sponsorship recognition to the vendor in consideration for discounted pricing. • Find opportunities for self promotion • Capitalize on Advertising Week DC to promote the impact of the advertising industry in our market while promoting the conference as a premiere professional development opportunity for area professionals Increase social media followings by 50% on current social media platforms. The Club uses Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to communicate with members and others interested in the club. We encourage viral promotion of events and programs through social networks and distribute content to supplement email and website messaging. We aim through our social media channels to generate excitement leading up to events and provide follow up information after events; post status updates that personalize the club; post links to industry articles and member news; utilize the reach of the page to recognize sponsors; all done while maintaining social media accounts for both DC Ad Club and Ad 2 DC. • Keep members and others in the industry updated about club news and events. Notify people, in a cost-effective manner, to save the date and ultimately register for events. Fully execute DC Ad Club rebranding/repositioning across all major program/ member areas. Target Audience: DC Ad Club members, the DC communications industry at large Method for Achieving Goal: The Communications Committee prepared a rebranding plan and timeline. The initial discovery phase included separate focus groups of the Board of Directors, young professionals, current members, and nonmembers as well as intercept research at events, conducted by a volunteer strategic planner. The planner developed a rebranding brief, which outlined the strategy for positioning the DC Ad Club as a “Catalyst.” A member agency volunteered to provide in-kind services to Target Audience: Primary audience is advertising industry professionals in general, with an emphasis on members, so we can promote their news through our outlets as well. This is the 24/7 audience that’s always connected, seeking information, and wants to share. Budget Recap: No charge; staff time to update the page with events and status updates. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 58 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S Distribution System: For Twitter, signage and Powerpoint loops at events remind attendees of our username and that event’s hashtag; staff posts 4-5 tweets a week; at large events (ADDYs, ADWKDC), volunteer “live tweeters” keep the conversation going. Facebook status updates, posted by staff 3-4 times a week, let people know what we are up to (setting up for the ADDYs, listening to a great speaker at a luncheon); event promotions are timed to supplement email releases. The focus on LinkedIn is more on connecting professionally with fellow members, as opposed to the more casual connections made via Facebook and Twitter. Leaders start LinkedIn discussions to complement event promotions or address current industry issues. Links to all social media are included on the website homepage and in the footer of all mass emails. Social media mentions are part of our sponsorship package benefits—while publicizing events we give “shout outs” to our sponsors. Frequent posts keep our fans updated and excited about events and make a personal connection. As often as possible, we post statuses on member news (e.g., new clients, promotions). After events, we post photos to the Facebook page or post links to our Flickr account. We also provide social media post idea to our Board in a weekly update. includes the Washington bureau chiefs of national advertising publications, local advertising reporters, local calendar editors, local broadcast outlets, and bloggers. They are also sent to the club’s full distribution list (3,800) via email and posted on the website. ADDY winners are sent template text to include in their own press releases to ensure messaging continuity. Results Achieved: The club sent out press releases announcing ADDY winners at the local, district, and national level, 2012 Club Achievement Awards, the appointment of the 2012 Advertising Week DC chair, the appointment of our president to the AAF National Board, our Silver Medal Award recipient, our brand re-launch, the newly elected 2013 Board of Directors, the renaming of the ADDY Awards, and the DC Ad Club president’s selection as BoardSource’s Board Member of the Month, and her appointment to the AAF National Board of Directors. All press releases were picked up by Capitol Communicator, a regional online publication that provides news, trends, education, and opportunities for networking, career enhancement, business exchange, and showcasing great work. Additionally, the release on our President’s appointment to the AAF Board was picked up by the Washington Business Journal. As a result of this coverage, our president gave an interview to the Nonprofit Spark National WebTalk Radio Show in early March 2013. She discussed the club’s recent rebranding and outlined steps for organizations considering rebranding themselves. As of this writing, only a few days after the interview was posted, there were over 40,000 downloads of the interview. Event coverage and reporter attendance is best for the ADDYs and Advertising Week DC, but since none of our local newspapers have dedicated advertising reporters, the club is competing with all other business news. Advertising Week DC obtained its best coverage this year with stories in The New York Times, Capital Business, Washington Business Journal, local blogs, and member newsletters. Results Achieved: The results of email blasts and current count of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter connections are presented to the Board each month as part of a Communications Statistics Report. From February 1, 2012 to February 1, 2013, the club realized an increase in social media contacts in ALL platforms for both DC Ad Club and Ad 2 DC. The most significant increase was in LinkedIn connections (DC Ad Club-46%, Ad 2 DC-53%). Twitter followers also increased (45% for DC Ad Club and 39% for Ad 2 DC), while Facebook “likes” saw modest increases (27% for both DC Ad Club and Ad 2 DC. Hashtags are noted onsite at events, and an uptick in Twitter followers is often seen after programs and can be attributed to mentions and retweets. Capitalize on Advertising Week DC to promote the impact of the advertising industry in our market while promoting the conference as a premiere professional development opportunity for area professionals By amplifying the reach of Advertising Week DC we aimed to build awareness leading up to and during the week-long event to ultimately drive ticket sales; fulfill the value promised to sponsors and give additional visibility to the speakers; and attract new members and show those who could not attend what they were missing. Find opportunities for self promotion to promote the achievements of the club and its leaders Target Audience: DC Ad Club members, prospective members, and the general business community. Budget Recap: No charge; staff and volunteer time to prepare nominations and press releases. Distribution System: Press releases are sent via email to the club’s media list, which 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 59 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S Target Audience: Potential conference attendees, DC Ad Club members and other communications professionals, marketing staff at client companies and easy-to-read format. It includes upcoming events, event wrap-ups, other events of interest, industry news, new members, job bank postings, and highlights of AAF programs and events. Programs and events—ADDYs, Advertising Week DC, Silver Medal, Golf Outing, Socials, Best of DC marketing series, Tips and Tricks training sessions, Water Cooler Wednesdays, and AFTER HOURS socials—are promoted with standalone emails, which are sent to current and lapsed members, and prospective members, usually sent bi-weekly leading up to each event and then two or three days out as a last reminder. The club uses Constant Contact to distribute these email blasts. The functionality provided by Constant Contact includes the ability to track open and click through rates of each email, along with high levels of spam filtering due to their highly reliable and tested server. Budget Recap: No paid media placement; all earned media and social media Distribution System: Advertising Week DC was promoted via a microsite, advertisingweekdc.com, email blasts, social media (Twitter, Facebook), and Vimeo (speaker and committee videos were posted). The promotional materials also included key economic information, the purpose of which was to educate the business community on the impact of the industry in our market: a) Per capita, Washington DC has the most advertising and marketing professionals, more than New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, or San Francisco; b) According to research from IHS Global Insight released in April, 2011, advertising expenditures accounted for $104 billion in economic impact in the DC Metro Area and contributed more than 21 percent to the Washington, DC area economy; c) Advertising helps produce nearly 13% of all jobs in the DC Metro Area; and d) There are nearly 36,000 commercial advertising and marketing professionals in Greater Washington and by 2014 and the region is expected to have more than 39,000 advertising and marketing knowledge workers Budget Recap: The annual subscription to Constant Contact is $420 a year. Design elements, outside of the regular club branding, are contributed by volunteer members. Results Achieved: The emails are well-received, especially since each is branded with the event’s graphic identity, which is also used on the home page and event calendar on the website. The average open rate for blast emails is 22.6% and the average click-through rate is 6.7%. Emails link to the website, where the majority of event registrations are completed, with an increase around the times of the emails. Results Achieved: From website launch through the event, advertisingweekdc.com had 5,295 visits from 2,911 unique visitors with 19, 571 page views. Our event hashtag, #ADWKDC, was mentioned in over 1,746 tweets, equating to 4.5 million impressions. Our Twitter ID, @DCAdClub, was mentioned 1,037 times, equating to over 1.5 million impressions. The DC Ad Club Facebook page had 66 new likes during Advertising Week DC promotion and 1,113 Facebook page views. Vimeo reported a total of 1,971 video views. Advertising Week promotions and event wrap ups were featured on a variety of media, agency, and speaker websites and blogs. The average open rate of emails promoting Advertising Week DC was 23%. A total of 683 tickets were sold in 2012 compared to 490 sold in 2011. Showcase the DC Ad Club brand; create a user-friendly functionality for joining, renewing and registering for events; develop a portal for members and nonmembers to access information and benefits; create revenue sources for the club; create a microsite for our hallmark educational event, Advertising Week DC. Target Audience: Primary audiences are DC Ad Club members; secondary audience is potential members; tertiary audience is communications industry and anyone interested in advertising services, the industry in the Washington, DC area, and the Advertising Week DC conference Budget Recap: A new dcadclub.com was launched this year as part of the club’s rebranding effort. In addition to the fee for the redesign, the club pays a monthly hosting fee of about $100. The club assesses a fee of $75 for nonmembers to post job bank listings, which generated $2,025 in revenue in 2012, offsetting a portion of the overhead Keep members and others in the industry updated about club news and events. Notify people, in a cost-effective manner, to save the date and ultimately register for events. Mass Email. Distribution System: The club regularly updates its members with a monthly Member Bulletin. This members-only email update members of the club’s activities in a quick 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 60 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S costs for maintaining the website. For advertisingweek.com the creative agency for the event creates a new “shell” for the look of the site, and staff maintains it. The club pays a modest hosting fee to house the separate site. Distribution System: The club’s URL is included on every piece of communication, on stationery, and in email signatures. Everyone is directed to the website for event information and registration, membership information and signup, and club resources. Advertising Week DC materials included the event URL. Results Achieved: The world operates 24-7; the office is open from 9-5, but with constant access, dcadclub.com is one of the key ways we interact with our members. Having event registrations linked to the club’s database increases the accuracy of event signups and increases the effectiveness and reach of the database as non-members sign in to register for events. The renewal process is also less time-consuming: members are sent an email with a link to renew, cutting out the need for paper to send notices or submit applications. Job posting income increased by 93% in 2012 due to an upturn in the economy and greater awareness of resources. The advertisingweekdc.com microsite elevates the Advertising Week DC brand and allows us to provide a wealth of information about the event. From launch through the end of the event, the site had 5,295 visits, 2,911 unique visitors, and 19,571 page views. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 61 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S our Communications Committee designed this new logo using a powder blue color scheme as well as the letters AAFCLE which to our board seemed much more hip. Other companies such as Cleveland Hopkins Airport have adopted the “CLE” moniker and it does go well with our need for re-branding. DIVISION II: AAF CLEVELAND Since 1901, AAF-Cleveland has been the unifying voice for the Northeast Ohio communications and advertising industries. We exist to promote the vitality of the communications industry in Northeast Ohio bringing advertising, marketing, public relations, and sales professionals together to build networks and create business solutions. Target Audience: AAF-Cleveland members who may be interested in events, industry news and programs and non-members seeking information about our organization. Budget Recap: Monthly expenditures for the AAF-Cleveland website are approximately $35 per month for server space. Our e-commerce costs are also handled via a trade situation with a current corporate member. The site was re-designed as a trade for a corporate membership with AAF-Cleveland and all updates/maintenance is handled by our Executive Director. Overview: The objective for AAF-Cleveland during this program year is to continue the work of our recently-formed Communications Committee and to make their efforts more effective. The one difference this year is that we named one of the committee members as our creative director. This position is responsible for the branding of the club and messaging in all of our promotional material. The other three members are responsible for our website re-design, social media efforts and account service, a liaison with committee’s. We have endeavored to produce consistent collateral material and messaging making sure that there is a clear membership message contained in each. We have also done our best to produce our promotional material in a timely manner which has helped us increase visibility and attendance at our events. Distribution System: www.aafcleveland.com Results Achieved: Our re-designed website has been received very well by our users and as a main source of club information, continually grows in traffic and page views which is recorded by Google Analytics. E-Mail Communications Goals: Our email alerts are the primary communications vehicle with our members and non-members. Currently our email list contains over 1,000 email addresses. We utilize Constant Contact for our weekly emails as well as special event, event-only and membership campaign emails. These emails contain basic information with links to purchase tickets, our website for more information and our monthly Portfolio Magazine. REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS WITH MEMBERS Website/Logo Goals: The AAF-Cleveland website serves as the key communications tool with members and non-members alike. With that in mind, in late 2012 our re-designed website was launched with a focus on members and membership. It still includes a job postings page, events calendar, Ad People/Around Town/AAFCLE News sections and information on membership opportunities. As in the past, our website is the portal through which our audience can register for programs and events as well as pay their renewal dues. In addition, a member directory was added which currently is not locked down. All email blasts, collateral material and monthly newsletters have links back to specific pages on the website allowing for the dissemination of information and e-commerce functions. We also unveiled our new AAFCLE logo. Feeling a need to be more contemporary, Target Audience: All AAF-Cleveland members and non-members who are currently subscribed. Sign up for our emails is free. Budget Recap: There are limited costs involved with our email system. Constant Contact charges re based on the number of subscribers and with our non-profit and pre-payment discounts, our yearly cost is approximately $400.00. Results Achieved: Since we cut back on the number of emails sent per month, our open rate has remained in the 25-30% range while our click-through rate has hovered around 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 63 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S 10%. A majority of our event registrations come from links housed in our various emails which makes it a very cost-effective vehicle for revenue generation. EVENT PROMOTIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Goals: Our goal is to increase attendance at all of our professional development, educational and networking events. Increased attendance is key to generating increased revenue. Events include: Professional Development Luncheons, ADDY Awards, Chili Cook-Off, Golf Outing, Small Business Conference, Young Professional Happy Hours, Brown Bag Series and other one-time events. Social Media Goals: Having a dedicated Social Media expert on our reconstructed Communications Committee has done wonders for our social media outreach. The goal is to engage members, especially young professionals, with the club while creating “buzz” about the club and its offerings. We’ve combined our young professional Facebook page with our club Facebook page to eliminate confusion and increased our presence on LinkedIn and Twitter. We have live “tweeting” at each monthly luncheon, have a “tweet deck” on our website and numerous members “tweeting” throughout the day, especially just prior to club events. Target Audience: MarCom professionals in Northeast Ohio. Budget Recap: All promotional material is provided to the club at no charge. Local agencies are charged with developing our collateral material as directed by our creative director. Postage for any direct mailing is covered by AAF-Cleveland. Target Audience: Young professionals in the MarCom industry. Distribution System: Our events are promoted through flyers and/or signage at all events, hung at board member companies, customized emails, direct mail, social media, press releases and ads placed in The Plain Dealer. Budget Recap: There are no expenses incurred with our social media endeavors. Distribution System: www.facebook.com/aafcle, @aafcle, www.linkedin.com/aafcle Professional Development Lunch Series Our programming committee, responsible for producing these luncheons, made a decision to feature more national speakers including: Results Achieved: Our Facebook “likes” have hit 404, up from 350 last year, have over 2,100 followers on Twitter, up from 1,900 last year and over 900 LinkedIn users up from 775 last year. • Brian Ellis Martin, Executive Creative Director from New York City speaking on Brand Bravery in the Digital Age. Printed Communications Goals: To provide our members with clear and consistent information on club programs and events. Each collateral piece now has a membership element and a strong call to action. • Jeff Charney, CMO at Progressive Insurance spoke on branding for his company. We still kept a local theme with programs with Philips Healthcare and Cleveland-area sports teams. Target Audience: Primarily AAF-Cleveland members. AAF-Cleveland ADDY Awards Our successful ADDY competition culminated at The Agora in Cleveland with a Rock ‘n Roll theme with 280 attendees. An integrated approach to ticket sales proved to be very successful, brought in many non-members and encouraged new memberships. Budget Recap: All AAF-Cleveland collateral is designed by local agencies at no charge to the club. Distribution System: Direct-mail, email, board members hanging flyers at the company. Results Achieved: Our luncheon attendance has increased and we believe that it has a direct correlation to improved printed communications. Three pieces of our collateral have won ADDY awards this year. Night of the Living Dead So much work done by local agencies and design firms ends up never being used for a variety of reasons. Our idea was to resurrect this work and let it live again. So Night of 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 64 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S the Living Dead was born. Held close to Halloween, seven entrants showed off their best “dead work” for those in attendance to vote on. Combined with a costume contest and Halloween inspired food and drink, it was a spooky night attended by just under 100. SELF PROMOTION Goals: Increase membership and awareness among non-members. Target Audience: Non-members, potential new corporate members or up-selling current corporate members. COMMUNICATIONS WITH NON-MEMBERS Budget: Membership drive as shown above. Goals: Our goal was simple, increase membership by adding at least 25 new members through a 3-month membership campaign. Distribution: Membership drive as shown above. Results Achieved: Membership drive as shown above, two new corporate members and one corporate member who increased to the next level. Target Audience: MarCom professionals in Northeast Ohio who are not current members of AAF-Cleveland. These would also include corporate marketers. Budget Recap: Our campaign had a budget of $5,000. Much of the work including, collateral material, printing and testimonial videos was donated. Dollars were spent on postage, some photography, candy bars, lunch boxes and other goodies for our lunch box giveaway. As part of the campaign, each new member who joined during the campaign received a free ticket to two upcoming AAFCLE Professional Development Luncheons and the grand prize winner, drawn from all new members, would receive the “Golden Ticket” which is free admission to all club events for one year. Distribution System: The campaign consisted of 10 email blasts, 2 postcard mailings to a database developed by the board of directors and membership committee, testimonial videos, buttons/tent cards/signage at all club events, 2 ads in The Plain Dealer newspaper and lunch boxes filled with AAFCLE swag personally delivered to 25 corporate membership prospects. Results Achieved: At the time of this writing AAF-Cleveland has seen 22 new members join which is just short of our goal with a few weeks to go in the campaign. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 65 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH MEMBERS DIVISION III: AAF BATON ROUGE E-Newsletters, Event Reminders and Special Event Promotions Goal: Last year, the committee decided to stay in touch with our members solely through informative and consistent electronic newsletters and event reminders. We continued this technique this year, but wanted to improve on the effectiveness and readability of the e-newsletters we sent out. In an attempt to get multiple items of news across while not overwhelming our members, the committee made some design revisions to our e-newsletter template. We removed distracting elements from the sidebar of the e-newsletter template and gave equal priority to the promotional images and content of individual announcements. This new layout allowed members to more quickly digest the large amount of information they were presented with. Additionally, we included a downloadable event calendar at the bottom of every e-newsletter, so members could easily download AAF-BR events to their own calendars. We also incorporated a standard, large “Register for this Event” button so members can easily click through to the website to RSVP for events. Overview: The overall goal of the 2012 Communications Committee was to build upon the success that was achieved the year before. To do this we strengthened the frequency and improved the timeliness of our communication efforts on aafbr.org, Facebook. com/aafbr, twitter.com/aafbr, e-newsletters and the occasional printed pieces. This challenging undertaking required us to thoroughly examine the communication efforts of the 2011 committee and formulate a comprehensive plan that included an improved e-newsletter template design that would be easier for members to read; to expand the use of social media to reach out to the community and spread awareness of AAFBR events beyond just the membership; and to increase awareness of club events and functions after the fact. These goals were accomplished through, but not limited to, creating a new blog platform called “Colleen’s Blog” where we could post additional event promotions, e-newsletters along with regular e-blasts for event reminders and other action items, the forming of a committee, and the creation of a process for communications to run smoothly with two committee chairs. Each of these goals was implemented to promote AAF-BR and its events, demonstrate the value of membership to current and potential members, increase member involvement in our activities, increase brand awareness of our club in the local business community and foster an integrated strategy to communicate across multiple media. Our objective remained to deliver relevant club news and information in a timely and accurate fashion. The e-newsletter was designed to be informational, educational and entertaining—providing meeting and event information as well as insight into accomplishments of our club and its members. Each e-newsletter contained various articles regarding upcoming AAF-BR events and programs, a downloadable calendar of events, and event notices for our partnering clubs (“ADditions”). Additionally, event promotion was achieved through event reminders and special event e-mail promotional campaigns. Each of these campaigns was co-branded with AAF-BR and the event creative. The Communications Committee worked together to create a strategy that integrated traditional and online media and encouraged participation from the entire club. The committee was challenged to further integrate communications across all channels and provide an autonomous platform for board involvement. Over the course of the year, the committee succeeded in growing the AAF-BR brand across multiple platforms. The multi-channel approach has resulted in a new level of engagement at the student and professional levels, as well as district. Target: AAF-BR Members and General Public Budget: The committee opted to utilize Mail Chimp, a free service for our number of subscribers. Distribution: E-newsletters and e-event reminders were emailed several times per month. Special event news was sent in a timely fashion as it related to the actual event. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 67 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S Target: While all accounts were used to communicate with our members, Twitter and Facebook were used to promote events to the outside business community. Events and news were promoted across all platforms. We also created unique cover photo graphics on our Facebook page to promote individual events to our followers. This served as a reminder for upcoming events and helped bring more attention to our Facebook page and events when members liked or shared these images. Results: Membership attendance, participation and feedback increased as a result of these efforts. Our luncheon programs have had RSVP totals as high as 87 people. We have maintained a high level of engagement and have seen our open rate at 53.29 percent (well over the industry average of 21.7%)! We were also excited to have our email subscriber list grow to over 300 subscribers this year Website Goal: To provide continuous communication of current and ongoing AAF-BR information, act as a resource for current and potential members, accept RSVPs for events and payment for membership dues and events. We launched a new website in 2010 to achieve these goals and since then, have been adding many useful features. This year we added a new feature that displays new member photos and bios as another way of introducing them to our membership and welcoming them to the club. We also added a new section to the site that features video of our luncheon speakers, allowing members to re-watch these inspirational talks or to share with others outside of the club. Distribution: URLs to our social media profiles were posted in our e-newsletters. Budget: There was no expense as the accounts are free and maintained by our board. Result: Social media has allowed us to increase awareness of our events and member participation. Twitter has grown from 925 to 1331 followers; Facebook has grown from 459 to 601 likes. Colleen’s Blog Goal: Our original intention with the blog was to use last year’s winner of the membership drive iPad giveaway, Colleen Jackson, as a spokesperson for our annual membership push. Not only was she the previous winner, but she is also a well-recognized member that has been a part of AAF-BR for ten years. Due to Colleen’s busy schedule, we utilized the award-winning writing talents of communications co-chair Trenton Bland to ghostwrite on her behalf with her full approval and support. Target: AAF-BR Members and General Public Distribution: Our website is available to everyone via www.aafbr.org. We promote the web address on all marketing materials. The site is optimized and comes up on page one in search engines for “Baton Rouge Advertising,” allowing us to be found by prospective members and the business community. The goal of Colleen’s Blog was to raise awareness of the membership drive and increase referrals to the club. Due to its success we decided to continue the blog and utilize Trent’s unique style of writing to inform our members of upcoming events and provide recaps of our club activities. Budget: Our board, via a content management system, manages web maintenance to our existing site. Result: AAF-BR has maintained another avenue of consistent two-way communication and received all RSVPs and the ability to accept payments through the website. We have made it easy for current members to welcome our new members by displaying brief member introductions in our New Members section. We have also created another way for members to share our excellent luncheon speakers with others outside the club, creating more interest in the club and our monthly luncheons. Target: Initially it was targeted towards members as a way to increase our membership numbers. We dedicated 9 of our 16 posts to fun and outlandish ideas to get your coworkers and/or friends to join the club. After the completion of the drive the blog was then used to help give more detailed information about upcoming events. Distribution: We promoted the blog through our Facebook and Twitter accounts and through e-blasts. Social Media Goal: To maintain Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube accounts to communicate with members and promote programs and events. Budget: There was no expense for the hosting, maintenance and writing of the blog. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 68 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S Result: It was very successful in our membership drive and helped provide fourfold increase in referrals. Overall the blog received a total of 422 page views from July 2012–January 2013. Luncheon Speaker Promotions AAF-BR had an incredible lineup of speakers for our monthly membership luncheons this year. Among our speaker guests this year were HOW Conference speakers Stefan Mumaw and Melissa Morris Ivone, as well as the “real life Peggy Olsen” and author of Mad Women, Jane Maas. The committee heavily promoted these speakers through e-newsletters, social media, Colleen’s Blog, and printed speaker calendars that were handed out at luncheons to members as well as mailed. EVENT OR MEETING PROMOTIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS In addition to all of the above-mentioned vehicles, we also used other avenues for promoting events to members and non-members. 2013 ADDY® Awards Beginning many months in advance, there has been a non-stop combination of reminders for the 2013 ADDY Awards: meetings announcements, website updates, social media, and prominent e-news presence and traditional PR efforts. The club even stepped up the call for entries a notch by handing out poster reminders with entry bags to promote Call for Entries. Several media outlets were invited and attended the event. An embargoed press release was sent to the media announcing the winners. Due to a committed effort of the committee in making a contact at the local newspaper, the event received coverage in the Advocate business section and on their website. Kick-off Party at the Radio Bar AAF-Baton Rouge kicked off the year with a member social originally scheduled on August 30, 2012. Hurricane Isaac, however, had other plans for us, and the social had to be rescheduled for September 20, 2012. E-blasts were sent out to members to notify them of the change in plans, and an additional blast was sent out with an excerpt from Colleen’s Blog to remind members of the event the day of. The Kick-Off Party was was held at The Radio Bar, a new, popular bar in Baton Rouge with award winning branding by one of AAF-BR’s own members. The event was a huge success despite being rescheduled, with over 100 in attendance. A convenient, business card sized AAF-BR yearly Calendar of Events was handed out at the event. The Kick-Off event was promoted via e-newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, aafbr.org, and Colleen’s Blog. 13th Gate Tour Recap Each year during Halloween, AAF-BR gives members the chance to tour the 13th Gate, a nationally top-ranked haunted house in Baton Rouge, for free (normally a $25/person admission fee). In the spirit of this year’s goal of promoting events after-the-fact, we posted a hilarious event re-cap on Colleen’s Blog to share with members who may not have made this event and to demonstrate how much the attendees enjoyed themselves. The blog entry was one of the most read entries on Colleen’s Blog. 2012 Media Shower This year’s fundraising auction, the “2012 Media Shower,” was a tremendous kickoff for the new season. On Thursday, October 25th, guests enjoyed food, music, wine and a live art battle while bidding on their favorite items. The event hosted both a silent and live auction with over 85-featured items ranging from media packages to various marketing services. Not only did the event raise nearly $13,000, it proved to be great club exposure for people in the community, bringing in over 130 people, half members and half non-members. Proceeds raised benefit all AAF-BR activities including scholarships for students, programs, workshops and public service. Held at the Baton Rouge Gallery, AAF-BR’s “Media Shower” was a star-studded night of great deals, professional networking and cultural entertainment. The event was promoted via e-news, and social media outlets were used to create hype around the event. It was also promoted through Colleen’s Blog and aafbr.org. The Fundraising Committee chairs designed promotional graphics and bid books. COMMUNICATION WITH NON-MEMBERS Widen brand awareness in the business community Strategies to communicate with non-members included sending press releases to the media and developing a partnership with other Baton Rouge are clubs in order to crosspromote our club events. Our continued partnership with the Baton Rouge Social Media Association has also increased our reach into the creative community through cross 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 69 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S promotion, since most social media professionals are within the marketing discipline of company organizational charts. Students are the Future AAF-BR communicated with students via emails, social media, the LSU AAF Facebook page, and announcements at LSU AAF meetings. We also provided students with a printed events calendar for the year. Local businesses and agencies sponsored students’ attendance at the monthly member luncheons by paying for their lunch and sitting at the table with them, allowing the students to network with the sponsor and ask questions. SELF PROMOTION In an effort to increase brand awareness and further promote AAF-BR through social media, the committee designed and handed out “I Voted” stickers at our November membership luncheon in honor of Election Day. Members were encouraged to wear their stickers, take pictures with them on, and share the photos through social media. The AAF-BR stickers went viral after members began posting them on various social media outlets such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The successes of the 2012 Communications Committee hinged upon our ability to effectively and succinctly communicate across multiple channels to achieve a greater awareness of club activities and initiatives among members and prospective members. It was also critical to ensure that every part of our communication efforts aligned not just with the overall strategy for the club, but for the uniqueness of each club activity. Our use of social media, e-newsletters, aafbr.org, and Colleen’s Blog, along with many other forms of communications, has strengthened our relationship with our members, increased visibility to nonmembers, and established AAF-BR as a trusted resource. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 70 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S DIVISION IV: AAF EMERALD COAST COMMUNICATION WITH MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS Organization Background: The 2011-2012 Board of Directors challenged themselves with a club rebrand, moving from Emerald Coast Advertising Federation to AAF-Emerald Coast to more closely align with the national brand and increase recognition as part of a larger brand with local, regional, and national exposure. The board implemented a cohesive marketing plan, which included membership packets, membership forms, luncheon receipts, raffle tickets, business cards, note cards, MailChimp templates, a Facebook page, and a new website integrated with a content management system with blogging capabilities. The communications committee joined together to create a strategy that integrated traditional and online media and encouraged participation from members and nonmembers. Event or Meeting Promotions and Announcements The communication committee made the determination to cross-promote all aspects of club communications to provide timely distribution of information. The 2012-2013 Board of Directors continued with the objectives set forth by looking for new ways to improve each of the eight core values of AAF in an effort to maintain and sustain growth long term and advance to club of the year. Self-Promotion To celebrate AAF-Emerald Coast’s 20th Anniversary and the 2013 Pantone’s “Color of the Year—Emerald Green” the club rebranded with new graphics. AAF-Emerald Coast is a distinctive chapter in that the demographics include a large military base, which has a transient population, coupled with an area that is 85% Caucasian, 50% female, and 27% women-owned firms. The smaller market with its unique logistical limitations and the transient population base makes attracting and retaining energetic, professional members more difficult Social Media Goals: The objective was to maintain Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts to communicate with members and promote programs and events. Target Audience: While all accounts were used to communicate with our members. Twitter was used to promote events to the business community. Facebook event pages were utilized for monthly development lunches and special events, which allowed members to invite their friends. Events and email communications were promoted across all social media platforms. Committee chairs were given administration access to Facebook so events could be promoted in real time which has created a viral component to the promotion in social media. Communication Goals: In an effort to serve the community, AAF-Emerald Coast established programming to facilitate the goals set forth at our annual Board Retreat in July. Some of the objectives were to maintain the brand standards, communicate efficiently with membership, integrating club communication across multiple channels, growing social networks as a method of building advocates, encouraging conversation, and creating autonomy within the board by empowering each board member with the ability to promote their events and programs. Budget Recap: There was no expense as all social media accounts were free and maintained by AAF- Emerald Coast board members. The Communications Committee worked to create a strategy that integrated traditional online media and encouraged participation from the entire club. The committee was challenged to further integrate communications across all channels and provide an autonomous platform for board involvement. Over the course of the year, the committee succeeded in growing the AAF-Emerald Coast brand across multiple platforms. The multi-channel approach has resulted in a new level of engagement from students to professionals to the district level. Distribution System: URLs to our social media profiles were posted on all club correspondence. To support the cross channel communication, opt-ins were included on emails as well as on Facebook tabs. Distribution was also utilized through the Twitter platform, with cross promotion of the @AAFEC Twitter handle on the AAF-Emerald Coast website, Facebook app and integration, e-blasts and during luncheons. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 72 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S Results Achieved: Social media has allowed AAF-Emerald Coast to increase awareness of our events and member participation. AAF-Emerald Coast grew the Facebook “Likes” from 162 Likes in March 2012 to 304 Likes in February 2013, an 88% increase. The club’s Facebook reach has expanded to reach 17 countries and was viewed in 10 languages in March 2012. The demographics of Facebook likes are 69% female with 24% of those being 25-34 years of age; 29% are male with 9.5% being 25-34 years of age. Facebook also served as AAF-Emerald Coast’s most utilized traffic source to the AAFEmeraldCoast. com website from April 30, 2012, through February 7, 2013, with more than 217 visits and an average time on site of 02:57, all from Facebook. Silver Award Nominations, and can now receive PayPal payments for each month’s professional development luncheon. AAF-Emerald Coast began its Twitter account in August 2012. In February 2013, @ AAFEC stands at 135 Tweets, 220 Following and 92 Followers. Budget Recap: The committee continued to utilize MailChimp, which is a free service. E-Mail Communication Goals: The objective was to provide consistent email communication with current and potential members to update them on monthly programs and special event announcements and to increase online program registrations. Target Audience: The target audience was AAF-Emerald Coast members, potential members, the advertising and creative community, students and media. Distribution System: AAF-Emerald Coast utilized Mailchimp’s distribution system to send out the e-blasts, e-newsletters and news releases to its current database. In addition, Twitter and Facebook were integrated for automatic exposure of the communication vehicle through these platforms. Specifically, Mailchimp was integrated into a Facebook App for integrated email sign-up opportunities. Website Communication Goals: The objective was to provide continuous communication regarding all AAFEmerald Coast events, provide a resource for current and potential members, accept RSVPs for events, and accept payment for membership dues and events. After the website was launched, the club integrated some useful features, such job bank and social media feeds to advance our integrated strategy. All email communication was archived on the club website and pushed out across social media networks. Special event news was sent in a timely fashion as it related to the actual event. Target Audience: The target audience was AAF-Emerald Coast members, potential members, the advertising and creative community, students and media. Results Achieved: Membership attendance, participation and feedback increased as a result of the club’s efforts. AAF-Emerald Coast’s average open rate of email was above the industry average with an open rate of 33.04%, higher than the nonprofit average of 20.34%. The database grew from 364 in spring 2012 to 512 as of February 7, 2013, an increase of 41%. Budget Recap: The website content was updated by member volunteers. The webhosting was donated by a member so there was no out of pocket expense to the club. Distribution System: The AAF-Emerald Coast club website was cross-promoted in all club communications, such as monthly program emails, social media, postcard mailings, local advertising, and news releases. News Releases Goals: The objective was to keep communication flowing via news releases, while establishing AAF- Emerald Coast’s credibility as a newsworthy source of information in the Northwest Florida community. In addition, the club wanted to encourage attendance by local journalists as a way to promote AAF- Emerald Coast events, gain coverage in post-event articles, garner calendar listings in local business publications and build awareness of AAF-Emerald Coast in the local business community. Results Achieved: Club communication to members and non-members improved due to keeping content current. Online event registrations have increased due to the ease of signup. The club’s website has received 1,001, or 43.9%, unique visitors viewing the club website since April 30, 2012, with an average time onsite of 02:19. In addition to receiving public service applications, student scholarship applications, and new/renewing membership applications, AAF EmeraldCoast.com now can receive 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 73 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S Target Audience: The target audience was local advertisers representatives, journalists, media editors and individuals interested in local and regional media in Northwest Florida area, specifically targeting The Destin Log, The Walton Sun, The Northwest Florida Daily News, SoWal.com, Emerald Coast Magazine, Destin Magazine, Emerald Ladies Journal, 30A Review, Natural Awakenings, 850 Magazine, Apex Broadcasting, Cumulus Radio, WEAR ABC 3, WJHG NBC 7. CONCLUSION The ultimate goal of promoting a better understanding of advertising by educating current and future advertising professionals has been attained. Advertising professionals learned about creative ideas and how innovative techniques can assist them in achieving their company’s advertising goals. From teaching how branding relates to taking a nonprofit to the next level or a fresh look at the advertising industry, the AAF-Emerald Coast has and will continue encouraging excellence by educating its members, the community it serves and the next generation of advertising professionals. Budget Recap: All designs, content, and work was donated by AAF-Emerald Coast members. Distribution System: News releases were distributed through Mailchimp, Gmail eblasts and direct messaging via Facebook, Twitter and the AAF-Emerald Coast website. Based on the tireless efforts of the club leadership, partnered with the AAF-Emerald Coast re-brand, the club has grown in multiple ways and is looking forward to continued growth. New, innovative, and relevant programs were produced to maintain current membership, and more importantly, attract new members. This effort put the club at a 45% increase in memberships, increasing from 39 to 56 as of March 2013, while maintaining 90% of the existing membership. New forms of communication including media press releases, Twitter, Instagram, and postcard mail outs assisted in increasing ADDY entries by 51% and increasing the average attendance at monthly Professional Development Luncheons by 30%. Building the membership through meaningful programs and achieving goals has strengthened AAF-Emerald Coast as a valuable resource to the local community. Results Achieved: AAF-Emerald Coast was able to receive exposure in The Walton Sun, The Destin Log, emeraldcoast.com, and SoWal.com. Printed Communication Goals: The objective was to provide a physical and tangible component for information or special events that might require more detail, greater awareness, and/or a stronger impression. Target Audience: The target audience was AAF-Emerald Coast members who subscribed to the club’s mailing list. Budget Recap: Designs were donated by volunteer members or organizations and costs for printing were donated or sponsored by an individual member or organization. Postage was paid by AAF-Emerald Coast, which is incorporated into the specific event or by sponsorship funds. Distribution System: Printed materials were mailed out, as well as handed out at events. Results Achieved: For special events, such as the ADDY Awards, members look for direct mail and seem to respond to this distribution method as a sign of a more significant event. Attendance and sponsorship satisfaction benefit from the use of the printed communication. The cost was justified by the favorable response. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 74 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S • We were successful in media coverage of our events with our news releases and blurbs appearing in Bay Pop magazine,Tampa Bay Business Journal, and South Tampa Patch. DIVISION V: AD 2 TAMPA BAY Ad 2 Tampa Bay had an active year of community engagement both online and offline. We saw an increase in event attendance and membership, driven by a well organized and strategically executed communications plan. Additionally, we saw more outside organizations share and interact our content than ever before. We’re proud to have a healthy following on all social media channels, and to have seen a significant increase in web traffic. • We began using hashtags on social media, specifically Twitter and Instagram, to promote and live- tweet our events. The hashtags used were: #Ad2AdTalks; #Ad2AdSocials; #Ad2TampaBay; #WhyAd2 (National Ad 2 initiative picked up from National Ad 2 MYR). We encouraged attendees to use the hashtags in their posts about the event, the information they were learning, or along with their photos so their networks could see them having a great time at our events. Event & Meeting Promotion Goals: To increase awareness and attendance for events, as well as share successes and news from our meetings with general membership. We’ve found that our events are a major driver of membership; the more non-member attendees we can attract, the more potential members we can recruit. Announcements/Regular Communication with Members Goals: To increase following and engagement with members and potential members via social media; to encourage conversations between the Ad 2 Tampa Bay brand and its members and potential members; to reach 1,000 followers on Facebook and 2,500 Twitter followers; to achieve a higher response to e- blasts with increased clicks and opens. Target Audience: All members and potential members. Budget Recap: $530 revenue earned from AdTalks; $270 revenue earned from AdTour Target Audience: All members and potential members. Distribution System: Regularly maintained schedule of eBlasts; news releases and targeted communications to media professionals; personal outreach to local college and university professors; consistent updates to social media and the Ad 2 Tampa Bay website promoting events and communicating meeting successes achieved. Budget Recap: $0 Distribution System: We communicated announcements and general news items with members and non-members through eBlasts, blog posts, website updates, news releases, and social media updates. Results Achieved: We have seen an overall increase in event attendance this year, encompassing AdTalks, AdSocials, and AdTour. Results Achieved: • Through increased social media communications and a regular schedule of eblast distributions, we saw an average of 40-50 attendees at AdTalks; 45-60 attendees at AdSocials, and 25-30 at AdTours. • As of February 10, 2013, Ad 2 Tampa Bay had 1,051 Facebook fans, and increase in reach by 30% from June 2012 and 2,572 Twitter followers an increase in reach by 18% from June 2012. • This was a 25% increase in attendance for AdTalks, with a total revenue earned of $530 as of January 13, 2013, a 35% increase from revenue earned from AdTalks the entire 2012-2013 year. • The club also created an Instagram profile as a way to share photos with our audience members who may not be on Facebook or Twitter. As of January 29, we had 46 followers, which we feel is a satisfactory adoption rate for just having introduced it. • Additionally, by increasing the engagement of Ad 2 Tampa Bay members and Board members on social media, our events were often promoted by members, and even by other local organizations. • We were successful in engaging well-known Tampa Bay agencies in sharing our content, photos, and announcements. This year, we implemented a 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 75 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S • We’ve seen an increase in community members outside of membership interacting with our brand through “likes” and shares on social media, especially Facebook. “Bad Ass Board Member of the Month (BABM)” program, acknowledging our Board members for their hard work, dedication, and achievements. By sharing photos of the BABM with their trophy and eye patch (we went with a pirate theme based on Tampa’s history), their employers were not only made aware of their contribution to the community, but helped spread awareness of Ad 2 Tampa Bay by sharing our social promotions. • Through our Board’s contacts and employers, we’ve also connected with new community organizations and companies for the first time this year, who have shared our content. For example, after speaking at our Legislative event in July 2012, the Tampa Bay Partnership posted our July AdCast video on the website homepage of their Front Row Tampa Bay initiative for hundreds of new eyes to see as they promoted the Tampa Bay region prior to the Republican National Convention coming to town. • We also made an effort to inform our audience of other local and national business opportunities through our website and social channels such as industry awards, scholarships, job opportunities, etc. • Our e-blasts, sent to approximately 3,400 emails, have maintained a healthy open rate hovering right around 19% and reaching 20%—our best this year—in October of 2012. • As of January 13, 2013, our club has 63 members, an 8.6% increase since April 2012. • In an effort to keep those members who are not able to attend all of our events informed on club happenings and successes, we have initiated monthly blog posts recapping the previous month’s worth of club activities and achievements. We found that this is also an excellent recruitment tool, allowing all non-members looking for more information on Ad 2 Tampa Bay to see how we work together, give back to the community, and have some major fun along the way. We attribute much of this success to the increased quality and frequency of our communications in promoting our events and achievements. Self-Promotion Goals: To use a unified voice in showcasing Ad 2 Tampa Bay’s unique identity, progressive achievements, and personalities behind the brand by sharing our successes, news, and updates using a variety of communication channels. Our overall goal was for Ad 2 Tampa Bay’s Communications team to reflect our fun and young spirit—while maintaining a level of integrity among our peers. Non-Member Communications Goals: To encourage non-members to join, including students, professionals, and companies for individual and corporate memberships; to connect with potential event sponsors. Target Audience: Members and non-members. Target Audience: Non-members and potential event sponsors. Budget Recap: $0 Budget Recap: $0 Distribution System: Blog posts, e-blasts, social media, signage at events, the website. Distribution System: We sought to pique interest among target audiences across social media, the website, blog posts, and eBlasts. Results Achieved: • This year, we majorly ramped up the publication of posts on our AdBlog. We’re extremely proud to report that our teamwork and increased blogging activity was effective, and that the blog has seen an increase from 7 to 61 average monthly visitors from March to December 2012—that’s 771% in 9 months! The blog posts were also popular on our social media channels. Results Achieved: • The majority of our new social-media followers are non-members. With most of our membership already engaged, this was a good sign of increased community awareness and potential membership growth. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 76 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S • This was made possible with a well thought-out and executed editorial calendar created by our Online Content Director, Amanda Wintenburg. All Board members were presented with this calendar at the Board orientation, with consistent reminders from Amanda at each monthly Board meeting. • As part of our self-promotion efforts, we also highlighted certain milestones, making our audiences a part of our celebration in an effort to connect with them beyond event invites, etc., such as reaching 1,000 Facebook fans. • For the first time, an Ad 2 Tampa Bay Voice and Tone Guide was created and shared among the Board members in order to ensure consistent messaging across all mediums. This has proven to be effective in answering the questions of our Board members involved in club communications. It has also helped create a more unified, professional profile for the Ad 2 Tampa Bay organization among all of our audiences, while encouraging us to represent the young and fun personality behind our brand! • As a fun way to drive new, relevant fans to “like” our Facebook page, we had a photobooth set up at several of our AdSocials where attendees could use props to take fun photos, with a sign that said “Like our Facebook page to see your photos”. • Also to drive increased traffic to our social channels and our website, we set up a sign at all of events with QR codes, directing users to the designated site. Both this and the photobooth led to a significant jump in Facebook fans after each event. The Ultimate Mixer that took place on October 23, 2012 provides a great example. • Inline with the goals of the Voice and Tone Guide, we also released Ad 2 Tampa Bay’s first-ever Creative Brief. The goal of the Brief is to present a cohesive and appropriate brand identity of who we are—the Tampa Bay region’s leading group of young advertising professionals—by updating our supporting creative, social media, website and marketing materials to tell the brand’s story. Our Creative Director, Brandi Morlen, saw a great opportunity to help attract new members and bring back old, or inactive, members by engaging them in a new conversation about Ad 2 Tampa Bay through the creative changes. The Board just approved the entire Brief in January 2013, so we look forward in having the opportunity to report on its successes. Other Goals: To increase web traffic and further online conversations with members and potential members; to establish our club as a go-to resource for job postings and industry-related news throughout the Tampa Bay region. Target Audience: Members and non-members (including potential members, company decision makers, professors, students, etc.) Budget Recap: $0 • We published four categories of blog posts. Above all, we sought to publish valuable, engaging and interesting content for our readers. To get everyone involved excited to be a contributor, we felt it was important to instill a sense of ownership. Each Board member was responsible for a Board member profile post as their first, as well as a post on industry news later in the year. Our club president, Amanda Fisherman, was also responsible for a monthly recap of club activities. Additionally, blog posts on industryrelated news were posted by either our Online Content Director or Communications Intern on various Fridays. Distribution System: Blog posts, e-blasts, social media, the website. Results Achieved: • Several updates were made to our website this year, giving it a more professional look but still a fun feel for our target audiences. These updates included: —a new favicon added to the top browser tab (meta title) so that visitors are able to distinguish our site 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 77 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : C O M M U N I C AT I O N S —a new, sitewide sidebar incorporating our Facebook feed to keep the site fresh with current (and active) posts and gain new followers via the “Like” button —a redesigned Board Member page complete with member bios, allowing visitors to connect with our dynamic team—each bio includes contact info for the people who lead the organization. —Additionally, we will soon be adding archiving capabilities for added convenience so that visitors can read older content on the blog. • Over a nine-month time span from March 2012 to December 2012, monthly visitors to our website increased 59% from 874 visitors to 1,370. Over those nine months, we averaged 1,597 visits/month, with our highest October 2012 seeing the highest volume of traffic at 2,255 visits. In that time frame, we had a total of 16,974 visits to our site, 7,618 (55%) of which were unique. • Our Job Board has historically been—and remains—the most popular page (seeing the greatest amount of traffic) on our website. We pride ourselves in serving a our market—Tampa Bay’s advertising, marketing, and media young professionals—as a resource for potential employment opportunities. In 2012, the job board had a total of 19,167 visits, an increase of 211% from 6,156 total visits in 2011. • The Ad 2 Tampa Bay Job Board also serves as a way for the club to foster and maintain relationships with our local employers, while providing them with a valuable tool and added benefit. In 2012, 116 jobs were posted, compared to 47 jobs posted in 2011—an increase of 147%. • For the first time, Ad 2 Tampa Bay launched an internship program, open to all local colleges and universities. One of the first interns to join us was our Communication Intern, Carmen, a member of the University of South Florida’s (USF) AdClub (5.3). The experience proved to be a great success for both Carmen and our club. She was able to gain valuable industry experience in the field she is interested in and receive course credit, while helping move our club’s communications initiatives forward, contributing to social media, our newsletter, and more. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 78 diversity and multicultural initiatives div I: a a f LOUISVILLE d i v II : a a f HOUSTON d i v III : a a f O F THE MIDLANDS d i v I v: d i v v: AA F RALEIGH - DURHAM a d 2 ta m pa b ay AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S DIVISION I: AAF LOUISVILLE TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SPEAKERS HIGHLIGHTING DIVERSITY ISSUES AFFECTING THE AD INDUSTRY ”I will not stand here and try to make excuses for the number of African-Americans we’ve hired. It’s pathetic. There’s a lot more we can do.”—Dan Wieden, Wieden + Kennedy BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: Keys to success in the advertising industry Goals: To engage the advertising community in a discussion about diversity, and how women and people of color can be successful in the advertising industry. In 2006, an article ran in the New York Times saying that the ad agencies in the “Advertising Capital” had been subpoenaed by the New York City Commission on Human Rights to explain themselves. With over 8,000 workers in the 16 largest agencies making over $100k per year, only 2.6% were black. The hearings were called off when the agencies signed agreements to boost minority hiring, but the effects were eye-opening to us all. The AAF’s then CEO, Wally Snyder, said, “We’re about to turn our attention to helping agencies with retention and mentoring. ... I think we can really accomplish something.” Here in Louisville, we couldn’t agree more. Target Audience: AAF members, Young Advertising Professionals (aged 21 to 30) and the Louisville advertising and business community. Strategy/Execution: A top-level executive panel was formed as part of this event to create discussion around the topic of diversity. The panel consisted of a Caucasian female, a Hispanic female, a Hispanic male and an African-American male, of which three are CEOs and one is an Executive Vice President, all working at local advertising agencies. This moderated event included questions from audience members where the panelists were able to discuss their accomplishments, failures, setbacks and overall views as a woman or person of color in the advertising industry. The location was donated, there was a cash bar, and a nominal expense for food, with a portion of the proceeds from the event donated to our Multicultural Scholarship fund. Each year, we’ve included topics in our programs and communications to support and promote diversity in the local advertising industry. One of our strengths as a city lies in our embrace of diversity, from traditional definitions like culture, race, and ethnicity to a broader platform for diversity, like age, gender, sexual orientation and religion. Our past initiatives have been successful, but like Dan Wieden, the club’s leadership knows there is a lot more that we can do. In the past, our multicultural and diversity events and articles had been “safe”. A youth marketing seminar. A talk on marketing to different cultures. But to really make broad strides forward on the national multicultural initiative, we knew that we had to have the hard conversations. This year’s programs provided a long overdue and much needed perspective for our industry, and our communications emphasized the contributions and importance of an inclusive creative community. The club’s leadership has continued to reach out to more multicultural leaders in the community, and find ways to extend our efforts beyond individual events and publications. From the wide range of industries and talents our club represents to the multiple ways we communicate, the focus on diversity has become a part of our club’s culture in everything we do. Below are the objectives that illustrate our initiatives. Results: All survey results were positive, with several comments of needing to make this an annual event for the AAF-Louisville organization. All attendees walked away with a better sense of what issues plague our advertising industry in terms of diversity, as well as pieces of information to help promote inclusion in their respective workplaces. In addition, the topic and high profile speaker panel attracted a much more diverse audience, and the AAF was able to reach more non-members than in many of the clubs past events. The program also opened the door to advertising professionals that we had not engaged in the past and led to interviews for our email newsletter as well as counsel to our Education Committee on a multi-cultural student internship program we’re developing. Professional Development Series Goal: To offer a straightforward seminar series providing a diverse group of speakers to appeal to a diverse audience. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 81 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S Target Audience: AAF Louisville members and prospective members. Appliances, demonstrating ways to create a successful agency/client relationship. The YAPs also featured a seminar on internal branding, and engaging corporate cultures. YAP events are promoted via social media, direct mail, through the website, and email invitations. For each Career Advice seminar, the YAPs do a video interview called “What You Might Have Missed” to feature the main points of the seminar to gain interest for future events. These videos are featured on Facebook and Twitter posts, along with photos from the events. Strategy: The seven part series of seminars featured a mix of local speakers with different ages, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and disciplines. Results: In addition to the traditional following, this program has attracted many new faces, and the attendance typically ranges from 30-50. The event used to be held at our club’s office and was at capacity at 35, but the series has been moved to donated space from the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana and allows more of the advertising community to participate. Each program lasts one hour, and box lunches are donated. There is no cost to the club for this event, and with record-breaking attendance at most seminars, this is a great fundraising program for the club. In addition, attendee surveys show 85% of attendees rated it a four or five out of five. Results: The Happy Hours have become a social event for not only the under-30 crowd, but members and non-members of all ages have embraced the opportunity to engage with others from the advertising community. Many top executives attend to support their colleagues who have been asked to join as the special guests. The joint happy hour with YPAL and YF drew over 100 attendees, and resulted in new memberships, and built awareness with a more diverse base of marketing and advertising professionals. Young Advertising Professionals Career ADvice Seminars and Happy Hours Goals: (1) To foster diverse connections and provide educational seminars featuring an inclusive range of speakers highlighting successful professionals from different backgrounds. (2) To promote advertising as a career choice at a young age to encourage growth of a diverse talent pool. (3) To encourage participation in social events for members and non-members of all ages. MINORITY/MULTICULTURAL STUDENT OUTREACH & SUPPORT Goal: To build awareness and excitement about advertising as a career choice for young students by demonstrating the broad range of disciplines and career paths, such as writing, social media, account service, media planning, and art direction. Target Audience: Primary Audiences: Young Advertising Professionals (ages 21-30), prospective new members who are recent college graduates; Secondary Audiences: Lifetime Members, Board Members and at-large membership Target Audience: Middle school, high school and college students. Strategy/Execution: The Young Advertising Professionals (YAP) Happy Hours feature one or more top executives from local ad agencies or marketing directors from large corporations as a way to attract attendees, but also to give young professionals a chance to network with seasoned executives in an informal setting. In addition, a joint effort with two other groups, the Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL) and the Young Filsonians historical club created a happy hour that gave exposure for the YAPs to more corporate marketing professionals and greatly expanded the diversity of the attendee list. Career ADvice seminars feature local speakers from agencies and corporations. One focus in diversity is to feature the success of women in advertising, and featuring a top female ad agency executive alongside her client, a top female marketing executive at GE High School Marketing Challenge (HSMC) For 13 years running, AAF-Louisville has provided an opportunity for High School Students to gain experience in advertising through a creative competition. A sponsor acts as the “client” and chooses a topic, product or service to promote, and the students act as the advertising agency, creating an advertising campaign. This year’s sponsor was Humana, who charged the students to tackle the issue of Teen Depression. The program has grown exponentially, and this year there were so many teams, the presentations had to be split into two days of judging. The participation from schools in low-income areas has grown where schools don’t have access to the same technology. Judges are instructed 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 82 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S Target Audience: Local charities that support diversity issues, and AAF-Louisville Members to score based on campaign concepts and ideas, not necessarily the quality of production. This allows a level playing field that encourages participation from all community schools, public and private, with a more diverse student base that grows every year. Beyond the impact of learning about advertising, students have found opportunities to volunteer and continue to support the causes they’ve learned about, even beyond the competition, helping to build stronger communities, and serve as an example to others. The “Dream Team” Project Each year, a “Dream Team” is assembled by the club to act as an ad agency for a chosen charity. The 2011-2012 project client was Best Buddies Kentucky, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. During the course of the project, the client had a change in leadership, which extended the project’s timeline for completion into the 2012-2013 club year. The goal of the Team was to increase the awareness of the organization in the Louisville community. Minority Scholarship Program Each year the club awards a $2,500 scholarship for minority students pursuing a career in advertising. The scholarship is funded through an endowment fund established several years ago. A fundraising event at a local comedy club is scheduled for later in the year, where 100% of proceeds will go to the scholarship fund, to work toward the club’s goal of having enough funds in the endowment to self-perpetuate and allow us to award two $10,000 scholarships each year. The scholarships are promoted through social media, email, and our website, along with personal connections at colleges and universities. Results: One of their biggest fundraisers is the Best Buddies Champion of the Year that selects community leaders to tap into their networks for donors. AAF-Louisville’s Past President, Candace Jaworski, was tapped in 2012 for the challenge. She was eager to help after learning about all the great work Best Buddies does through her knowledge of the Dream Team’s project. She was able to raise a lot of money for the cause, but even more importantly raised the awareness of the Dream Team and Best Buddies. The Dream Team also allowed many of our members to use their powers for good, and boost the industry as a valuable tool in promoting goodwill. Jefferson County Public School System (JCPS) Partnership Council The High School Marketing Challenge has provided an opportunity for AAF-Louisville to identify and fill needs in the public school system where resources and expertise were lacking. The club is in its second year of supporting and sitting on the Communication/ Media Arts Partnership Council, where we help develop curriculum and provide resources that allow the school to provide current and relevant coursework to help students be career-ready at graduation. From sharing examples of award-winning creative, to providing paper and other materials for graphic design classes, and inviting students to view the work on display at the local ADDY Awards gala, the club is helping teachers and staff to prepare students for careers in advertising. INCREASE MEMBER EDUCATION/AWARENESS OF DIVERSITY ISSUES THROUGH ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS Goal: Provide opportunities for members to use professional expertise to benefit the community; provide exposure for diversity and multicultural issues affecting our industry, and opportunities to help our community support diversity and multicultural initiatives. PROVIDE VOLUNTEERISM OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT DIVERSE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS Target Audience: AAF-Louisville members, newsletter subscribers, and the Louisville advertising community Goal: Provide a charitable organization with advertising and marketing assistance through our network of volunteers and professionals, and provide volunteer opportunities for AAF Members. Strategy/Execution: E-newsletters have become a popular publication for our club whose subscribers include members and non-members, so we used this opportunity to highlight multicultural leaders through video interviews, as well as written interviews, showcasing 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 83 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S the success of minority-owned agencies and leaders. Advertising professionals use social media consistently, so for Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month we featured articles on Hispanic and African-American advertising professionals on our social media pages. Throughout the year, the Industry Relations committee has continued a social media campaign which featuring prominent minorities from the local ad community. Results: Putting the diversity and multiculturalism issues front and center has created opportunities for us to interact with local minority and multicultural leaders, who have agreed to help the club achieve a more inclusive advertising community, and has helped to maintain awareness for members and non-members of topics that can be addressed within their own companies. UTILIZE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LEADERS IN OUR INDUSTRY TO ASSIST ENTREPRENEURS IN PUTTING TOGETHER THEIR SALES AND MARKETING PLANS. Target Audience: Owners of early stage startup companies in the community Strategy/Execution: This five-part series was a partnership with EnterpriseCORP, the development arm of Greater Louisville Inc., to provide entrepreneurs with some of the core skills to help them get to the next level of their business. The series was a blend of leaders that are members of AAF-Louisville as well as EnterpriseCORP members. It helped the attendees learn more about generated increased profit with fewer resources, how to hone in on prospects, increase business from current account, and developing a clear sales and marketing plan. Results: The program had nearly 20 attendees that paid $149 for the series and feedback was great. The program is planned to happen again. It was an innovative way for our members to showcase their skills as well as expose a new group of business owners to AAF-Louisville and our mission. This venture with GLI continues to open doors for us and they have asked for, and received, our support in developing a sales and marketing resource directory for small businesses. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 84 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S Results Achieved: Diversity Committee members met with selected committees to ensure that diversity is integrated into the processes of membership, advertising education, communications and club management. Results have been effective in that scholarship applicants and recipients are diverse. Minorities in the Houston advertising and communications industry who have never been a part of AAF-Houston are being directly approached by both the diversity committee and the membership committee to become involved. AAF-Houston’s array of education programs is aggressively including students from all schools, including historically black universities. DIVISION II: AAF HOUSTON In a market in which more than 51% of all residents are non-Caucasian, diversity is a priority for AAF-Houston leadership and members. • Approximately 18% of AAF-Houston members are ethnic • Event attendance averages 10% ethnic • Club leadership exhibits an ethnic representation of approximately 14%, including our Immediate Past Chairman, our Secretary, Vice Chairman and several board members. The Diversity Committee has also surveyed the membership for minority candidates for AAF-Houston awards such as the Silver Medal and Trailblazer Award. Immediate Past Chairman Alex Lopez Negrete was awarded a recent Silver Medal Award and our newest Silver Medal winner is AAF-H past president Leo De Leon. Lopez Negrete and past president, Audrey Gilbreath were nominated and recognized into the AAF’s Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame. It should be noted that AAF-Houston leadership has been 10-20% ethnic over the past six years. Educational Efforts Objective and Target Audience: AAF-Houston aims to promote advertising as a career choice to multicultural students of all ages and to attract a diverse pool of university students to apply for the AAF-Houston / Advertising Education Foundation of Houston (AEFH) scholarship and internship programs. Advertising is also promoted as a career choice to multicultural students of all ages. THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMS Activities in the Houston Market Objective and Target Audience: AAF-Houston programs promote multiculturalism using aggressive acknowledgement, inclusivity and awareness strategies. These programs and events aim to attract not only members and prospective members, but also the greater Houston advertising, marketing, media, production and corporate business communities. These activities highlight the value of multiculturalism in advertising and allow the club to increase funding for education and scholarships. AAF-Houston also has many educational programs aimed to attract multicultural students to advertising careers and to assist them in their career endeavors. Results Achieved: In April, AAF-Houston and the AEFH awarded 12 scholarships totaling $18,500 to students in advertising from universities throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Exceptional effort was made to reach students of all cultural backgrounds and five scholarships were awarded to minority students almost doubling minority honorees from last year. Students were recognized for their academic standing, interest in the advertising profession, desire to work in the Houston market, demonstrated financial need, leadership and the content of submitted essays. Participation Objective and Target Audience: Work with selected AAF-Houston committees (such as membership, programs, nominating, education and scholarship) to encourage diversity in not only the committees, but also in program speakers and educational workshop and seminar topics. Recently our Foundation (AEFH) announced a new $20,000 scholarship fund devoted to Hispanic advertising students. AAF-Houston members Alex and Cathy Lopez Negrete introduced the Lopez Negrete Hispanic Marketing Education Fund administered by 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 86 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S AAF-Houston’s Advertising Education Foundation. And last year, we announced our newest scholarship, (the Gilbreath Communications Scholarship) to a student from HBCUs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities. the internship program. This helps up reach high school and middle school minority students to foster interest in Advertising as a career at a younger age. Results Achieved: Minority participation in this year’s AAF-Houston Annual Student Conference continued to grow both in terms of participants and in the expansion of minority hosts for the student teams, this year including minority-advertising agencies. This conference—the largest hands-on experience of its kind in the country—is effectively transitioning students into the real world of advertising. Students who attend the conference are better prepared to launch their careers, according to employers, students and instructors. Club Leadership and Membership Involvement in Community Objective and Target Audience: Houston’s focus on multiculturalism has created an opportunity for local and regional AAF members, including current and former board members, to represent AAF-Houston in key minority related organizations. The goal in recruiting these professionals is to ensure that AAF-Houston marketing and advertising efforts reach deep into all communities. Results Achieved: AAF-Houston board members include Dennis Vegas who has ties to several minority organizations and Judy Foston, our Diversity chair. Audrey Gilbreath, an African-American agency owner and AAF-Houston past president, represents AAF-Houston with the Port of Houston, board member of the Ensemble Theatre, the American Heart Association board, the Katy Area Economic Development Council Board of Governors and Advisory board Member of Texas Southern University. This year extra effort was made in establishing a relationship with Texas Southern University, a traditionally African-American university. By personally contacting the professors and department heads by phone and through e-mail, students were encouraged to complete our scholarship applications as well as our internship requests. AAF-Houston’s goal is to strengthen its ties with Texas Southern and other HBCU programs and initiate their participation in AAF-Houston’s other educational and professional development programs. For 2013 we have already received three applications from Grambling and one from Texas Southern University. Alex Lopez Negrete, AAF-Houston’s Chairman, represents AAF-Houston as the national past chair of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA). Alex also represents AAF-Houston on the Board of Selectors of the American Institute of Public Service and is Chairman Emeritus of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEDIA OUTLETS AND MULTICULTURAL SUPPLIERS AND VENDORS AAF-Houston past board member, Cesar Rincon is a board member of Camara de Empressarios Latinos de Houston and also a member of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Objective: AAF-Houston strives to maintain strong relationships with multicultural media outlets, suppliers and vendors. Through event sponsorships, trade or in-kind sponsorships, and involvement in many AAF-Houston educational efforts such as our internship program, AAF-Houston invites the media, suppliers and vendors into opportunities to gain visibility in the market and within the AAF-Houston membership community. CONDUCTING PROGRAMS WHICH EDUCATE AND MOTIVATE MULTICULTURAL STUDENTS TO PURSUE CAREERS IN ADVERTISING Target Audience: AAF-Houston members, the advertising and communications communities in the greater Houston market. Objectives and Target Audience: Attracting minority college students, not only in the greater Houston area, but also those in the 10th District, to participate in the annual AAF-Houston Student Conference and to apply for AAF-Houston scholarships and Results Achieved: Two of AAF-Houston’s largest Corporate Members are Univision Houston and Lopez Negrete Communications. The Houston market has many 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 87 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S multicultural media outlets, suppliers and vendors. AAF-Houston has relationships with all the local media outlets, including, but not limited to: KXLN-TV: Univision, KTMD-TV: Telemundo, KETH-TV: Univision, KLOL-FM 101.1: ClearChannel, African-American News and Issues Paper, La Informacion Spanish Newspaper, Rumbo Newspaper, El Dia and La Subasta Newspapers and Mikel Marketing online newsletter for the Asian-American community. These multicultural media, suppliers and vendors can be found at our monthly meetings, supporting our major events such as the Trailblazer Gala and the ADDY program. Many also support the Houston Media Classic. And, most have one or more AAF-Houston members. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 88 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S and looks forward to educating young minds about the many possibilities to be found in a career in advertising, public relations or communications. DIVISION III: AAF OF THE MIDLANDS Goal: The ultimate goal of this program is to reach quality minority high school students who have a genuine interest in pursuing a career in advertising and communications and to create a mutually beneficial relationship for the intern, AAF of the Midlands and the companies that host the intern. Overview: The American Advertising Federation (AAF) of the Midlands seeks to increase diversity in the field of advertising, public relations and communications by exposing minority high school students to careers in advertising, public relations and communications. A network of teachers has been established in the inner-city schools that partner with AAF of the Midlands to arrange audiences of high school juniors and seniors eager to learn about careers in advertising. Target Audience: Our target audience includes Columbia area minority high school students, educator and career counselors. Minority advertising professionals serve as guest speakers in presentations to minority high school students. This has the two-fold benefit of informing students about opportunities in the field of advertising, while allowing them to see real life examples of African-Americans who work in the field. Strategy: To create an informative and engaging experience in the advertising and communications industry for minority high school students in order to encourage growth of a more diverse workforce within the industry. To optimize the timeline for getting minorities into the workforce, the selected student is required to be a junior or senior at the time of the internship. The teachers appreciate the value of making the classroom experience more interesting and relevant by having career professionals come in and help expand the student’s vision and goals. Students that meet these criteria are encouraged to submit an application packet for consideration. The packet includes an application, a typed essay of no more than 150 words on the topic “Why a Career in Advertising Interests Me,” a letter of recommendation from a teacher or guidance counselor and parental consent. EDUCATIONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS Execution: To kick of the 2013 program, we recognized our 2012 intern during the AAF Midland 2013 kickoff event in August 2012. We presented her with a certificate and began to recruit committee members and host companies for the 2013 program. In an effort to encourage diversity and inclusion in the advertising, public relations and communications industry, the AAF of the Midland Diversity Committee has awarded seven minority high school students, over the past seven years, the opportunity to gain valuable experience and establish contacts within the advertising and communications industry. Tasks were divided into recruiting minority advertising professionals to speak to the students, contacting high schools to arrange speaking engagements, recruiting host companies and coordinating the schedules of all parties. Students who have gone through the program truly appreciate the opportunity and many have pursued higher education in Advertising, Public Relations and Mass Communications. Presentations were made to minority students in four area high schools. Students were given engaging presentations on what the day-to-day work was like in the field of advertising, public relations, and communications. Applications for the internship were distributed during the classroom visits and students were encouraged to apply. As we continue to provide this empowering program for students, we encourage them to pursue degrees that will prepare them for careers in the advertising industry. We also expose students to the difference disciplines the industry has to offer. The diversity committee continues to engage local minority high school students for the 2013 program 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 90 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S From the pool of 10 applicants, committee members selected one internship winner. In an effort to maintain a positive relationship with those students not selected, a letter was sent to all candidates. The selected student participates in a summer internship program, which exposes him/her to organizations within the advertising, public relations and communication industries. He/She also receives a $500 scholarship towards his/her post-secondary education. After the intern is selected for the 2013 internship experience, he/she is invited along with his/her parents to attend the 2013 Kick Off event, to be held in August 2013, to be introduced and recognized for his/her accomplishment. A certificate commemorating this experience will be presented at that time. Results: More than 100 high school juniors and seniors in the Columbia area were presented with an overview of careers in advertising, public relations and communications. Teachers established an open dialogue with these and other students about the promising and creative career pursuits in advertising, public relations and communications CONCLUSION AAF Midlands is dedicated to educating the community on the importance of diversity and multiculturalism. We look forward to continuing to provide programs that foster relationships with the local community and in schools and businesses. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 91 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S DIVISION IV: AAF RALEIGH-DURHAM Our Definition of Diversity: The 2013 AAF-RDU Diversity committee came together for the first time at Babylon restaurant near downtown Raleigh on July 25, 2012 to learn about the AAF-RDU club, meet and greet, collaborate on a brainstorming exercise, and begin discussing what they wanted to accomplish individually and collectively as an empowered committee in addressing the lack of diversity in advertising. Our Intent: AAF-Raleigh Durham (AAF-RDU) is committed to increasing diverse representation among its members and the advertising industry as a whole. The world we all live and work in is a diverse one. As leaders in the local advertising and business communities, it is the lack of overall diversity within our industry—advertising—that is of great concern to us as a club. It is this issue—the lack of multiculturalism or inclusion— that we felt needed to be highlighted and addressed in 2013, therefore receiving our club’s fullest attention and support. The AAF-RDU Diversity committee thought it was important to first define “diversity.” We believed that for many in the advertising industry the word “diversity” conjured negative connotations. We decided that diversity should cover more than a singular focus (i.e. one race or one aspect of diversity). We believed diversity should be defined to encompass a multiform of races, religions, gender equalities, socioeconomic backgrounds and varying sexual orientations (LGBT). We felt that each of these groups were underrepresented in the advertising industry. Our Identity: One of our core values in 2013 is to ensure that our board/membership demographics reflect those of our market. To that end our demographics reflect broadly the following: Our Market Female: 51.3% Male: 48.7% Ethnic diversity: 35% Our Board of Directors Female: 56% Male: 44% Ethnic diversity: 17% We discussed that the advertising industry should be more diverse by being open to inclusion and multiculturalism. We truly believed that the individuals that comprised our committee personified the truest definition of diversity. We sought to be a living, breathing example for our local advertising industry to see how folks from all walks of life can assemble through common goals and make positive changes without letting their differences barricade progress. That is one of the priceless benefits of diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism as we defined it. Our Beginning: Another one of our core values is to educate our members on the value of diversity by exposing them to a diverse group of people/experts and programming. In an effort to increase minority representation and leadership on the AAF-RDU board, Past President Mike McTaggart asked African-American club member Ed Roberts, creative lead at ElectriCities of NC, Inc. and 20-year veteran in the advertising industry to chair the 2013 AAF-RDU Diversity committee. Roberts accepted the position. To gain a better understanding of the industry’s views on diversity, Roberts took to social media and posed questions to two different LinkedIn groups (AAF and Urban Creative Network). The questions “How important is diversity in the advertising industry? Does it matter?” received well over 40 honest and insightful comments from many diverse professionals working within the advertising industry. Better educated, Roberts went on to assemble a diverse (i.e. ethnic, gender and orientation) group of people who worked within the advertising, university, government and business communities to join the 2013 AAFRDU Diversity committee and support the core values of the club. We refined our definition and set about to develop programming in subsequent meetings that supported raising awareness and mentoring. Our Core Goals: The AAF-RDU Diversity committee set its sight on affecting the future of our industry. Its core goal in 2013 was to increase awareness among high school students from diverse backgrounds and socioeconomic levels, educating them about the valuable career opportunities available to them—with proper mentoring and education—in the advertising industry. We also wanted to increase awareness and support among local advertising agencies and advertising-related businesses about the lack of inclusion within our industry and the need to mentor and encourage young, diverse talent in pursuing an educational path that would lead to a long-lasting career within the advertising industry. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 93 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S We decided to develop a summer internship program that would engage diverse high school students, college freshmen and working advertising professionals. The only way for our program to be successful was to secure support from a major player in our local advertising community. Our initial support came from Karen Albritton, president of the ADDY award-winning firm Capstrat. OUR PROGRAM OBJECTIVE Connect high school students and college freshmen with host agencies and related advertising businesses to give them real-life experiences to fuel their interest and inspire them to pursue a career in advertising. Our Program Goal: Place up to ten participating students, one per location. Our Strategy: The AAF-RDU Diversity Committee is not only comprised of a truly diverse and dedicated team of people, but also a team who has extensive experience in graphic design, writing, account services, strategic marketing, filmmaking, Web design, government relations, event planning and print production. Program Duration: Five days (Monday through Friday) from 9 a.m. to noon. Program Outline: Ideally, the internship will give students a range of experiences, enabling them to finish the week with an understanding of the different roles in the company, what the business creates and how. It will also be important that the student spend time in his or her stated area of interest (ex. shadowing a designer, writer or account manager for a day). A brief project could be assigned and completed in whatever form requested or selected (i.e. written, drawn, audio/video). This is an unpaid internship, however, a $500 scholarship will be awarded to one intern who excelled during the internship period. Early discussions among the committee members prompted a realization—the best way to appeal to high school students was to reveal our own youthful daydreams, aspirations, and talents, relating them to those of the young people we wanted to target. We wanted this target audience to know that the advertising industry provides a way to put those natural abilities to work. In the hope that students would see themselves in the boy who loved to draw superheroes or the girl who told stories full of delightful details, the concept of What We Do, You Can Too (WWDUC2) was coined for a program that seeks to present a career in advertising as a viable, gratifying option for anyone with talent and a dream. Sample Schedule Day 1: Tour, agency/company description Day 2: Shadow two key functions, project assignment Day 3: Interviews and/or additional shadowing, time to work on project The committee decided to host a morning event sponsored by Capstrat for the sole purpose of gaining support for our program initiatives from advertising industry leaders in our community. We called that event the “Breakfast of Champions” and developed a postcard and email blast campaign to advertise the event. Our plans were to develop a comprehensive advertising campaign and premiere the WWDUC2 program at the morning event and secure on-the-spot support for our internship by having local advertising agency and advertising-related business managers and owners sign on to host a high school student intern. We developed a personalized flash presentation, posters, logo, graphic t-shirt and a film titled “This is What I Do.” The event was a huge success. More than 10 advertising agencies or advertising-related businesses signed on to be summer intern host agencies. To maintain engagement with the advertising professionals in the industry and local host agencies, a WWDUC2 LinkedIn group was established. Day 4: Project review with intern mentor Day 5: Project completion and presentation Student Outreach: Writer Kevin Miles created a series of more than 180 tweets for Twitter which garnered more than 40 followers. Studies show that many teens prefer connecting on Tumblr. A WWDUC2 Tumblr page was developed that included the This Is What I Do film, WWDUC2 presentation, information about the program, instruction on how to apply, and updated photos from outreach events. Members of the Diversity committee traveled to the North Carolina State Youth Council Mini-grants and Leadership Conference in Rocky Mount and served as keynote program speakers. Design Professor Bailey led more than 50 high school students through an educational workshop on product brand development brainstorming, the committee 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 94 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : D I V E R S I T Y A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L I N I T I AT I V E S offered a panel discussion about careers in advertising, and the group shared information about the summer internship program. From this event, State Youth Council Coordinator Cynthia Giles posted the program on the state’s website to promote the opportunity and has encouraged her constituents to invite the committee to speak to youth councils about careers in advertising and the internship. WWDUC2 and the summer internship program has reach nearly 700 students through meetings at Clayton Youth Council, Raleigh Youth Council, and a Wakefield High School career day. Results: Enthusiasm for the internship program has been overwhelmingly positive from students and parents that we have corresponded with. We expect to place up to 10 interns this summer. Classic Graphics offered to match the $500 scholarship offered by AAF-RDU and EletriCities of NC agreed to support the program by purchasing a $500, full-page, color ad supporting the AAF-RDU summer internship program in the 2013 ADDY program. Matt Lang, business development manager and Jackie Schaffer, vice president/ general manager at Cella Consulting approached Diversity committee chair Ed Roberts and interviewed him about AAF-RDU summer internship program for their nationally distributed e-newsletter Creative Execs: Perspectives in Creative Management. ElectriCities also paid for the committee’s entry fees for the summer internship recruitment kit and video into the ADDY Awards which won a silver and bronze award. CONCLUSION It is the sincere desire of the AAF-RDU Diversity committee for the program developed to serve as a local and national model for engaging future professionals of the advertising industry that will reflect the world that we live in. Our plan is for this program to continue for years to come. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 95 Randy Rosenthal is a founding partner of Tricycle Studios, a strategic marketing communications agency focused solely on the healthcare industry. Randy, an early adopter of technology in advertising and marketing, is an interactive pioneer who has brought immersive digital experiences to national and global clients back when floppy discs were all the rage. Today, as director of innovation, Randy travels the globe working closely with leaders of some of the largest and most respected brands, helping them to create meaningful and engaging digital experiences. DIVISION V: AD 2 TAMPA BAY What is diversity? Merriam Webster states that it’s “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements: variety; the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group…” As an even broader definition, diversity can relate to life experiences, previous job history, political affiliation, age, etc., and all of these contribute to a company’s culture or society. Execution: The event took place Tuesday, February 12 from 6-8 p.m. at Mangroves Restaurant in Tampa, Florida. The event was promoted via email blasts, and social media postings. As it relates to folks in the advertising industry, diversity often refers to race and ethnicity, since this line of business tends to be less diverse than others. This current situation has motivated Ad 2 Tampa Bay to put initiatives in place in order to make a change. Results: About 40 individuals including students and young professionals attended the event. Many participated by asking questions and even staying after the event ended to meet the speakers. Positive feedback including a recommendation for a future AdTalks was received, and a blog with an event recap was posted a few days following the event. Program Speakers Goal: Ad 2 Tampa Bay strived to hold a program that teaches the community about the importance of hiring diverse individuals, and how this contributes to company culture. Please also note that an additional AdTalks program focused on reaching out to the LGBT market is currently being planned and will take place this May. Education Workshops Goal: Inform individuals about the current industry news relating to multicultural markets and advertising. Target Audience: Current and prospective Ad 2 members, including students and young professionals, along with other working professionals in different industries throughout the community. Target Audience: Current board and club members, and prospective members. Strategy: Present a piece of relevant news to board members at meetings, and also post on social networking sites to reach out and educate current and prospective members. Strategy: Prospective speakers for the February Ad Talks: Exploring Diversity Within Company Cultures were asked a series of questions relating to the subject matter in order to ensure they would be a good fit. Since this topic can be very subjective, Ad 2 Tampa Bay selected two speakers from slightly different industries so the audience could grasp the importance of diversity from two different view points. Execution: At each board meeting, a different piece of advertising industry news relating to multicultural audiences and diversity was presented. A link to the news source was emailed to the board and posted in the meeting minutes, so the entire article could be read at a later time. This allows board members to share the articles within their individual networks online. Example news topics included the growing Asian-American population, a sample campaign targeting the Hispanic market and facts relating to black consumers and buying power. The Diversity Director also worked with the Communications Director to post articles on the social networking sites to educate current and prospective members. Most recently, the Diversity Director wrote a blog regarding Enterprise Florida’s new controversial ‘sexist’ logo, and this was shared on social media as well. Gerwai Todd, of Asian descent, is Director of Strategy at Connectwise, an IT Business Automation Software Company, located in Tampa, Florida. Gerwai brings a diverse background to his role at ConnectWise. He started his career with Citifinancial, where he worked in sales and branch management. In this position, Gerwai was responsible for managing a three million dollar branch portfolio as well as a significant real estate portfolio. Even though they aren’t in the advertising industry, Connectwise’s diverse staff and culture helps the company stand out. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 97 Results: Presenting the industry news during board meetings allowed everyone to have a brief discussion regarding the segment, and ask any necessary questions. For the news posted on social networking sites, followers were able to share and comment on the stories. advertising industry, and will also speak to freshmen that are currently undecided about their major. 2) The Rumbo Cultural Marketing Diversity Scholarship is currently being promoted online on AAF Tampa Bay’s website and on social media. Letters of recommendation must be provided, along with a detailed essay entry on why multiculturalism and diversity is significant in advertising. Entrants must also be a part of the AAF 4th District chapter, have shown leadership through volunteer opportunities, and have an overall GPA of 3.0 and above. College professors have been given the scholarship information and are assisting in getting the word out to students. Rumbo’s intern Kristen Möller, who is of Nicaraguan and Spanish descent, is already integrated into University of South Florida’s Zimmerman Advertising program, so she is distributing applications right on campus. University of South Florida’s (USF) Ad Club is also helping to promote the scholarship on Facebook and Twitter. The School of Mass Communications at USF and Ad 2 Tampa Bay is also assisting in getting the word out (4.6). After the Ad 2 Internship Speed Dating function, Rumbo Cultural Marketing followed up with all of the students that were interviewed to remind them about applying for the scholarship. 3) After meeting Diana Altieri at the Ad 2 Mid-Year Retreat, Guilene Griffin of the University of Central Florida (UCF) Ad Club asked if her club could tour Rumbo, based in Tampa. Rumbo spoke with students about advertising to multicultural markets, and the importance of having a detailed advertising strategy before putting any kind of messaging out into the marketplace. Business Relations / Programs for Students Goal: 1) Inform undergraduate, multicultural students about the opportunity to choose advertising or marketing as a career path. 2) Provide multicultural students that have chosen advertising or marketing as a career with the chance to help fund their education and future by offering the Rumbo Diversity Scholarship. 3) Focus on educating students about multicultural marketing. Target Audience: 1) Undergraduate, multicultural students that may be undecided on their current major. 2) For the second year in a row, Rumbo Cultural Marketing has partnered with the Tampa Bay American Advertising Federation chapter to present the Rumbo Diversity Scholarship to one student currently enrolled in an advertisingrelated discipline. Conditions: Must be a US citizen or resident alien of Hispanic or Latino, black or African-American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Asian or American Indian descent. 3) Current advertising students interested in learning more about multicultural marketing. Strategy: 1) Since there is a lack of diversity within the advertising industry, Ad 2 Tampa Bay sought to reach out to organizations of students to inform them that the advertising career is a viable career option. This spring, Ad 2 Tampa Bay will show a presentation to several different multicultural student organizations at local colleges, to educate them on choosing Advertising as a career. Ad 2 Tampa Bay will also present to the local Ad Club at University of South Florida to shed some light on the industry and how it lacks diversity. 2) The employees at Rumbo Cultural Marketing understand the importance of having diverse individuals within the industry. One of the Rumbo partners is on the board for the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund (HBIF) of Tampa Bay, and Diana Altieri, an employee at Rumbo, attended an event put on by the Florida Diversity Council, an organization that strives to help the community understand the value of diversity. 3) Rumbo is the only agency in the area to specialize in multicultural marketing, and is always open to accepting visitors for tours. Results: 1) Presentations at multicultural student organizations and advertising clubs will be taking place in the spring & fall. 2) Scholarship applications are due March 29th, 2013 and the winner will be announced April 2013. 3) About 12 students from UCF attended the presentation at Rumbo, and were eager to learn more about how to get involved in this specialized part of advertising. Club Leadership & Volunteerism Goal: Encourage diversity on the board and in the workplace Target Audience: Ad 2 Tampa Bay Board Members Strategy: The Ad 2 Tampa Bay board is unique compared to others, as it is comprised of many individuals that all share one common passion—volunteering. Execution: 1) Ad 2 Tampa Bay will hold information sessions among multicultural organizations that may be comprised of individuals interested in getting into the 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 98 Execution: From web designers to account executives to copywriters, each person on the board is a true individual, and many are also involved in other volunteer organizations. Due to these factors, diversity is especially important because board members are able to contribute different perspectives on current topics, and continue learning from one another. spent coordinating all of the specifics, copywriting, designing the necessary materials, promoting the event. Event recaps include posting photos and sending out surveys to participants, who also contribute to this effort. Results: On the board, there are a total of 23 people; 74 percent are female, and 26 percent are male. Along with all of the information listed above, this shows how Ad 2 Tampa Bay values diverse board members and volunteerism. It’s also important to remember that “Through each other’s diversity we become more aware of our own. Not only do we become more aware we gain a sense of pride for the diversity of our own culture” (Diversity Celebration, Appalachian State University). Ad 2 Tampa Bay’s Past President Robyn Walters also has the role of Ad 2 National Secretary, and Diana Altieri, Ad 2 Tampa Bay’s Diversity Director, also holds the position as Ad 2 National Diversity Advisor. Both Robyn and Diana attended the Ad 2 Mid-Year Retreat in Orlando, and Diana spoke with Ad 2 leaders from all over the country about incorporating multicultural initiatives into their own Ad 2 programs. Diana works closely with Rumbo to help create an internal culture program in which a non-profit is chosen each quarter to volunteer at or collect donated items for. Conclusion With the previously mentioned efforts, Ad 2 Tampa Bay will continue to be the driving force of helping make the local advertising industry more diverse, as well as educate the community to become more culturally aware of the current situation. Aside from Ad 2 Tampa Bay, Achievements Director, Heather Winchell, spends her time at The Children’s Home, a local organization that provides family support services and healing programs to families and children. Public Service Creative Director, Allyson Sims, is involved in Code Blue—Big Brothers Big Sisters and Habitat for Humanity. Internship Director, Hailey Plunkett, volunteers at Code Blue—Big Brothers Big Sisters and is also a member of Tampa Connection, an organization in which business executives volunteer to contribute to the community. The Ad 2 Tampa Bay board is diverse when it comes to languages, race, and ethnic backgrounds. Public Relations Director Sasha Wallace is Caribbean American, Trinidadian and Jamaican, AdAuction Director, Danielle Byrd, is Portuguese, and Creative Director, Brandi Morlen, has Italian and Cherokee Indian heritage. Several board members speak Spanish fluently. Many members are also worldly in terms of previous and current work experiences. Tyler Lopilato, Programs Director, has worked previously in Los Angeles, Boston and New York, and Allyson Simms has interned at advertising agencies in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Lindsey Howe, Ad 2 Historian, is currently traveling to Dubai for business. When planning any AdTalks event, a lot of time and effort go into the details. A large portion of the board is involved in planning every event, so countless hours are 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 99 government relations div I: div iI: dc ad club AA F o m a h a a a f b at o n r o u g e d i v II i : d i v i v: d i v v: aaf jackson, ms A d 2 ta m pa b ay AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S Results: DIVISION I: DC AD CLUB • Our efforts reached the offices of 70 government officials and our response rate was 15%. Our goals in the area of Government Relations included: • DC Mayor Vincent Gray approved our petition, proclaiming September 10-14th as Advertising Week in DC. • RAISE AWARENESS among government officials of the importance and impact of the advertising industry in our market • Our proclamation was showcased in the Washington Business Journal’s Advertising Week DC supplement (reach of 16,000+), at Advertising Week DC (550 attendees), via social media (which reaches over 2,500 member and business industry professional accounts), and on our website which had over 5,000 website visits during the event promotion. • EDUCATE our members, as a member benefit, by providing informative relevant programming and sharing AAF’s government relations efforts • GET INVOLVED in policy conversations and issues Our target audiences for Government Relations included: • DC business leaders including government officials • Our members and other area communications professionals EDUCATE RAISE AWARENESS Advertising Week DC: Mayoral Proclamation Advertising Week DC is the largest educational and networking gathering for marketing and communications professionals in the mid-Atlantic region. Its purpose is to educate our members and other industry professionals, raise the awareness of the importance of the communications industry, and to provide a networking opportunity for associated companies. As part of the week’s awareness outreach, we wrote letters to key government officials in Virginia, Maryland, and DC. The letters outlined the industry’s economic and workforce impact. Additionally, we petitioned DC Mayor Vincent Gray to declare September 10-14th as Advertising Week in DC. The proclamation application outlined industry facts on job creation, revenue and the importance of the advertising industry. Our purpose for the letter and the proclamation was two-fold: raise awareness of the industry at the local government level as well as raise awareness of the industry in the business community. Rock the Vote We started our education efforts by developing and hosting a professional development evening with Rock the Vote and our young professionals (Ad 2 DC). The event included a networking hour, a presentation by Rock the Vote’s VP Marketing and Communications, and a discussion with audience participation. The evening’s program explored the role young people can play in an election and the efforts Rock the Vote has embarked on to help ensure their participation. This program gave members of the DC Ad Club, as well as other industry professionals, the unique opportunity to gain insights into the minds of young people, such as their perceptions of politics and the election and issues young people consider important. It also provided thoughts on how these issues, and association with them via advertising during the campaign season, can have an impact on overall marketing efforts. All In: Digital Persuasion. Politics. The Presidency Our second education event brought together a political reporter, a digital strategist, and a political journalist. The panel focused on the broader reach of political campaigns by exploring the important role digital and social media would play in shaping the 2012 elections and mobilizing voters and advocates. The election has one day of sale and 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 102 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S with $2.2 billion spent to-date in the election cycle, we wanted to educate our audience to the fact that knowing how to connect with audiences can be the difference between winning and losing. ANA Law & Public Policy Conference Because of our efforts with the Advertising Week DC panel, we established a dialogue with our colleagues at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). One of their largest events in DC each year is their Law & Public Policy Conference. Attendees hear from the important regulators that influence the legal and political climate for advertising and marketing. Additionally, the slate of speakers from top law firms and leading client side marketers brought the latest insights on how to navigate the turbulent waters of our industry. We partnered with the ANA to promote the event to our membership via our bulletin and also shared with our social media contacts. Results: • Our Rock the Vote event drew over 30 attendees. The event was promoted by Capitol Communicator, Capital Business, Washington Networking Group, our website, the Ad 2 DC website, and via social media, our member bulletin and email blasts. In total, these efforts reached over 36,000. • The All In program was part of our greater Advertising Week DC line up. The session was sponsor by Real Clear Politics, who we gained as a first time sponsor of the week. The event was promoted and/or covered by Capital Communicator, PRSA, DMAW, Capital Business, City Biz List, The Washington Business Journal, Washington Networking Group, our website, and via social media, our member bulletin and email blasts to our database. Through those outlets we reached almost 60,000. Registrants for the day totaled over 170. The hashtag for the event, #ADWKDC, was mentioned in 1,746 tweets with a reach of 4.5 million impressions. 1,113 Facebook page views. And our Glossi page garnered 1,564 followers. • For the ANA event, we helped cross-promote the event to our membership and other database contacts (reach of 3,800). By partnering with the ANA on their event, we didn’t reinvent the wheel on a similar event and we were able to provide a more focused area of government programming to our members. Bulletins, Website & Reports At last year’s Advertising Week DC conference, we hosted a panel of the industry’s association top leaders (AAF, ANA, AMA, DMAW) who discussed relevant, overarching issues that each organization is addressing with government officials. Knowing the importance of these issues, we wanted to create ongoing conversations about changes to the issues this year and bring their attention to new ones affecting the industry. We also see providing this AAF information as a benefit of membership. We achieved this by writing articles in our member bulletin and holding policy discussions at our Board meetings. Results: Via our Member Bulletin and Board reports we kept the conversation going with our over 500 members. GET INVOLVED AAF Government Affairs Committee Calls Springing from our Advertising Week DC conference and the panel of industry leaders’ discussion, we wanted to ensure we kept our members abreast of any updates, changes or new political initiatives for the community and specifically for the AAF. To do so, we became active participants in the AAF’s Government Affairs Committee. Our involvement included participating in conference calls regarding current political issues, updating members on the topics at hand and signing on to important initiatives when possible. Industry Letter to the Department of Commerce To further our involvement, when the Government Affairs Committee discussed writing an organization-wide letter to the Department of Commerce on the ICANN issue, the DC Ad Club immediately signed on. We discussed the issue with our Board and informed our members via our member bulletin. Arlington County, VA B-Pol Tax Arlington County, VA had on the books a tax on pass-through media buy receipts—the Business, Professional and Occupancy Licensing (BPOL) tax. While the County had 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 103 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S lowered the tax in recent years, it still put agencies located in Arlington at a disadvantage in pricing. Because this issue is close to member agency LM&O Advertising—located in Arlington—they worked with the county for months to explain the disadvantage to agencies located in the county and also the disadvantage this unfair tax puts on the County when trying to recruit new business tenants. Results: • Our updates brought the attention of about 20 government affairs issues to our 500+ members. • The DC Ad Club was one of only 19 clubs, out of 200 chapters, to sign onto the Department of Commerce letter. By signing the industry letter, the DC Ad Club helped raise the level of concern surrounding the proposed guidelines. We educated our members, Executive Committee, and Board members to the issue thus raising awareness of the guidelines that could affect our member companies and their clients. • And LM&O’s efforts resulted in a successful vote by the County Commissioners on late Fall of 2012 to repeal the B-POL tax. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 104 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S DIVISION II: AAF OMAHA Legislative Monitors AAF Omaha has dedicated a board member position to the monitoring of current legislative activities as they pertain to its members. The individual monitoring legislative activities regularly reviews the AAF Smart Brief, the AAF Government Report and other industry publications. This year we have also subscribed to receive the Unicameral Update from the Unicameral Information Office in order to better monitor legislative activity pertaining to the advertising industry. Objectives: • Foster and solidify relationships with civic leaders and community partners. • Open lines of communication between government officials and key members of the advertising community on the local and state levels. As advocates for the rights of advertisers, AAF Omaha educates policymakers, the media and the general public on the value advertising brings to the well-being of our community. • Educate lawmakers about AAF Omaha and position the organization as the prominent advertising and marketing communications resource for elected officials. Throughout the year, members are notified of any legislative action that may affect them through email blasts, letter-writing campaigns and the AdMuse newsletter. AAF Government Reports, regulatory issues and legislative activities are posted to the AAF Omaha website on a regular basis. A link is also provided to the AAF Government Report archive. • Alert and inform our members about governmental issues affecting the advertising industry. Target Audiences: • State senators and members of the legislative body. Results: Accomplishments to date include another successful meet and greet with Nebraska State Senators scheduled for Tuesday February 19th, 2013 and increased communications to AAF Omaha members regarding national AAF legislative issues via our “Legislative Corner” column in AdMuse. • Local city government (i.e., judges, city council members, mayor and representatives). • AAF Omaha and AAF Lincoln members and member organizations. 2012 Legislative Meet & Greet The success of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Legislative events were the driving force for repeating the venue on March 30, 2012. AAF Omaha and AAF Lincoln teamed up again to plan the event. In hopes of gaining more attendance from Senators, this was a Meet and Greet Breakfast, a little change from our historical evening event. We were able to hold it in the State Capitol Building itself, encouraging more of Nebraska’s Legislators to attend since they are in the building already. Materials from AAF Omaha and AAF Lincoln were available for Senators. Results: The event was held at the State Capitol Building. Representatives from Both AAF Omaha and AAF Lincoln were in attendance to greet and meet with our legislators. Council Bluffs Business Roundtable On Thursday, February 7, 2013, Iowa Congressman Tom Latham held a Small Business Roundtable in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the needs of the business community during the 2013 Iowa Legislative session. More than 25 people attended, including representatives from AAF Omaha and various other businesses from the Council Bluffs area. Concerns addressed ranged from taxes to online business compliance. Results: AAF Omaha was asked by AAF to have a representative from our federation participated in the event. Lori Shields, a member of the Omaha Chapter of the American Advertising Federation, attended. Lori was able to speak directly with Congressman Latham sharing with him a fact sheet and discussing the benefits that the advertising industry brings to the state of Iowa. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 106 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S 2013 Legislative Meet & Greet Due to Legislative timing we were able to hold yet another Legislative Meet and Greet on Tuesday, February 19th from 5:30-7:30 at Billy’s in Lincoln. A combined group of AAF Omaha and AAF Lincoln Club members met with about 10 Nebraska State Senators to discuss issues regarding advertising and film-making in the state. A representative from the Nebraska Film Association and AAF members were there to discuss what the Senators can do to make it more financially feasible to companies to film more in the state, including commercials. Materials from AAF Omaha and AAF Lincoln were available for Senators. Results: The event was held at Billy’s Restaurant. About ten AAF representatives from both AAF Omaha and AAF Lincoln were in attendance to greet and meet with about 10 legislators. Pictures from the event are included. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 107 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S DIVISION III: AAF BATON ROUGE Introduction: Due to an unfortunate set of circumstances, our original Government Relations chair was unable to devote the time needed to the position and decided to step down shortly before the presidential election. The void created by the departure took shuffling on the board of directors part to fill the position, but we were able to recover quickly and still achieve the objectives established at the start of the club year. Operational Objectives: This year’s objective for the Government Relations committee will be in sync with that of the national Government Affairs committee: “protect and promote advertising at all levels of government through grassroots activities.” Our challenge is to take something that is more national in scope/focus and effectively generate interest on a local level. With that in mind, our objective for Government Relations is to improve our role as liaison to the national organization and raise the profile of the committee within AAFBR and with the business community in Baton Rouge. This includes taking the following actions during the next year: • Identify ways to educate membership on what AAF National is doing regarding issues related to governmental relations. • Identify and support a governmental-focused cause related to our industry that is local in focus. members about the Political MadMen talk that they were holding on campus on October 1, 2012. The talk featured Mark McKinnon (G.W. Bush’s 2000 & 2004 campaigns), Gerald Rafshoon (Carter’s 1976 & 1980 campaigns), Ray Strother (Hart’s 1984 & 1988) campaigns and Doug Bailey (Ford’s 1976 campaign). We included it on our website’s calendar of upcoming events in an eblast and promoted it through our Facebook page. “I Voted” Stickers Just days before the biggest presidential election in years, we encountered a big decision of our own when the current chair of our Government Relations committee resigned. Our club was able to pull together and think quickly to remedy the situation. At our November luncheon we reminded our members of the importance of voting in the upcoming election and provided an incentive to everyone in attendance with a sheet of originally designed “I Voted” stickers. Each member received 5 stickers to hand out to friends or coworkers that voted. We also encouraged members to post photos of their stickers after voting. Several members did just that by posting photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Get to Know AAF-BR Government Relations Due to the resignation of our Government Relations chair it was important to remind existing and new members that one of the integral roles of the American Advertising Federation is to monitor laws and regulations that may affect our industry locally and nationally. It was also important to inform our members of this duty so that they would have a better understanding on why we were going to be sharing this type of information with them that hadn’t been shared with them in the recent past. We used Facebook posts and a brief article in our eblast to explain our role in the club’s efforts. • Identify initiatives in state government that pose a threat to the well-being of our industry on a local level. • Identify avenues in which we could educate and involve members to be more involved in Government Relations. Membership Education A lot of our club’s activities center around education and we thought it would be a great benefit to our membership to hold a seminar on legal aspects affecting our industry. METHODS OF ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES Political MadMen Our first opportunity to achieve one of these goals presented itself just before the upcoming election. We assisted LSU’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs to help notify our To do this we partnered with Kean Miller, a Baton Rouge based law firm. As the areas largest full-service law firm with over 135 attorneys, they have a firm understanding of 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 109 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S the laws that would be of great importance to our members. They were also recently ranked as one of The National Law Journals 350 largest American firms. The event is tentatively planned for Thursday, May 8. The event will begin with cocktails and networking at 4:00pm followed by a seminar from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Kean Miller is fully sponsoring the event. The discussion will cover all aspects affecting the industry and include such topics as intellectual property, copyrights, trademarks, and social media legal issues. As an added benefit to our members we will not be charging admission thanks to the sponsorship of Kean Miller. Monitoring Local Issues At the start of the New Year we were alerted about a conflict in the tax code that would be of concern to our membership. At the time, builders of web sites and apps were considered as a provider of goods rather than a service. The contention of a local app developer was that this custom work was misclassified and should be considered a service and therefore non-taxable. The issue is ongoing and is still being monitored by our committee. Monitoring State Issues For the past several months there has been talk coming from Governor Bobby Jindal’s office to eliminate income tax in favor of broadening the sales tax to include services. As a service industry the issue concerns us directly and is one that has had the full attention of our club. Recently we’ve learned that there is a strong consideration being made by Governor Jindal to tax media advertising buys. It is a tax we strongly oppose and club President Hunter Territo stated the position of the club in the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s Daily Report that is emailed daily to over 18,000 people in Baton Rouge. In his quote, Territo goes on to say that that the tax would “have a negative impact not only on the advertising agencies in town but also on the overall economy—less advertising, less sales, fewer jobs.” Since the article was released, news of this possible tax has gone viral. AAF-BR has been contacted by numerous members as well as other Louisiana clubs to ask what AAFBR is doing about the situation. President Hunter Territo quickly reached out to Clark Rector, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs for AAF National. Becky Sadler, AAF-BR Membership Chair began fielding questions from our members and forming a coalition to gather together to fight the proposed tax. The news traveled so fast that it quickly spread throughout the state. Clark emailed AAF-BR with great materials to have on hand for our coalition meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13 at Lamar Advertising in Baton Rouge. Clark Rector sent out a state-wide alert to all Louisiana AAF members to inform everyone about the issue, even the Governor of District 7, A.J. Busé, showed his support on his Facebook page. President Hunter Territo emailed all of the board members to brief them on the subject as well inviting them all to the meeting to be held at Lamar Advertising. With the support of our membership, Becky Sadler was able to put together a strong committee to lead the industry meeting. AAF-BR member and industry veteran, Jeff Wright, put together an outline to serve as an action plan for the meeting. With the advertising community in Louisiana buzzing about the proposed tax, the Daily Report of Baton Rouge ran a second story, this time highlighting the coalition that is forming. We are expecting a high turn out for the meeting including Dan Claitor, a member of the Louisiana State Senate. We also expect local media outlets to give coverage of the event. Core members of the AAF-BR Executive Committee along with industry leaders in the state representing TV, Print, and Outdoor have a meeting scheduled with the Louisiana Department of Revenue for Wednesday, March 13, at 10:00am. The Louisiana clubs have formed a strong alliance to collectively fight this, and with the District and National resources that have been offered, we are confident that we will stop this tax from passing. RESULTS Despite the loss of our original Government Relations chair person we were able to achieve a number of our goals set forth at the beginning of the club year. We have kept our members informed through the use of social media and by our weekly eblast that is sent out to approximately 300 subscribers. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 110 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S Our “I voted” stickers proved to be a big success with a number of members sharing their photos across several different social platforms thus providing our club with some viral recognition on a local scale. The distribution of stickers by members among their coworkers was also a great way to market our club to non-members. We look forward to our spring program of networking and education at the Kean Miller Advertising Agency Legal seminar. Our planning is in full effect as we put together speaker information and collateral material for our members. By keeping up with local and state issues, we were able to quickly respond to a proposed tax that would have a significant negative impact on our industry by forming a strong coalition of industry leaders, AAF members and now potential members to stand together to fight it. It was also critical that local media outlets picked up the story to share with Louisianans, President Hunter Territo was invited to appear on the radio by President of the Louisiana Radio Network and morning talk show host, Jim Engster. The interview will take place after the coalition meeting. Most importantly, our stated position shows concern for more than the industry we help service. It highlights the negative impact that could be felt by the community. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 111 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S DIVISION IV: AAF JACKSON, MS The American Advertising Federation of Jackson, Mississippi, (AAF Jackson) is privileged to be located in the state capital. With the convenience of having so many legislative opportunities in our midst, it is easy to communicate with elected officials and get involved with state government and legislative activities. Therefore, our membership benefits from the numerous relationships the club has built over the years. We have found that the process of keeping abreast of all aspects of our government, and its effect on the advertising industry, is based on the personal relationships we have with elected officials and community leaders at all levels from national, state, and local offices. Our focused efforts to maintain these relationships have proven beneficial year after year. Our goals for the 2012-2013 club year remain similar to those of years past, because they have consistently proven to be successful. AAF Jackson’s Government Relations Goals: 1. Maintain communication with our members about legislative issues that are pertinent to our industry advertising with radio and television stations. The bill also would have restricted state agencies from placing print advertising. Not only would this bill have restricted our citizens of being educated about our state’s various services including college savings funds, public health issues, etc., it would have been UNFAIR to the very industries that have struggled to help our state with their advertising campaigns time and again. An email and phone call campaign targeted all Senators and the bill never reached the Senate floor for a vote. After the mad dash to keep Senate Bill 2736 from becoming law, AAF Jackson was thankful that the rest of the year was very calm and uneventful. AAF Jackson ensures that our members receive the AAF Governmental Reports, which are sent out every quarter. Other communication devices are AAF SmartBriefs and Interact as well as emails from AAF Government Affairs. We encourage our membership to subscribe to these services, as they are great sources of information on the national level. In addition, we utilize information from the Mississippi Economic Council to keep our members fully aware of matters affecting their businesses. Maggie frequently visits with our elected officials to be sure that all information we receive is accurate and that we hear it first-hand. Primary club communications vehicles include emails to the AAF Jackson membership reporting legislative information. Through the club’s e-newsletter and President Megan Harris Langley’s general emails, we encourage members to participate in the legislative process by contacting their representatives and share any pertinent information with the entire advertising industry. For the elections held here in 2012, voting reminders were sent out by our vice-president. 2. Support the activities of the club’s legislative representatives 3. Encourage membership involvement in legislative activities on national, state and local levels 4. Maintain established partnerships with organizations and develop new alliances Maintain Communication with Our Members About Legislative Issues that are Pertinent to Our Industry In the government relations arena, AAF Jackson is proud to have Maggie Clark as the AAF—District 7 government relations coordinator for Mississippi. Maggie has thorough knowledge of the legislative system and keeps the membership abreast of events on the local, state and national levels. Thanks to Maggie Clark and other AAF Jackson members, a potential threat to advertising in our State was killed before it could be voted on. Senate Bill 2736 was proposed that would restrict state agencies from expending state funds for AAF Jackson maintains thorough representation by our board members at the AAF district and national meetings and conferences to reinforce our awareness of decisions that affect us as employees, employers, and as an accumulative industry. There is no denying that open communication is a key factor in building a strong and viable organization. Therefore, AAF Jackson makes abundant efforts to maintain a strong presence in government relations. Support the Activities of the Club’s Legislative Representatives Our legislative coordinator, Maggie Clark, maintains a high level of trust with many national leaders as well as state and local leaders. Maggie often attends government conferences, 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 113 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S special legislative functions and many other local activities to gather the most accurate and timely information to report to our leadership and membership. She continually monitors governmental activity that might be of concern to the advertising industry. Our participation in these activities increases awareness and improves the image of AAF Jackson throughout the community. In addition, these events provide our members with further networking opportunities that could benefit their respective companies. Through continuous monitoring of legislative bills and AAF communications, we strive to keep our local membership current on events that might affect marketing and advertising for clients and businesses. Maintain Established Partnerships with Organizations and Develop New Alliances Because of our membership in the Mississippi Economic Council and our longstanding relationships with: the area Chambers, Better Business Bureau, the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters, and other AAF clubs in the state, AAF Jackson benefits from our involvement with a rich, diverse cross-section of professionals and other citizens. Many on our board and other AAF Jackson members are actively involved in our local and state organizations. For example, several of our members serve as board members for Production Services Association (PSA). Founded by one of our most illustrious past presidents, Tammy Smith, in 1999, PSA is an organization that offers print production professional development to its members. This small, yet high quality group meets monthly to exchange ideas and experiences furthermore learning new production techniques and practices. The Jackson area is very strong technically and is constantly making a favorable impression on people throughout the country. Organizations like PSA help us foster that excellent reputation. Encourage Membership Involvement in Legislative Activities on National, State and Local Levels AAF Jackson is a powerful voice in the advertising industry; however, we know we are even stronger when we combine those strengths with other organizations. The board members are well threaded through the industry, including civic boards throughout the city. We have capitalized on dual memberships in such groups as the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC), the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, as well as other chambers of commerce in the metro Jackson area. The MEC refers to itself as the “Voice of Business,” and links AAF Jackson with more than 9,000 business leaders in the state to help influence the legislative process. The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership provides AAF Jackson an additional entrée into the local business community. This alliance has already proven helpful in membership recruitment and provides us with many opportunities to become involved in local activities surrounding issues that affect the advertising community. Networking activities with elected officials are encouraged for all AAF Jackson members. Because Jackson is Mississippi’s capital city, we are afforded unique opportunities to participate in local events, legislative activities and issue-based forums. We have found that encouraging participation in these activities helps make our members better corporate and individual citizens by broadening their perspectives and increasing their personal knowledge of their individual influence. In addition to the previously mentioned events, because of our club’s relationship with Mission Mississippi, Past President Becky White and several members of AAF Jackson had the distinct pleasure of being invited to attend the 13th Annual Governor’s Prayer Luncheon. Over 800 people attended the luncheon to pray for the Governor Phil Bryant and Elected Leaders and hear an inspiring message or racial reconciliation. Other industry-related civic organizations that we partner include: the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Madison County Business League, Review Board of the Better Business Bureau, Rankin County Rotary Club and the Public Relations Association of Mississippi. These affiliations keep AAF Jackson informed about and involved in the government aspects of our communities and counties surrounding Jackson. Conclusion Through the efforts of our officers, board members and membership, AAF Jackson has spent many years developing productive relationships with members of city government, the Mississippi legislature, and our national delegation. We are proud that we are able to “work the system” if need be. These relationships will only help AAF Jackson function as a “Unifying Voice for Advertising” thus impacting our effectiveness as we strive “to protect and promote advertising at all levels of government through grassroots activities.” 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 114 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S DIVISION V: AD 2 TAMPA BAY Government Relations is the first and foremost reason the American Advertising Federation (AAF) was founded. As an AAF chapter, Ad 2 Tampa Bay seeks to protect and promote advertising at all levels of government through grassroots activities year after year. It is not always an easy task, but it is tremendously important. In recent years, our club has struggled to inspire our members’ interest in this core value. To most, it seems too big, intangible, or even irrelevant to their lives. This year we decided to change that. With the Republican National Convention coming to our own backyard for the Presidential election, we knew it was time to address the elephant in the room and finally show our members how exciting government relations can be. Goal: Inspire government-related interest and participation among our members by initiating favorable legislation, contributing to the defeat of adverse legislation, educating lawmakers, and promoting industry self-regulation. Increased interest will be gauged by overall event attendance, with a goal of increasing it by 25-percent. Starting Right, Now and House Bill 1351 Execution: Educating Lawmakers, Initiating Favorable Legislation Target Audience: Constituents of Tampa Bay, Local politicians Strategy: Use the power and influence of advertising to raise awareness of homelessness in our area and support local non-profit Starting Right, Now (SRN) in their push to pass HB 1351. gross impressions, hundreds of thousands of dollars donated, and multiple news stories across our area; all free of charge. Even Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn agreed to come out and support the organization at our fundraising event, “Restart Home.” Thanks in part to the mass education of our market and its politicians, SRN was able to pass Florida House Bill 1351, nicknamed “Sergio’s Law” after one of our campaign’s featured students. Signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott in April of 2012, it will help countless homeless youth in Florida obtain their birth certificates, ensuring a better chance at a happy life. Branding Tampa Bay at the Republican National Convention Execution: Educating Lawmakers, Promoting Industry Self-Regulation Target Audience: Ad 2 Tampa Bay Members and Potential Members Strategy: Harness the excitement and conversation about the RNC into something tangible for our members. Details & Tactics: It’s not every day a political convention comes to your city. We decided to use this opportunity to bring government relations right to our members’ doorstep by kicking off the 2012-2013 year with a panel of those responsible for bringing the RNC to life at our event, “AdTalks: Branding Tampa Bay.” In addition to promoting the panel via eBlast and social media platforms as usual, the event was even advertised on several local radio stations thanks to free PSAs leading up to the event. Moderated by an iconic local news radio personality, Jack Harris, the panel included: Details & Tactics: Since the ban on panhandling in a neighboring city, Tampa had seen a severe increase in the number of homeless within the city. An alarming number of those counted as homeless were children— most of whom were silently struggling in our own schools and workplaces, just trying to stay alive. Ad 2 Tampa Bay elected to help the issue by selecting SRN, a non-profit offering homeless students a revolutionary life change, as our Public Service client for the 2012 year. We created an empowering and educational advertising campaign for SRN that featured a number of their students across all media. The campaign earned more than 13 million • Jonathan Torres, Director of Digital and Integration of the RNC • Jordan Raynor, Client Director at Engage • Doug McClain, VP of Marketing and Communications at Tampa Bay & Company • Doug Pace, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Executive Board Member • Aileen Rodriguez, Director of Communications from the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee • Elisa DeGregorio, Senior VP, Operations & Strategic Direction of Tampa Bay Partnership 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 116 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S During the event, panelists discussed what hosting a national convention meant for our area, why it’s important to take advantage and get involved, and how Tampa Bay was marketed to the world. We also had our AdCast team on hand to cover it all with high quality production equipment and video editing software to later share with our members on YouTube and Facebook. (AdCast video available for viewing here: http://bit.ly/BrandingTB) The panel was so successful that we even received some great press coverage afterward. A journalist from the Tampa Bay Business Journal wrote an article focused on the lasting technology advancements the RNC would provide our area. With more than 75 attendees, additional news coverage, and 330+ YouTube views, “Branding Tampa Bay” was one of our most successful and popular events in club history! Ad Day in Tallahassee; Ad Day on the Hill Execution: Educating Lawmakers, Defeating Adverse Legislation, Promoting Industry Self-Regulation Target Audience: State and National Lawmakers Strategy: Protect the interests of our profession by bringing the message straight to the source while giving members an opportunity to do something big. Details & Tactics: Every year, Ad 2 Tampa Bay joins the rest of the chapters of the AAF 4th District in a mass convergence in Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, known as “Advertising Day.” This day is designed to form deeper relationships with government officials and let them know that we are a powerful lobbying organization that cares about legislation affecting our industry. Over the years, this event has become known to legislators throughout the capitol as an effective way for our industry professionals to protect and promote issues affecting the advertising community. In March, we protect our industry from healthcare reform repercussions. Money will need to be taken from somewhere in order for this reform to work, and we want lawmakers to know advertising creates demand, and demand creates jobs. Adverse legislation will only hurt the State in the end. Then in April, we continue our heritage of legislative trailblazing by having an Ad 2 Tampa Bay representative participate in the first ever Advertising Day on the Hill, a national AAF effort taking place in Washington, D.C. that was inspired by our District’s preceding efforts. Senators and Representatives will take notice when our members care enough to come meet and speak with them in person. A strong showing of the AAF grassroots will send a message that further underscores the positions being advocated. We hope to increase our attendance in Tallahassee by 50-percent over last year, and send at least one club member to D.C., despite the expensive nature of such a trip. We already have as many members as last year signed up for our Tallahassee initiative, with ample time to meet this year’s goal. We are continuing to talk to members about this opportunity in person, and will soon begin the conversation on our social media platforms. We will also seek to have our trip to D.C. covered by a local sponsor in order to offset the cost to our club. Knowledge Blast Execution: Promoting Industry Self-Regulation Target Audience: Ad 2 Tampa Bay Board of Directors, Members Strategy: Arm our members with enough digestible and relevant governmental education to pique a genuine interest in the issues. Details & Tactics: In order to really meet our goal, we knew we needed to keep the conversation going in between our other major events. Thus, our Legislative Director took it upon herself to keep the information coming on a regular basis. At our monthly board meetings, our Directors received a “Legislative Update” about numerous governmental issues relating to the advertising industry. These updates included a full explanation of the issue, the impact it would make, how to get involved, and where to learn more. We also made an effort to update our Legislative Blog more regularly. In previous years, our club averaged about one blog post per year. This year, we’ve been successful in posting once per month. Topics have included “Getting to Know Your Ballot” (which cleared up members’ confusion on issues on their 6-page ballots in November) and “Do These Brands Get Your Vote?” (a chronicle of how brands advertise during election season). 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 117 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S The club also hopes to instate a legislative update in our regular eBlast newsletters that reach our entire membership. These virtual updates will include a short brief on a current issue or happening, and a call to action to either learn more on our blog or get involved. Club Representation at the Republic National Convention Execution: Government Relations Director attended the RNC as an alternate delegate on behalf of Tampa and Ad 2 Tampa Bay. Through these efforts, Ad 2 Tampa Bay is confident we will reach our goal of inspiring government-related participation within our membership enough to gain a 25% increase in overall event attendance. To date, we are on track with more than a 30% increase and are actively seeking even more initiatives to exceed our goal! Target Audience: Tampa Bay market and Ad 2 Tampa Bay target audience Strategy: Send the Government Relations Director to the RNC with the task of sharing her experiences and thoughts with our board members and general membership via blogs and social media. Details & Tactics: Kathryn attended many events throughout the week the RNC was here, from The Daily Show to touring the Social Media Command Center to the main event. This allowed us to educate to our followers an inside scoop that they may otherwise not see. She even got to bring along some Ad 2 Tampa Bay Board Member friends! Results To recap, here’s what we have done this year: • Helped our Public Service client pass Florida House Bill 1351, “Sergio’s Law” • Hosted our first event of the year around the Republican National Convention (one of our most well-attended and publicized ever) • Introduced monthly “Legislative Updates” for board members with action steps they can take to get involved, as well as monthly updates on our Legislative Blog • Had representation at the largest event the Tampa Bay Area has ever hosted, the Republican National Convention. As well as laying the foundation to: • Increase our attendance to Advertising Day in Tallahassee by 50% • Send at least one club member to Advertising Day on the Hill in D.C. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 118 membership development div I: d i v II : A u s t i n A d v e r t i s i n g F e d e r at i o n AA F c l e v e l a n d d i v III : d i v I v: d i v v: aaf of the midlands aaf northeast tennessee ad 2 houston AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T In formulating a development strategy, we began by analyzing current membership by business type: DIVISION I: AUSTIN ADVERTISING FEDERATION Ad Agencies We began the 2012-13 year with 1,753 members. Our goal was to reach 2,000 by the end of our fiscal year in June. We passed that goal in February. But membership development is about more than numbers. It’s about providing real benefits to members. So we listened carefully to some member ‘tough love’ during “The Listening Tour,” and are working to improve our practice and better deliver the value proposition. 2012—2013 Goals Involvement 1. Member Feedback— Integrate findings and member comments from The Listening Tour. 2. Increase member participation (volunteers and overall attendance) by 25% from previous year. Recruitment 1. Continue to recruit ad agencies as our strongest category of membership. 2. Increase involvement by film and interactive companies. 3. Attract more media companies with the strong benefit of agency networking. Marketing/Communications 113 6.40% Students 103 5.88% Media 95 5.41% Miscellaneous 35 Printers 64 Professional 53 Ad Federation others 20 Web/Interactive 19 Film 15 Public Relations 3 • 114 potential film companies • 403 potential advertising agencies 5. Continue growth to exceed 2,000 members from levels of 1,753 in 2012 and 1,358 in 2011. Elevate awareness and communication of club benefits and value among existing members. 70.3% Our membership (1753 on June, 2012) was comprised largely of agency personnel (70.3%) with one agency comprising 23% of our total membership. As a result, the membership committee began steps to diversify our membership and target specific categories for growth. We identified 602 non-member companies in these areas: 4. Recruit 25 new volunteers to the club. Retention: 1233 • 70 potential interactive companies • 15 potential media companies We detailed our membership goals for the year by working closely with the Programs Committee to develop specific programs and communication to attract participation from these companies. We also incorporated key elements from our Listening Tour into the strategic plan. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 121 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T • Promote the brand and professional development value of participating in the ADDYs, plus the chance to “Meet the Judges” at a happy hour. INVOLVEMENT Member Feedback—Integrate Findings and Member Comments from “The Listening Tour” We conducted a “Listening Tour” as a way of evaluating the club’s perception among members and the ad community at large. We invited 17 member and non-member agencies and media companies to participate. We interviewed multiple people at seven of those companies. By keeping their responses anonymous and urging them to be brutally frank, we gathered telling and useful responses. • Discover members’ current perceptions of Austin Ad Fed. • Determine what people want and need from a Professional Association serving advertising, marketing, and PR and media professionals. • Determine what members want and need in order to attend Ad Fed events other than ADDYs or Big Wig Awards. Results: As can be seen in the detailed Listening Tour exhibits, the exercise provides valuable feedback from our members. Clearly, they are not impressed with our history of winning AAF Club of the Year and are telling us not to rest on our laurels. The survey results formed the framework for discussion at this year’s annual Board Retreat. The challenges are clear: we’ve got a lot of work to do in meeting the expectations of our bright, young, innovative and well informed membership. To help us in that process, we updated and discussed the club’s new vision statement, Powering the World’s Most Creative Minds, and mission statement: Unite. Challenge. Promote. Now our challenge is to meet their expectations. Increase Member Participation (Volunteers and Overall Attendance) by 25% In order to improve the value of membership and increase member participation, the Membership Committee worked closely with Programs and other committees to: • Begin planning the upcoming 3rd annual Hispanic Marketing Symposium, a remarkably successful event drawing 200-300 primarily Hispanic advertising/media guests in years past to hear nationally recognized speakers and break into facilitated discussion groups. • Promote Big Wigs nomination and the value of member-only voting. • Create new programs such as “Game That Shall not be Named due to Trademark Restrictions Fest,” as well as a “Media Day” event that is still being structured. Programs The Programs Committee worked diligently to compile a 2012-13 line-up of solid topics/speakers, including the ‘Nooner’ series to appeal to creatives, who are notoriously difficult to attract to events and regular events appealing to a diverse group of industry professionals. The goal, once again, was to support the overall initiative to create more industry diversity in our membership. Program calendars were pushed via email blasts and social media, while Membership distributed the calendar events and shared them via email during recruitment/renewal efforts. Listening Tour Goals: • Create/distribute a 2012-13 Event calendar. • Establish solid presenters for programs, such as the “McDonald’s Brand” event. Results: Attendance at lunch programs averaged a respectable 30-70 members/nonmembers. Additionally, our joint efforts and solid program lineup resulted in the club experiencing a surge in participation, email blast signups and new memberships. The ADDY Awards Participating in the ADDYs benefits members in a number of ways. The well-designed ADDY Winners Book provides more exposure to winners and sponsors. We invite member vendors to sponsor, with contributions recognized in campaign collateral, on our website (www.austinadfed.com), and during the awards show. Volunteers (members, students, and potential members alike) learn new skills, add award-winning work to their portfolios and develop valuable professional relationships. Members get a significant discount on entry fees and a great opportunity for professional development. Results: The preliminary results of this year’s ADDYs are measured by the following metrics: • Entries: stable at 518 vs. 524 in 2012, up 15% from 2011 • Entry Fee Income: stable at $40,689 vs. $41,765 in 2012, up 13% from 2011 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 122 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T • Ticket Sales: Expect to sell out show at 450 tickets. Added After Party to accommodate overflow. collateral and media to non-profit clients Austin Children’s Shelter, Texas Wildfire Relief, AustinProBono.org, Hill Country Ride for AIDS, and E4 Youth at the ADDYs. • Sponsorship Income: $20,250 cash sponsorships, up 17% from 2012 and 67% from 2011 RECRUITMENT • Net Revenue: to be determined, but tracking at ± $30,000, up 48% from 2011 The ADDYs continue to contribute to membership growth and involvement by elevating the Ad Fed brand while providing volunteer, networking and professional development opportunities to our members. Big Wigs Awards The annual Big Wigs Awards recognize the important contributions of our “unsung heroes”—vendors, suppliers, and media. The Big Wigs has a fun, casual costume-party feel, and is a huge hit with creatives and vendors alike. Event promotion included email blasts and social media. Nominees were called directly and encouraged to bring team members and supporters which led to 197 tickets sold up to the day of the event—a sellout success. Our members nominated nearly 200 of their peers and voted for 29 winners including the Silver Medal for Service to the Austin ad community. Results: Big Wigs sold out with 197 guests and netted $4,700 ($2,322 over last year), the largest profit in its history. Big Wigs promotes member involvement through the nomination and voting process, and rewards our most involved with well-deserved recognition from their peers. Public Service Campaigns Public Service projects are central to the Austin Ad Fed’s success. They provide meaningful volunteer opportunities to current and prospective members, help volunteers make new friends and establish enduring professional relationships, and allow students and professionals to build their portfolios and win professional recognition. Public Service also builds the Ad Fed brand and public profile by promoting the perception of advertising as one of Austin’s important creative industries contributing to the region’s prosperity and health. Results: In the past year dozens of member volunteers and companies produced pro-bono, ADDY-winning work and delivered tens of thousands of dollars worth of Continue to Recruit Ad Agencies as Our Strongest Category of Membership With a simple Yellow Pages search we identified 403 ad/marketing/specialty shops that are currently not associated with the Austin Ad Federation. With our attractive membership tier pricing established, we created personalized recruitment letters to reach these nonmember agencies. We also made phone calls and follow-up efforts. Face time with nonmembers was crucial, and the Committee attended all our lunch programs, happy hours, and other local professional organization events. Our intent was to turn conversion by personalizing relationships, pitching the club and opening the door for follow up calls/ emails to consistently remain on their radar. The team also encouraged potential and existing members to engage in the club’s social networking activities (Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter) to keep abreast of developments and upcoming events. Results: Since June of 2012 the number of agency memberships has increased nearly 2% from 1,233 to 1,254, and we are on pace to reach the 1,280 mark (64% of total) by the fiscal year closing. Increase Involvement by Film and Interactive Companies We discovered 184 non-member companies that were strong prospects in the Film and Interactive categories. We have only 35 members in a market that should support many more. Since they supply so many services to ad agencies, these two categories in Austin should have a strong interest in connecting with our agency base. We enlisted the same personalized approach to recruit this group. We created personalized recruitment letters to reach expired members. We followed the same strategy that we used with agencies: personal invites, face-time, and event/social networking with non-members in these business categories. Results: Film/Interactive memberships have increased 43% from 35 members to 50 and should double by the end of the fiscal year. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 123 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T Attract More Media Companies, with the Strong Benefit of Agency Networking Only about 5% of the Austin Advertising Federation is in the Media category. Several committee members have been associated with other advertising clubs throughout the country that were primarily media based, so we see this as a big opportunity to grow. Our plan is to create a stronger connection between agencies and media using events such as a Media Day and the Hispanic Marketing Symposium. During the process we will take care to prove to agencies that they are not going to be bombarded with “people trying to sell me stuff.” (See Listening Tour perceptions). By adding several media executives to our Membership committee, we can take advantage of their connections to encourage other organizations to participate and join. Once again, working from RSVP/sign-in logs, news announcements and peer leads, the Membership committee reached out with personal phone calls and email introduction letters that were developed specifically for this target audience. Relationships were established by consistent contact, reinforcement of membership benefits, inviting company staff to attend events, and encouragement to engage in the club’s social networking activities to keep abreast of developments and upcoming events. Results: Since the beginning of our fiscal year we secured $2,000 in TV station sponsorships plus an in-kind ADDY sponsorship ($5,000 value) from the print media side. The number of Media memberships increased 28% from 95 members to 122. This should put us on track to reach 150 by the end of the year and take this category up to 7.5% of our membership—a good start. Recruit 25 New Volunteers to the Club Providing meaningful volunteer opportunities is one of our most successful membership recruitment and retention tools. Our members feel engaged, make new friends and professional contacts, learn new skills, produce portfolio pieces, and earn the chance to win ADDYs while donating their skills to deserving non-profits. Many volunteers join after their experience working with fellow members. The Ad Fed homepage features a “Get Involved” header and our highly trafficked Jobline lists volunteer opportunities. The “Get Involved” button has a link to an online volunteer form, which is sent to several officers, including the volunteer coordinator, who contacts potential volunteers by phone and email. We maintain an Excel spread sheet listing volunteer skills and interests, contact info, contact history, and volunteer history. Results: We have at least 50 new volunteers on record, as University of Texas and Texas State students have stepped forward to help with “Holidazzle,” Big Wigs, ADDY judging, and the ADDY event. We expect to develop good relations with many more as we produce the Hispanic Marketing Symposium. Continue Growth to Exceed 2,000 Members from Levels of 1,753 in 2012 and 1,358 in 2011 Our overall goal this year is to exceed the 2,000 member milestone, as we continue to grow as a community and an organization. This represents a 12.4% year-to-year increase and over 32% growth since 2011. The Membership Committee and Programming Committee will continue to collaborate on ideas to generate more and better programs— the most important step in delivering value to members and recruiting new members. RETENTION Elevate Awareness and Communication of Club Benefits and Value Among Existing Members In order to preserve current members the committee conducts a monthly renewal campaign. We contact members a month prior to expiration via emails and phone calls. This is an opportunity to inform them of upcoming club activities and membership benefits. We worked with the HR Department of member agencies to update the list of members and email addresses. The club also conducted the “Listening Tour” to obtain feedback from members to address any issues, concerns, and praises to better meet member needs. The results were then presented at the Board of Directors Retreat and form the basis of all committee work going forward. The committee leverages renewal incentives to encourage expiring members to recommit. These incentives included a free lunch with renewal, membership discount packages, opportunity to speak at upcoming luncheons, and guerilla marketing opportunities for their company at luncheons and events. We continue to update the “What’s In It For You?” one-sheet, personal emails/calldowns, and social networking, the club was able to cost-effectively and efficiently communicate benefits and upcoming events targeted to our member subgroups— Students, Under 32 Professionals and Professionals. The benefits we spoke of included: 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 124 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T Results: Since June of 2012 attrition has decreased from approximately 6% to 4% as we continue to promote club benefits and value to existing members. By offering consistent and well-produced events, coupled with regular communication updates on membership benefits, industry news and volunteer opportunities, while also targeting specific sub-sections of the club (students, vendors, creatives, etc.), we’ve seen a surge in member participation over the last year. Statistics include: Students (Growth from 101 members to 126 members) • Internships, Intern Roundup Event • Portfolio reviews • Shadow Day • Scholarships • Student of the Semester competitions • Facebook fan page is now up to 1,083, up 29% from last year’s 840 members • NSAC competitions • Twitter followers are now at 1,317, up 31% from last year’s 1,003 followers • Student ADDY showcases • Volunteer opportunities • Distribution list has grown to 3,314. Average open rate for email campaigns have held steady, averaging 26%. • The website has over 51,600 site visits, over 20,400 unique visits and over 220,800 page views. We expect numbers to increase as we launch the new, improved website in May 2013. Ad2ATX, Under 32 Professionals (Growth from 152 members to 167) • Ad2ATX’s own website, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter pages • Ad2 members-only participation and events (Ad2bing web page) • Many social opportunities such as happy hours and pub crawls • Volunteer opportunities CONCLUSION Through collaboration with Ad Fed members and other committees, dedicated volunteers and many hours of determined work, the Membership Committee has achieved its goals. By all measures, we are on track to meet or exceed our goals for recruitment, retention, and involvement: club membership grew 16% from 1,753 to 2038 and will continue to grow throughout the remainder of the fiscal year. Professionals (Growth from 1,753 members to 2,038 members) • Reduced fees to attend programs, events, and workshops • Reports such as the 2011 Advertising Economic Impact Analysis • Educational and timely blogs featuring important industry issues • Free Job Line postings for members • Volunteer opportunities Total membership growth in all three segments: 16%, 1753 to 2038. We also distributed Austin Ad Fed business cards at happy hours, events and programs to drive traffic to our website to learn more about joining, membership benefits, event information. But more importantly, Membership has created a legacy by planting the seeds for future growth. In a city with several competing professional associations and fierce competition for media attention and accolades, the Austin Ad Fed has set itself apart with high caliber programs, events, public service campaigns, advertising education and effective communication. We will work hard in the coming year to live up to our new vision and mission statements, Powering the World’s Most Creative Minds and Unite. Challenge. Promote. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 125 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T • Tell a compelling story about AAF-CLE’s value through member testimonials on video. DIVISION II: AAF CLEVELAND • Develop a database of prospects and target campaign tactics to specific companies and individuals, ideally with messaging from someone they know in the organization. Since 1901, AAF-Cleveland has been the unifying voice for the Northeast Ohio communications and advertising industries. We exist to promote the vitality of the communications industry in Northeast Ohio bringing advertising, marketing, public relations, and sales professionals together to build networks and create business solutions. RECRUITMENT Goals: Research indicated significant untapped potential in Northeast Ohio for new members of AAF-Cleveland, especially large and small agencies, suppliers to agencies, and corporate marketers. AAF-Cleveland wanted to capitalize on this opportunity and make new member acquisition a primary objective in the 2012-2013 program year. AAF-CLE’s membership team developed a membership drive and campaign with the goal of adding 25 new individual members and two new corporate members between January 15 and March 31, 2013. Another goal was to engage the board and volunteers in membership outreach. Projects/Programs The AAF-CLE membership committee developed a comprehensive, multifaceted membership marketing strategy and membership campaign. The strategy included several recommendations which drove the campaign plan: • Develop a major membership drive from January through March to get the attention of prospects and make membership a priority and focus for the organization. This campaign should have an engaging creative theme, utilize multiple marketing channels, and feature a special offer to spur action. • Focus campaign creative on the AAF-Cleveland value proposition: “AAFCLE is the most dynamic, creative community of advertising and marketing professionals in Northeast Ohio, an unmatched source for ideas, education, contacts, and recognition. Membership helps you be more successful in advertising and marketing and boost your career and your business.” • Use social media, email, the AAF-CLE website, and club events as the primary marketing channels. The membership team built a customized, highly targeted prospect database of individuals at agencies, suppliers, corporate marketers, independent creative shops, large nonprofits, governments, and young professionals. Data included mailing addresses and emails. All board members were asked to submit names of colleagues and prospects to whom they would feel comfortable writing a personal message. The campaign also utilized AAF-CLE’s list of event attendees, lapsed members, and other prospects. Wyse Advertising generously provided the pro bono services of a professional creative team, led by creative director Lane Strauss and account supervisor Julie Telesz, who is a member of the Membership Committee and a club director. Wyse developed an engaging creative approach that had application in all media and campaign tactics and value and usability far beyond the campaign: If you’re hungry for fresh ideas…new contacts…more success…AAF-CLE is the place to Get FED! Wyse directed a photo shoot by a professional photographer to capture fun images of ad pros “eating” tools of the trade that symbolized key themes, such as a cell phone for contacts, pencils for graphic design, a light bulbs for ideas. The campaign had a compelling, high-value offer to attract attention, spur action, and encourage engagement upon becoming a member: Join during the campaign and receive two free luncheon tickets with your membership. In addition, all new members who join during the campaign were entered in a prize drawing for a grand prize to be awarded at the AAF-CLE April luncheon: A “Golden Ticket” for free admission to ALL AAF-CLE events for 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 127 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T Each lunchbox is labeled inside and out with the GetFED theme. Contents included GetFED candy bars, GetFED-labeled packets of hot chocolate, GetFED paper cups and napkins, and a GetFED squeezable stress toy shaped like a light bulb. A letter inside the box promotes the offer and an extra bonus: Two free pizzas for the organization that produces the most new members during the campaign. one year. The campaign included two direct mail postcards, 9 targeted email blasts, extensive social media usage on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube, AAF-Cleveland website, event marketing, newspaper advertising and a Corporate Prospect Lunchbox Blitz. The membership committee developed multiple high-visibility tactics to get attention and promote the campaign at club events: • The campaign launched at the January luncheon with table tents, a new floor-stand display, video testimonials, a promotion during the PowerPoint presentation prior to the speaker, an announcement at the podium, and large, colorful buttons worn by the committee and board featuring the campaign’s GetFED photography. • The ADDY Awards, the biggest event of the year, were a prime marketing opportunity, so the committee planned a major splash. The team purchased candy bars from a local chocolate company (at half-price because the company is a member), created a custom GetFED campaign wrapper for each candy bar, and used a professional model, who donated her services, to wear a “Golden Ticket” costume and pass out candy bars to attendees. Many board members helped the committee wrap candy. The video team also produced three humorous commercials with outtakes from the video testimonials to play during the show. • The March luncheon will feature more events, including a giant “Golden Ticket”, campaign posters, buttons, table tents, a podium announcement, video testimonials, and a second new permanent display, this one for a tabletop. • The campaign is being promoted in all other club events during the campaign timeframe, such as the ADDY Call for Entries and Young Professionals Chili Bowl. • A committee member from the Cleveland Plain Dealer secured multiple free insertions in the paper’s Deal of the Day ad series during the campaign and announcements in the paper’s email promotions. The Plain Dealer campaign produced millions of impressions and promoted the AAF-CLE website. • The final push of the campaign is a “blitz” where committee members will hand-deliver GetFED Lunchboxes to 25 top membership prospects. Volunteerism Our entire membership committee was made up of volunteers who spent numerous hours developing databases/mailing lists, creative ideas, collateral, and all other aspects of the campaign. Eighteen volunteer members of AAF-CLE from agencies, corporate marketers, vendors, and the media were videotaped. The videos were posted on the AAFCLE website and YouTube, shown at the ADDY Awards and luncheons, and featured in links in campaign emails, direct mail, and social media posts. The development of the collateral material was done by a number of volunteers at a local agency and the students who shot and edited the videos also volunteered their time away from their class work. In all, over 40 volunteers helped with the development and execution of this campaign. Member Feedback Feedback was monitored by our membership/campaign committee through follow-up phone calls and emails to new members gained through the campaign and to prospective members from the compiled database. Feedback was processed at membership committee and monthly board meetings. CLUB OPERATIONS The leadership of the club made a concerted effort to focus on membership development through the creation of a strategic membership plan. This plan along with the creation of a viable/working membership committee was the impetus for our membership campaign. Results As of March 12, 2013 the campaign has produced 25 new members and 2 new corporate members with two full weeks remaining in the campaign period, during which there will be a major splash at the March luncheon, two more emails, the “GetFed Lunchbox Blitz” 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 128 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T to top corporate member prospects, and a big push on social media. The campaign will end on March 31 and the Golden Ticket will be drawn at the April luncheon, offering yet another opportunity to create high visibility for membership. RETENTION Goals: The goal of our retention was quite simple: Retain as many members as possible. Projects/Programs Attaining our goal was more of a process than a program or project and the process started with ascertaining those who were 60 or more days behind on their dues. A handsigned letter from our Executive Director is sent to all late members before they are removed from the membership roles and turned over to the membership committee for further action. Each month, a membership report is generated showing new members and dropped members. All new members are contacted by a member of the membership committee while the dropped members (if updated contact information is available) are contacted by our VP of Membership. The e-commerce section of our website was updated to allow for members to pay their renewal dues online and that link is contained in the email which also has their invoice attached. This makes for an easier process of renewing and hopefully lessens the chance of the invoice being lost or forgotten about. We can also process new or renewed memberships at our events through a PayPal smartphone app. Volunteerism We have found that when members get more involved with the club, the chances a greater that they will renew their membership. With that being the case, AAF-Cleveland has added a membership testimonial page to our website as well as a list of committees with email links to the committee chairs. Our Young Professionals chair has designed a process to get our young professionals involved with each major committee. . Our scholarship program offers all scholarship applicants a free one-year membership and guides them to volunteer opportunities within the club. Our Executive Director has also developed a “student volunteer” program where local students can volunteer in the AAF-Cleveland office and become involved with committees, planning etc. Member Feedback The best way we know how to gather feedback in through face-to-face collaboration. When one of our corporate memberships come due, our Executive Director and VP of Membership (when able) meets with the corporate member to get feedback, ascertain needs and ask for a overall opinion of the club’s programs, events and value over the past year. These meetings have been invaluable to the club in determining which programs are working, which are not and how we can better meet the needs of our members. It’s also led to companies and their employees volunteering for a number of club-related projects. Club Operations Our “Get Fed” membership campaign is a direct result of our operational goal of membership growth, retention and involvement. It was designed so that it can be repeated in future years and the full membership strategy was created so that future membership committees will have a blueprint from which to work. Results Our retention rate has hovered around 75% which has been the case for the past few years. Many of these retention initiatives have only started in this past program year so our hope is that retention number will increase in years to come. INVOLVEMENT Goals: Another simple goal: Get more members and non-members involved in the numerous projects, programs and events hosted by AAF-Cleveland each year. Programs/Projects AAF-Cleveland has used its programs to encourage involvement in many ways. Our new member orientation allows for new members to meet and greet club staff, leaders and committee chairs. The AAF-Cleveland Education Foundation reached out to area colleges and universities for scholarship applicants as well as partnerships with professors. Two themes for our program year were “do one thing and do it well” and “no committees of one.” Each committee chair was strongly encouraged to reach out to the membership for new volunteers and allow them to take a leading role in planning 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 129 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T and execution. Our Executive Director attempts to meet personally with new members to inform them of volunteering opportunities and his welcome letter includes a pitch for getting involved. At most of our club events an announcement is made regarding opportunities to volunteer. All corporate members are given the opportunity to play a role in a major event. Recently, a meeting with a new corporate member led to them volunteering to produce video’s for our AAF-Cleveland Advertising Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Member Feedback Each of our committees is asked to conduct a “feed forward” session which allows them to gauge what worked and what did not. It also allows for member feedback which can be used in future endeavors. Our creative community has many good ideas and aren’t afraid to share them so it incumbent upon us to listen and when applicable, make them a part of our overall event structure. Results We have attained our goal! Each board member did one thing and did it well and for the first time in many years there were no committees of one. New members of the ADDY committee introduced many new ideas which resulted in 280 attendees at our awards event, new members of the Education Foundation aided in streamlining our scholarship application process and involvement from corporate members led to pro bono work on our membership campaign. We could offer more examples but it’s clear that our efforts surrounding member involvement have paid dividends and will continue to do so in the future. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 130 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T List of Events And Programs for the 2012-2013 Year: DIVISION III: AAF OF THE MIDLANDS • August 21: 2012-2013 Kick-Off event, featuring the Art Directors’ Art Show • September 11: Luncheon. Speaker: Henry Thomas, Marketing Director, Carolina Panthers “Sports Marketing” AAF of the Midlands’ membership has had an overwhelming 35 percent membership growth rate since 2011. While this growth has been exciting, it also brought challenges of retention and continuing growth. Understanding this challenge, the membership committee emphasized the membership experience, increased event attendance and met income budget goals. • October 4: “Life After Work” social at Tombo Grill • October 17: Luncheon. Speaker: Tim Cox, Director of Creative Strategy, Publix Supermarkets “Brand Development” • November 1: Oyster Roast Media and Lifestyle Auction Membership Goals: • Recruitment: Increase exposure to potential professional members and achieve 12 percent growth in new membership. • November 7: Student ADDY take-in day • Retention: Encourage current members to upgrade to corporate or gold membership levels (4 and 6 member commitments). Meet 2012-2013 membership income budget of $26,055. • December 10: “Life After Work” social at Goat Feathers • December 5: ADDY workshop program and lunch • January 9: ADDY take-in day • January 16: Luncheon. Speaker: Rob Wilson “Innovator’s toolbox” • Involvement: Increase luncheon attendance by 15 percent and encourage members to join a committee. • February 16: ADDY Awards gala: Reality TV-themed. Activities to Support Goal Achievement: AAF of the Midlands event experience was successfully heightened through diverse speakers, special events, improved communications, record keeping and online event and ticket management. Mid-year, we began to send out opinion surveys to analyze our performance at luncheons. In addition to luncheons, we offered after-hour networking events and special pro-grams such as our Oyster Roast Media and Lifestyle Auction and our “Reality TV”-themed ADDY Awards gala. The Oyster Roast Media and Lifestyle Auction was not only a great event for membership enjoyment, but nearly all media companies that were members donated packages for the media auction. Our agency and corporate company members ate up the discounts offered on the media auction and in total, we raised $8,000. The call for entries/invitations for the ADDY Awards gala were themed and a new ADDY gala website (which can be accessed from our website) was created to generate excitement among membership and to remind membership that they are entitled to discounts on both tickets and entries. • March 6: AAF South Carolina Legislation Reception • March 20: Luncheon. Speaker: Geoff Halselma, The Goodway Group, “Doing Digital Media Right” • April 17: Luncheon. Speaker: Stefan Mumaw, Creative Director of Callahan Creek Agency of Kansas City “Chasing the Monster Creative Idea” • May 15: Luncheon. Speaker: TBA Advancements in Membership Tools to Improve Membership Experience Because of AAF Midlands rapid growth over the past couple of years, registrations at lunch-eons were becoming cumbersome and lengthy. The club was also losing money every year due to inconsistent record and invoice keeping. In short, people were slipping in under the radar at luncheons and AAF Midlands was stuck with the bill. This year, we retained a new RSVP and event system, Eventbrite. Eventbrite automatically emails an attendee the day before the event with a reminder, cutting down on people who RSVP and forget to show up. Also Eventbrite allows for payment online. Most guests have 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 132 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T a chance to win an original piece of artwork by one of our members. Five members quickly re-joined that night and we even got a new member. We also offered discounted membership prices through October 21st to encourage members to renew early. paid online and thus quickened our registration line the day of the luncheon. Because of the attendee and record keeping systems on Eventbrite, we are able to keep accurate records and invoice companies as appropriate; this is cutting down on expenses that AAF Midlands should not incur. 4. We rewarded members at luncheons for membership referrals through drawings for free swag (t-shirts, lottery tickets) and luncheon passes for friends and colleagues. Considering our members’ responses we received at our May 2012 year end social, we decided to completely overhaul our AAF Midlands website into a tool our members would access frequently and find important. Launched in August 2012, aafmidlands.com was transformed into a user-friendly website including a scrolling feed, blog, Twitter and Facebook integration. The upgraded and user-friendly website encourages members to be informed and educated on the club’s events, efforts and accomplishments. 5. Since many members didn’t realize how many volunteer opportunities we offered and the variety of those committees, we increased our exposure by creating a huge poster of our committee descriptions that was displayed at all events along with applications to fill out. Members were encouraged to join committees and any new committee member that joined during an event was awarded a free AAF Midlands luncheon pass for a colleague/friend. With a website we could be proud of, we promoted the website to possible members through distribution of business cards with the web address written on them. These business cards were at all AAF Midlands functions on tables and check in tables for members to share and for non-members to pick up for more information. 6. We also increased our “Life After Work” after-hours networking socials, holding two “Life After Work” events this year and averaging 27 people in attendance. The networking opportunities in our “Life After Work” socials are an added benefit to our membership as well as being a great recruitment tool. The social is free to attend, offers discounted food and drink pricing and even door prizes. It makes for a great time with fellow marketing and advertising professionals. Our membership packets were also redesigned to coordinated with our new improved web-site. The design allowed the packets to be better organized, more user friendly with photos creating a personal connection. A benefits page was incorporated into the packet to remind members that membership is also national in scope and extends benefits beyond local programs and events. Improvements in Membership Touch Points/Rewards Everyone likes free swag and everyone likes to feel special: our members are no different. We utilized several approaches to “reward” and encourage members as well as give them some individual attention. This type of “reward structure” is designed to increase satisfaction with the end result being continued and involved membership. Membership Outreach: To expand our footprint, we wanted to better reach out to professionals that would be good AAF Midlands membership candidates. Listed below are the ways we accomplished this task. 1. We reached out to members by email on an individual basis to welcome new members and asked for feedback on programs and their general experiences. 2. We reached out to long-time members by email to express gratitude and to offer them committee participation opportunities. 3. For the first time, we rewarded members for joining membership early at our kick-off event. All new/renewed members were entered that night for 1. Prior to each luncheon, board members were asked to reach out to clients and associates that weren’t members but would enjoy the luncheon’s topic. An example of this was contacting the marketing director of University of South Carolina Athletics to come to the September luncheon featuring the Carolina Panthers’ marketing director (which actually lead to a new membership). This type of highly targeted invitations, increased our exposure, with the intention to gain new members. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 133 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T respective institutions. This scholarship strengthens our ties not only with the scholarship recipient but also increases awareness of AAF Midlands to a perfectly targeted demographic that will be embarking into the professional realm. 2. Board members were also asked to utilize social media to push events. We’ve increased Facebook likes by 24 percent and increased our Twitter followers by 49.75 percent over last year. 3. New name tags were created to designate Board Members, Members and Guests. Red name tags allowed guests to be easily recognized and welcomed. Board members were asked to particularly seek out these guests and engage them in conversation and as a personal introduction to AAF Midlands. 4. We utilized digital billboards in the Columbia-Metro area in August to reach out to potential members who may not have heard of us. With a daily effective circulation of 168,411 we were featured on four digital billboards for the four days leading up to our Kick Off event. We also created a future outdoor campaign titled “This Is The Club For You” which showcases various occupations and their relevance to our club which we plan to launch for the next membership drive. The health of a brand will always be in securing that future generations value the “brand”. Getting the youth to understand the AAF Midlands’ “brand” and what we stood for is no different. We increased the awareness within this group by: 1. Reaching out to the University of South Carolina’s largest segment of graduating advertising/PR students, the Student Advertising Federation. Our president spoke about securing jobs and the importance of networking and joining a professional group like AAF Mid-lands. Results (and Pavlov’s Dogs) AAF Midlands was able to reach goals of improved attendance and awareness, all while hitting, and then exceeding the budget for membership revenue. AAF Midlands successfully hit and then blew away our goal of 12 percent in new membership; our make up is 25% new members this year! Three companies stepped up and committed to larger memberships (one converting a four-person to a six-person membership and two converting from an individual to a four-person membership). Event attendance averaged 16.5 percent higher than last year overall and a 25 percent higher luncheon attendance. We exceeded our membership budget by $1,020 for a yearly total of $27,075. Improvements to our website and collateral have freshened our look and made information easier to find. The new website increased visits and page views. Returning visitors are up by 30 percent and average visit duration is up 25 percent, meaning members are using the website and staying longer. And as for membership rewards? Even Pavlov’s dogs had anticipation of rewards to come. It’s our hope, with all our new reward systems, we’ll keep our members “salivating” and coming back for more. 2. Sending two board members to participate on a Journalism and Mass Communications Professional panel at the University of South Carolina where they promoted the industry and the power of networking through AAF Midlands. 3. Creating and offering a “New Professional Scholarship” this year, which awards one student who graduates within the next year or has graduated within the past year to a free AAF Midlands membership. A press release was sent out to local media outlets. Also, every major college and university in South Carolina offering advertising and public relations majors was contacted for distribution of this scholarship in their 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 134 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T RECRUITMENT DIVISION V: AD 2 HOUSTON According to the Houston Chronicle, Houston’s creative community saw increases while other industries decreased. More people are employed in the local creative industry than the Texas Medical Center. Houston is home to many young advertising and marketing professionals, recent college graduates and students pursuant in related fields. Ad 2 Houston has a diverse population of 18-32 year olds who are actively seeking more opportunities to get involved in the advertising industry. Ad 2 Houston identified this group through their need for networking, skill development and industry education. This membership year we sought more ways to improve our role as a forum for budding communication professionals. We focused on three key areas to advance our organization: recruitment, retention and involvement. Recruitment • Increase membership by 10% • Expand the board committee by 10% Retention • Increase retention rate for current members Increase Membership By 10% Strategy: Collaborate with AAF Houston AAF–Houston gives discounted group memberships to companies who sign up through the Corporate Membership Program. By working together with our sister organization AAF, Ad 2 memberships were incorporated into the corporate membership level. The Corporate Sustainer level receives five Ad 2 memberships, Corporate Underwriter level receives three and Corporate Member level receives two. We recognized this incorporation as an opportunity to recruit more experienced young professionals into Ad 2 Houston. Our combined efforts yielded an opportunity for both organizations to increase memberships. Expand the Board Committee by 10% Strategy: Encourage Ad 2 Houston members to take active roles in the organization As our membership grew, it became apparent that more people were needed on the board in order to effectively run the organization. We approached active members and promoted our open leadership positions in Ad 2. According to the strengths of these members, we filled empty positions on the board. • Educate current members • Create valuable networking opportunities RETENTION • Connect with current members Retain Current Members Strategy: Early Bird Discounts Involvement • Provide exclusive volunteer opportunities for members of the club • Use social media to engage with members and the local ad community Towards the beginning of our membership year, we offered discounts for those who signed up or renewed early. In June we offered a discounted rate of $65 for a total savings of $15, in July memberships were offered at $70 and August was our final discount month at $75. We increased membership to the new standard rate of $80 in September. The decreasing discount method proved successful. Educate Current Members Strategy: Professional Development Series 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 136 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T In further effort to expand our member’s industry experience, we created our Professional Development Series. This series of offers gave members had a chance to look into local agencies and see how they operate. We helped our members explore the variety of opportunities within the companies in the communications industry. The program was free to current members. For each event we limited the number of reservations 30 people. This ensured that the attendees got the most out of their experience. Create Valuable Networking Opportunities Strategy: “Thirstday” Thursday Mixers Networking is an essential part of any professional’s career. Many students and young professionals, however, need a little help getting started. We hosted several Thirstday Mixers at popular local venues to create a more relaxed and fun environment for attendees to mingle. These mixers were not made exclusive to Ad 2 members and invitations were extended to the public and other organizations such as AAF–Houston, OIH and AAF at the University of Houston. Raffles became a popular way to get people engaged during our mixers and many people had a story to share after they won. Board members used the raffles as an opportunity to greet guests and encourage involvement. Connect With Current Members Strategy: Board Member Interaction To increase club loyalty we made making real connections with our current members a top priority. Through “membership spotlights” in our monthly newsletter, we were able to officially introduce new members of the club to the advertising community. Membership spotlights were a short professional biography highlighting a new or current member. The newsletter circulated at well-attended AAF–Houston luncheons, through our email database and from our social media outlets. This public introduction encouraged others to approach board members during events. We also released timely emails after networking events to contact current and potential members about topics relevant to the interests that we discussed with them. We not only followed up with event attendees, we also personally invited them to upcoming events. These connections helped encourage a more impactful and continued participation. INVOLVEMENT Volunteer Opportunities Strategy: Serve as a dedicated source of volunteers for the Houston advertising community AAF–Houston hosts and attends several major events throughout the year. These events were a huge opportunity for our members to make a big difference in our community and to start building lasting and trustworthy relationships with important individuals in it. Our members volunteered at the Trailblazer Award Gala, the Houston ADDY Awards and the monthly Creative Thought Leader Speaker Series luncheons. Our volunteers provided the support needed for proper event set-up, smooth check-ins, and quick takedowns. Members also attended the AAF–Houston, Ad 2, and Only in Houston table at the annual Holiday Houston Communications Alliance Mixer to provide information about all three organizations. Social Media Outreach Strategy: Use social media to reach out to the advertising community Much of our day-to-day communication efforts were focused on social media with Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as primary outlets. Social media is a large part of our target audience’s daily routine. We made posts to our Facebook and Twitter accounts on a daily basis. During local events we live tweeted to give the public a real time look into the Houston ad world. Twitter was also used to congratulate agencies on awards and accomplishments. Across all of our social media platforms we shared interesting and helpful articles relevant to the communications industry. We also cultivated engagement by asking our followers what they thought about different trends. The first step of primary importance in any young professional’s career is getting an entry-level position. In order to serve this need, we frequently post and retweet local job openings as and even had members share job openings on our networks. Companies even used our social media sites for recruitment, which made Ad 2 a valuable source for young communications job seekers. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 137 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : M E M B E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T Results At the beginning of the year Ad 2 board members sought new opportunities; working along with our sister organization, AAF–Houston, our membership was integrated into corporate membership levels. As a result, we increased our membership by 40%; 15 out of 31 members were acquired through dual memberships. In order to keep up with the demands of our new membership, more committee positions were created and filled. We reached a 33% growth of our Board Committee. We were also able to fill two key positions: Membership and Education. These two positions proved to be pivotal in reaching our membership goals for the year. Eight members took advantage of our early bird discount incentives. Many current members provided positive feedback to the discount program and expressed interest in a repeated discount method for the upcoming year. After many months of preparation, the organization launched its first installment of the Professional Development Series at ABC 13–KTRK TV. The tour had a total of 13 attendees including four non-members. In order to create valuable networking opportunities, Ad 2 Houston included eight member spotlights in the monthly newsletter. This also carried over to our mixers where efforts were made to create a more interactive networking experience as board members made it a personal goal to get to know each member. As a result of our club loyalty focus, we have increased the number of member-focused events as opposed to previous years. We also maintained an average attendance of 30 people per event. According to many news sources such as ABC and CNN, 80% of jobs are found through social networking. In order to provide for our member’s demands, we relied heavily on social media to find and post listings. Two members have stated that connections with Ad 2 helped them to get a job. Through methods of recruitment, retention and involvement, Ad 2 Houston achieved and exceeded its goals set out for the year. CONCLUSION At Ad 2 Houston, membership in the 2012-2013 year was very fruitful. Not only did we significantly increase the number of members, but also we cultivated many opportunities to engage them in the industry. In addition to increasing our numbers we also grew our board and increased our involvement in the local advertising community. We dedicated ourselves to providing meaningful experiences and advancing the careers of our members. Through that dedication we were able to successfully reach our goals for this membership year. In the upcoming term, we plan to continue to improve upon the programs and initiatives we implemented this year. In order to involve members and provide them with exclusive volunteer opportunities, we initiated relationships with industry leaders to provide these volunteers as well as creating events unique to our organization. Volunteer attendance for our events was as follows: • Trailblazer Award Gala—8 volunteers • The Houston ADDY Awards—15 volunteers • Holiday Houston Communications Alliance Mixer—7 volunteers • Bowl Your Ads Off—9 volunteers • Oyster Orgy—6 volunteers • Total—45 volunteers 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 138 programs div I: d i v II : div Iii: d i v i v: d i v v: AA F d a l l a s aaf omaha aaf east central indiana AA F f o r t h w o r t h Ad 2 dc AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S DIVISION I: AAF DALLAS Overall Goals: The Dallas area is fortunate to have a high population of ad agencies, toptier clients, and a robust vendor community to serve them. We needed to identify and develop specific events and programs that would bring value to this disparate group of members. In addition, Dallas has had significant growth of Digital agencies—new shops have sprung up and those who have been in business a few years are growing accounts and therefore, adding to staff. These digital professionals tend to join and engage with digital-focused ad clubs. We compete for their time and membership dues with the Social Media Club of Dallas, DFW Interactive Marketing Association, SEO Club of Dallas, Women in Wireless, Digital Dallas, and many others. Our opportunity for growth was to communicate our value proposition to this growing segment of the Dallas ad community and encourage them to engage with our organization. We established aggressive goals to meet as many of our members’ needs as possible: • Create a new Digital Integration Chair, responsible for building relationships with Digital agencies (members and prospects), identifying new sponsor dollars within the Digital vendor community, and creating positive outreach within the Digital ad clubs in Dallas. technology companies and other vendors to demonstrate their platforms, services and offerings. We held this portion of the event in the Penthouse meeting room at our venue rather than in the hallway leading into the ballroom to create engagement. We chose the topic based on not only the explosion of new technologies focused on hyper-local activity but because of the prevalence of smart phones and other mobile devices that are driving this particular industry trend. We wanted our panel to be balanced with technology vendors as well as agency representatives. The panel consisted of Steve Moynihan of JiWire, Shawn Gurn, Director of Digital Media at Moroch and Kevin Houldsworth, Mobile Specialist at The Weather Channel. The discussion was moderated by Steve Smith of Firehouse. Target Audience: Traditional and digital advertising professionals, marketers, students and the general public who want to learn how new advertising platforms are already shaking up our industry Method of Promotion: The event was promoted through our website, social media pages and email blasts. We also produced an agenda for the event which was provided at the tables. Total Attendance: 166 Feedback Mechanism: We introduced our monthly luncheon survey at this event and were very pleased with a 10% response rate. • Continue signature programs like Magazine Day, Cable Day, Emerging Technologies Showcase as well as hosting of select AAF 10th District events Results: With sponsorship sales from the trade show and luncheon combined representing over 50% of our total revenue, we were able to generate a net profit of $4,564. Survey results indicated that over half of the 166 attendees came because of the topic, and profits were up 9% YOY on this signature program. • Launch a Digital Roundtable series • Apply a fresh approach to Diversity and Multicultural Initiatives in our Programs SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS Third Annual “Emerging Technologies Showcase and Luncheon” September 11, 2012 Event Details: This extremely popular event geared to innovation in advertising has become one of our signature programs due to strong attendance and interactivity. This year’s theme was location-based technologies and hyper-local programs that activate and influence consumer behavior. The event began with a one-hour trade show for Social Media Marketing: What are the Future Factors for Success? January 15, 2013 Event Details: Previous surveys from our regular luncheon attendees indicated there was enormous demand for more programs on Social Media. And we knew this would be a great opportunity to attract and engage the Digital subset of our target audience. We wanted to make it as engaging as possible, so we introduced live tweeting to encourage the audience to ask questions throughout the discussion. With so many “talk head” 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 141 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S panel discussions on Social Media, we decided to use a different technique with our speakers. We secured John Lee, CEO of Digital Growth Strategies to interview Gabrielle de Papp, Vice President, Corporate Public Relations of Neiman Marcus. John expertly led her through a series of questions that allowed her to unveil Neiman’s story of how a brand that would seem to have the most to risk by giving up control of their messaging in social media has fully embraced it. She discussed strategy development, implementation and results, as well as issues often not discussed—the resources it takes to manage a successful Social Media strategy. Gabrielle shared how they identified and secured popular bloggers to produce organic, credible and engaging content for their customers. Target Audience: Traditional and digital advertising professionals, marketers, students and the general public who want to learn how big brands are utilizing social media marketing Method of Promotion: The event was promoted through our website, social media pages, and email blasts, as well as announcements at luncheons leading up to this event. We also produced an agenda for the event which was provided at the tables. Scott McLernon, Chief Revenue Officer for YuMe; and Laura Molen, EVP Network Sales and Marketing for Univision. The panel discussed topics such as multi-screen content distribution strategies; how they are leveraging viewer interaction via the “second screen” (i.e. Social Media); and the long overdue convergent measurement tools. Target Audience: Network executives and sales representatives from New York, Chicago and Dallas; traditional and digital advertising professionals, marketers, students and the general public who want to learn how Cable networks are transforming the video experience. Method of Promotion: We issued a “Save the Date” email to all Cable network sales offices in New York, Chicago and Dallas to ensure they would be available to support this annual event. It was also promoted through our website, social media pages, and email blasts, as well as announcements at luncheons leading up to this event. We also produced an agenda for the tables. Total Attendance: 294 Feedback Mechanism: Surveys distributed at each table Total Attendance: 132, up 27% YOY Feedback Mechanism: We had 30+ Tweets with questions; the audience Q&A session lasted much longer than normal; many stayed behind to speak with the presenter; several people thanked us on their way out. Results: This annual luncheon is typically one of our largest attended, and in 2012, we surpassed the previous year’s attendance by 30%. The number of sponsorships sold was up by 54%, and we made a net profit of $8,203 (driven by $11,000+ in gross sponsorship revenue)—our most profitable lunch of the year. Results: Our January luncheons are usually one of our lowest drawing, so we were extremely pleased with the attendance. We had a 12% response rate on survey submissions. 6th Annual Cable Day: Transforming the Video Experience November 13, 2012 Event Details: This year’s panel discussed how technology is impacting where/when/ how consumers view video content today. As was true at its inception six years ago, we continue to secure high-profile network executives from some of the leading Cable networks. This year, we added a speaker from the Digital Video space, given the rapid changes happening with “TV” content. Chris Smith, Creative Group Head for The Richards Group served as Moderator. The panelists included Linda Yaccarino, President of Advertising Sales for NBC Universal; Eric Johnson, EVP Multimedia Sales for ESPN; SPECIAL EVENTS Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame, AAF 10th District Event, Hosted by AAF Dallas, October 15, 2012 Event Details: AAF Dallas has had the honor of hosting the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for five years. We typically schedule this event in our normal monthly Luncheon venue, but in 2012, as luck would have it, that venue was unavailable on our date. We quickly scouted other options and secured Brookhaven Country Club, which was quite fortuitous because it served as a beautiful backdrop to an inspirational and motivating event. Six inductees were honored at this event: Norman 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 142 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Brinker (Dallas), Chuck Carlberg (Dallas), Bill Fogarty and Rich Klein (Houston), William Hill (Houston) and Tom Kalahar (Dallas). Each inductee was honored and recognized for their contributions to the advertising industry as well as in their local communities. Target Audience: Advertising professionals, marketers, past inductees, AAF 10th District members, and the families of the 2012 inductees. Method of Promotion: We issued a dedicated Press Release in June to announce the 2012 class. Background information on each inductee as well as highlights of their career and accomplishments was published on a dedicated website— www.southwestadvertisinghalloffame.com. It was also promoted through our website www.aafdallas.org and the 10th District website www.aaf10.org. We promoted it on the AAF Dallas and 10th District social media pages, and with email blasts. We made announcements about the upcoming induction ceremony at luncheons leading up to this event. A program guide was produced and provided at the tables; AAF Dallas sold 86% of the advertising. Total Attendance: 369 Feedback Mechanism: The attendees came from all over District 10 and many expressed how impressive the venue was, and the program, overall. The President of Camelot Strategic Marketing & Media (the agency owned by Inductee Tom Kalahar) thanked her employees for their strong support of the event and appreciated the vendor support in the community. Results: Attendance was up 83% YOY. Ad sales were up by 153%; of that, 86% were sold by AAF Dallas. 2013 AAF Dallas ADDYs Awards, February 20, 2013 Event Details: The ADDYs Awards program is the largest program we put on each year, and is our most anticipated event in the Dallas creative community. It is the most visible and effective product we’ve developed over time to showcase the breadth and depth of agency resources based in Dallas. Target Audience: This year, our co-chairs made it their goal to put Dallas on the map as a creative destination. As a part of that goal, it was their desire to open the award program to new agencies and businesses. In all, they were able to increase registered ADDY users by nearly 10% year over year, and with this year’s expanded base of digital categories, introduced our award show to a number of digital shops in the market. In all, 116 different representatives of agencies, client and universities from throughout the Dallas area registered for this year’s show. One of the biggest of those was The Richards Group. Known as one of Dallas’ largest local agencies, TRG had fallen off in terms of ADDY involvement in recent years. That changed this year thanks to the recruitment of The Richards Group as Agency of Record for the 2013 ADDY Awards. Method of Promotion: The Creative Team: Each year, we select a local agency to develop the ADDY theme and creative campaign to promote the entry process and the Gala. As mentioned above, The Richards Group is one of the largest and most prestigious full- service agencies in Dallas and the region, yet historically they have chosen other national and international competitions for showcasing their own work. We knew early on that we wanted to get them engaged with our brand, not only to benefit from their creative genius but to remind them of how special the ADDYs are. From there, not only would TRG produce a phenomenal ADDY campaign, but they would also eventually be recognized as the winner of Best of Show Television for one of the entries they may into this year’s show. The Richards Group delivered on what it had set out to do with this year’s campaign by delivering the overall premise for this year’s show. They nurtured it and cared for it. Eventually, the realization came to them. Ideas make us feel like they are our babies. We breathe life into them, nurture them and protect them—from internals and clients alike. If the ideas are our babies, the ADDYS are a baby pageant like no other. From that, the 2013 ADDY theme became “May the Best Babies Win”. They paid this idea off across a full spectrum of work—videos, posters, viral elements and fun “party” collateral. Call for Entries: It all started with a teaser campaign. The visual of a positive pregnancy test and the theme “Congratulations, You’re having an ADDY” was pushed out prior to a November 8th Call for Entries party to bring out the interest of potential competitors. On the day of the event, posters claiming “Congrats. You had a baby!” were hung throughout the evening’s venue, and everyone in attendance received wrapped chocolate cigars. Balloons promoting “It’s an integrated campaign” and “It’s a TV spot”, etc. adorned the Happy Hour venue. We launched via postings on social media, 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 143 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S continuing with the theme “Send Us Your Babies”. The team delivered similar posters to local agencies the next week. The campaign included a robust social media effort across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. On December 4th we issued a dedicated Press Release promoting The Richards Group theme and submission information. The Better Business Bureau promoted our Call for Entries in their newsletter, on their website and social media channels. As the deadline approached, we promoted the ADDY judges in email blasts along with a “Hurry, last day to enter” message. Judging: We recruited three world-renowned and respected Creative Directors to come to Dallas and judge the submissions. Hart Rusen is VP/Creative Director of Publicis Seattle and is known for his work on the T-Mobile campaign “Girl in the Pink Dress”. Michel Rothschild is SVP/Creative Director at Draftfcb Chicago and has worked on brands such as Quaker Oats, Dos Equis, MTV and McDonalds. Aimee Schier is an Emmy-Award winning creative director at CNN Digital. This stellar panel of judges reviewed 440 entries over three days. we held our kick-off Call for Entries Happy Hour. The party was promoted in email blasts leading up to the day of the Gala. Following the Show: We sent out an email blast the next morning thanking the community for “Helping Shine a Spotlight on Idea Baby Brilliance”. Total Attendance: 466 Feedback Mechanism: Press coverage, Twitter feed, immediate demand the next morning for the winner’s list (mostly by those not in attendance), and orders for extra trophies. Results: In all, 137 Gold, Silver and Bronze ADDYs were handed out to winners throughout the evening. We netted a profit of $36,000. Awards Show: We encouraged the ad community to attend our Gala through a series of email blasts and social media. Hummingbird Productions provided freshly produced music and audio for the evening. We were able to show off our market’s babies in a unique “baby mobile” like display because of our in-kind sponsor Skyline. Without the help of businesses like these, the show would have never been what it was able to become. Our host for the evening was Comedian David Jessup, and entertainment was provided by award-winning artist Tony Ramey. One of the most notable pieces of the evening was this year’s People’s choice awards. During our cocktail hour and the extent of our show, we provided, with the help of our sponsor Best Buzz, a mobile application that allowed our baby mommas and daddies the chance to vote for the best piece of creative that was on display at the show. After the show was over, we continued the Baby Pageant theme with our gift bags, handing out baby bottle-shaped boxes and “diaper bags”. We published a full list of winners in a show guide that was included in the gift bags as well as on our website. ADDY After Party: Immediately following the completion of the 2013 ADDY Awards, streaming audio provider Spotify sponsored our After Party at the Blackfriar Pub where 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 144 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Average Attendance: 50 (August AdBites surpassed the average attendance attracting 60 attendees) DIVISION II: AAF OMAHA 2012-2013 Program Overview: AAF Omaha’s mission is to support the professional advancement of all advertising, marketing and communication professionals in the Greater Omaha area through educational, social and community programs. The club’s programming goals are: Results: AAF Omaha accomplished its objective by surpassing the average attendance with minimal out-of-pocket expense. The audience enjoyed the video presentation and was engaged in the program. In addition, television networks sponsored the program, deferring costs for the organization. • Provide top-notch, engaging programs • Provide long-lasting benefits for personal and professional development for members and non members September AdBites Program Date: September 18, 2012 • Reflect the diverse mix of skill sets, ages, interests, expertise and professional roles of our audience in programming Speaker: Donna Kush, Assistant VP of Corporate Communications, Union Pacific Topic: Union Pacific 150th Year Anniversary Celebration Campaign • Retain program attendance from the 2011-2012 Event Description: In 2012, Union Pacific Railroad Company celebrated 150 years of business. The anniversary was celebrated nationwide by Union Pacific employees, train enthusiasts, businesses, and communities. Kush demonstrated how a well-organized campaign can bring diverse audiences together to celebrate. • Stay within budget, specifically by recruiting speakers at low or no cost August AdBites Program Date: August 21, 2012 Topic: 2012 Fall TV Programming Target Audience: AAF Omaha members, marketing professionals, advertising agency professionals, college students and professors. Event Description: Video presentation featuring new fall programming for NBC, CBS, ABC, CW, FOX and cable. This program was designed to give a preview of the upcoming fall television lineup. To make the event more fun, there was a drawing for a variety of prizes that were provided by the various TV networks. Method of Promotion: This AdBites program was promoted through an email invitation, regular reminder emails, the AAF Omaha website, and the AAF Omaha newsletter, AdMuse. It was promoted at August’s AdBites by a PowerPoint presentation and an announcement during the program. Target Audience: AAF Omaha members, specifically media buyers and planners Average Attendance: 50 (the September AdBites surpassed the average attendance) Method of Promotion: This AdBites program was promoted through an email invitation, regular reminder emails, the AAF Omaha website, and the AAF Omaha newsletter, AdMuse. It was also promoted at July’s AdBites by PowerPoint presentation and an announcement during the program. Results: AAF Omaha accomplished its objective by surpassing the average attendance. Also, by bringing in a local speaker with no speaker fees we were able to keep our expense at a minimum. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 146 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Additional Speakers: Twenty three speakers presented throughout the two days. October AdBites Program Date: October 16, 2012 Speaker: Laura Ries, author of the digital book, Visual Hammer Topic: Building Powerful Brands with Visuals Alone Event Description: Advertising isn’t working the way it used to and the noise level on social media is so high, it’s difficult to cut through the clutter. So what’s a marketing person suppose to do? Use a visual approach instead of a verbal one. Laura Ries explained how companies are building power brands with visuals alone. At the conclusion of the presentation, Ries gave away five copies of her digital book, Visual Hammer. Event Description: The Meet the Pros attendance and curriculum continues to be a strong and highly anticipated program. The two-day event features general session speakers, virtual agency tours, panel discussions, skill building breakout sessions and portfolio reviews. Portfolio reviews continue to be the most popular feature. Students have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with experienced professionals to have their portfolio’s constructively critiqued in preparation for a job interview. This year’s curriculum was designed to prepare students for the real world after graduation. Target Audience: • Regional college, university and trade school students in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Missouri Target Audience: AAF Omaha members, marketing professionals, advertising agency professionals, college students and professors. • Student Ad / Marketing / Public Relations Clubs • College and university professors and teachers Method of Promotion: This AdBites program was promoted through an email invitation, regular reminder emails, the AAF Omaha website, and the AAF Omaha newsletter, AdMuse. It was also promoted at September’s AdBites using a PowerPoint presentation and announcement during the program. • AAF Omaha members • Area advertising / marketing / public relations professionals Method of Promotion: Average Attendance: 50 (the October AdBites surpassed the average attendance) • Posters sent to college students throughout the region Results: AAF Omaha accomplished its objective by surpassing the average attendance. Also, in exchange for the opportunity to sell her books, the speaker reduced the speaker fees. • Email communications with professors and AAF Omaha members • The posters and emails drive the target audience to a branded webpage for more information and registration • Campus visits are also conducted to engage students in robust dialogue about Meet the Pros and the AAF Omaha Meet the Pros Program Date: February 11-12, 2013 Keynote Speakers: Clint! Runge of Archrival, was the Monday luncheon speaker and used work his agency has done for the City of Lincoln as a platform to discuss why we have a responsibility to make where we live awesome. Stefan Mumaw, Callahan Creek, led a Creative Bootcamp on Monday afternoon. In just 90-minutes he helped students improve the quality and quantity of their ideas. Finally, for the Tuesday luncheon, illustrative designer Von Glitschka showed why drawing is an incredibly important part of the creative process and challenged everyone to draw every day. • To further reach out to our target market, a Facebook group page and Facebook event page were established to assist in event communication, ongoing Meet the Pros news and provide a venue for industry dialogue Feedback: 2013 Meet the Pros was a rousing success, smashing the committee’s attendance and sponsorship goals. The event also fulfilled its profit responsibilities to AAF Omaha’s yearly budget. Most importantly, it was widely regarded as an incredibly 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 147 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S informative and successful event for the students. In fact, many college professors left the same feedback, “Best Meet the Pros I’ve ever attended.” Results: Meet the Pros connected 242 students and professors with area professionals during the two-day event, which represented a 40% increase over 2012 attendance. Students had the opportunity to network with other students, educators, and professionals, ultimately kick-starting their post-collegiate career on a creative note. More than 75 local professionals participated through the panel discussion, portfolio and resume reviews throughout the 2-day event. Local agencies and businesses provided over $4,000 in sponsorships, 17 job shadows, food, drink and prizes for attendees. They also surpassed budget goal, providing AAF Omaha with profit to fund other events and expenses throughout the year. Creative Boot Camp In conjunction with Meet the Pros, we kept Stefan Mumaw around for an evening just for professionals. The Creative Boot Camp was a 90-minute creativity crash course. Audience members were given a creative exercise to begin as their base. Stefan then elaborated on the key characteristics of daily creative output, identified the obstacles to effective creative training and broke down ideation into digestible steps, all the while using short, intheir-seats creative exercises to illuminate key points about behavior, experience and perspective. From serious creative inflection to comedy improv techniques, the audience was taken on a creative journey through practice, philosophy and application. At the end, attendees were administered one last creative exercise, their final exam. Audience members saw that they were able to generate ideas in greater quantity and quality after just 90 minutes of Creative Boot Camp. Objectives: • To provide ongoing, educational programming for professional development • To generate an additional source of income for the club • To utilize the program as a recruitment tool for new members and as an opportunity to earn back lapsed-member interest Target Audiences: • Current AAF Omaha members • Prospect databases • Any and all advertising professionals and students in the area Budget Recap: This Creative Boot Camp was held in conjunction with Meet the Pros, which allowed costs to remain low. The presenter, the rental space and the audio/visual needs were already available from the event held earlier in the day. The budget for Creative Boot Camp paid for half the costs of the presenters travel costs and lodging as well as the sodas provided to our attendees. Distribution Methods: • Email blasts with links to the AAF Omaha website • Promotion on AAF Omaha website events page and homepage • AdMuse newsletter promotion and promotion for upcoming luncheons at each luncheon • Direct personal emails to various advertising agencies in town encouraging their participation in the Boot Camp Results Achieved: As a brand new offering, the Creative Boot Camp was incredibly wellreceived. The attendance was higher than expected at 70 guests. Plus, the majority of attendees were non-members which gave us great exposure to help entice people to join. The response from the group was that they thoroughly enjoyed Stefan Mumaw and his approach to creativity. In addition, because it was held in conjunction with Meet the Pros which kept costs low, the Boot Camp was a great source of income for the club. 6 in 60 Each quarter, AAF Omaha hosts an After Hours professional development event. The program features six advertising and marketing professionals from all types of businesses from whom our members and guests can learn firsthand experiences and advice over a 60-minute period. • To educate the Omaha community on best practices in advertising 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 148 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Objectives: • To educate the Omaha community on best practices and trends in advertising. • To generate an additional source of income for the club. • To utilize the programs as a recruitment tool for new members and as an opportunity to earn back lapsed-member interest. Target Audiences: • Current AAF Omaha members • Prospect databases • Any and all advertising professionals and students in the area Budget Recap: “6 in 60” events do not generally cost money to host. A local restaurant, has allowed us to use their private space and audio/visual equipment at no cost. In addition, all speakers are volunteers and have given their time at no cost to AAF Omaha. Distribution Methods: • Email blasts with links to the AAF Omaha website • Promotion on AAF Omaha website events page and homepage • AdMuse newsletter promotion Results Achieved: Two events have been completed to date—one in October and one in January. AAF Omaha plans to have another this spring and one in the summer. For the October event, six area advertising professionals discussed the topic of “Is your marketing smart enough for smart phones?” Each presenter works in mobile marketing from mobile sites and applications to QR codes, analytics and multi-screens. Attendance was 35 guests. For the January event, a couple speakers pulled out at the last minute, and we had four presenters speak on the topic of “The differences between agency-side and client-side marketing.” Two presenters had a background being on the client-side, one had experience in various agencies and one had been on both sides throughout his career. Attendance was 29 guests. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 149 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S 4. Obtain member feedback to determine if we are meeting member needs. DIVISION III: AAF EAST CENTRAL INDIANA Result: Members were surveyed after every meeting to determine satisfaction, and during the 2012 membership survey, programs ranked second behind networking as the reason most retained their memberships. Strategic Planning to Establish Goals: The American Advertising Federation of East Central Indiana (AAF ECI) began its club year with a Board of Directors retreat in July 2012, when the group reviewed results of its goals from the previous year and formulated goals and strategies for 2012-2013. Using results from a series of documents from 2012, including the year’s Membership Survey, Budget results, program surveys from monthly club meetings, Mission statement, and By-laws, we developed our 2012-2013 goals. After being approved by the board, these goals were communicated to our members via our website (aafeci.org), our Viewpoint e-newsletter and our first annual club meeting (September 2012). 5. Maintain fee to attend our professional development programs at the same rate charged the last five years—members, $15 and guests, $20. Result: By maintaining the fee we increased meeting attendance by 19%, from 63 per meeting in 2011-2012 to 83 in 2012-2013. 6. Schedule speakers that offer value to memberships and helps to increase membership by 10% Result: Our membership held steady at 107 members for the second straight year. 2011-2014 Programs Goal: To focus on excellence through quality programming to foster an active, interested membership, well attended programs and membership growth. 7. Offer a program targeted to diversity in advertising to reach minority businesses and professionals. Result: In March 2013, AAF ECI will hold a program on Multicultural Advertising with speaker Jo Muse, Muse Advertising. 2012-2013 Programs Objectives: 1. Engage at least 50% of our membership through involvement in an AAF ECI committee. Result: 2012-2013 member participation was 41% 2. Offer seven extraordinary professional development programs that focus on innovative trends in advertising and provide value to members and prospective members. Result: AAF ECI offered its members seven well-received programs including former Apple Executive Steve Chazin (September), LinkedIn/ Social Media expert Kevin Knebl (October), and Marketing/Sales expert Kent Dean (January). 3. Increase membership attendance by 5% (our average meeting attendance for 2011-2012 was 63 members per month) for the seven professional development programs. Result: 2012-2013 attendance at monthly professional development meetings increased to 19% to an average of 83 members per meeting. Targeted Audiences: The primary target audiences for all monthly programs consist of current and former members; professionals in the advertising, communications, public relations and marketing industries; student, staff and faculty of Ball State University; small business owners; marketing and public relations staff of non-profit organizations, and Minority business owners. Method of Promotion: The AAF ECI Communications committee is responsible for the promotion of all programs through social media vehicles including Facebook and Twitter, as well as traditional media. New releases were sent to area newspapers, radio stations, community website calendars throughout the region. Releases were also posted on our website (aafeci.org) and our e-newsletter—Viewpoint—kept members, students and prospective members informed of upcoming events. We were also dependent on event sponsors who underwrote our programing. We received $20,000 in program sponsorship for 2012-2013. Feedback Mechanism: A written evaluation is available at all monthly professional development programs and special events. Members and guests are encouraged to 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 151 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S complete surveys at the end of each program meeting and they are now in the habit of doing so. More than one-half of those attending our professional development programs complete the written survey. Survey results are e-mailed to board members within a week of the meeting. They are also reviewed a second time, at the next board meeting. Particular consideration is given to member suggestions and recommendations. TOP THREE PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL PROGRAM Sept. 14, 2012, “The 5 Secrets of the World’s Best Marketing Machine” —Steve Chazin Event Details: Former Apple Marketing Exec Steve Chazin described how Apple leveraged little known secrets to go from the brink of bankruptcy to changing the way the world experiences music, movies, applications and the web. 98% of participants surveyed enjoyed Chazin’s presentation. Although the program ended 20 minutes late, all but four of the meeting’s 114 attendees stayed until its completion. Target Audience and Methods of Promotion: In addition to the methods described on page 3, board members promoted this event by attending a special Chamber of Commerce Breakfast called “Muncie On The Move” and gave out 100 apples with the date and time of the program, had a billboard donated by Burkhart, a local outdoor company, advertised in the Muncie Star-Press newspaper, had radio spots donated and run by five local radio stations and gave away free t-shirts to the first 100 people to make reservations to the program. Our group also sold opportunity tickets for a prize of a free Bose docking station and iPod Touch. “It will be hard to beat this program.” “Nice job guys! Continue to book such interesting and inspiring speakers.” Oct. 12, 2012, “Social Media for Huge Success”—Kevin Knebl Event Details: International Speaker and co-author of The Social Media Sales Revolution: The New Rules for Finding Customers, Building Relationships, and Closing More Sales Through Online Networking revealed how using social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter could help local business professionals and businesses build relationships, awareness and sales. 98% of participants surveyed enjoyed Knebl’s presentation. Target Audience and Methods of Promotion: The AAF ECI Communications committee promoted this program through social media vehicles including Facebook and Twitter, as well as traditional media. New releases were sent to area newspapers, radio stations, and community website calendars throughout the region. Releases were also posted on our website (aafeci.org) and our e-newsletter—Viewpoint—kept members, students and prospective members updated of this event. Attendance: Attendance at the luncheon was 72, a 10% increase over the October 2011 meeting. This included 66 members and 6 guests. Feedback: Survey results verified satisfaction with 100% responding that the program was informative and interesting; 97% said the speaker held their attention; 100% said the atmosphere was friendly and fun and 100% said the meeting met their expectations. Results: There was no negative feedback among those surveyed. Comments included: “I normally don’t take notes but I certainly at this meeting!!!” Attendance: Attendance at the luncheon was 114, a 43% increase over the September 2011 meeting. This included 81 members and 33 guests. Feedback: Survey results verified satisfaction with 99% responding that the program was informative and interesting; 97% said the speaker held their attention; 96% said the atmosphere was friendly and fun and 98% said the meeting met their expectations. Results: There was definitely a lot of positive feedback regarding the meeting. Survey comments included the following: “I can’t wait to get back to work to tell my boss what I learned.” Jan. 11, 2012, “From Personality to Profitability”—Kent Dean Event Details: Kent Dean, Director of Field Marketing/Corporate Communications for 32 Rosa’s Restaurants in Texas and California, walked the audience through a personality assessment designed to help people easily recognize personality types and better execute successful communications. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 152 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Feedback: While our chapter will not survey members on the ADDYs until our March 14 meeting, we received a record number of entries (201 up from 160 the previous year), and revenues of $12,195. 93% of attendees at this program completed surveys; ranking the program at 99.7% Target Audience and Methods of Promotion: See Program #2 for details. Attendance: Attendance at the luncheon was 74, a 10% increase over the January 2011 meeting. Results: We have also received several e-mail testimonials praising the event including the following: Feedback: Survey results verified satisfaction with 100% responding that the program was informative and interesting; 100% said the speaker held their attention; 99% said the atmosphere was friendly and fun and 100% said the meeting met their expectations. “…I have been to a few of these in my job with Burkhart Advertising and this year’s award ceremony was by far the most interactive and the most enjoyable to be a part of. The “Rock the Addy’s” theme created ways for the members to become personally involved which added to the atmosphere and interaction among competing businesses. Fun was had by all and I commend you for the efforts. I can’t wait to see what we do next year.” Results: This is the second meeting this year where there was no negative feedback among those surveyed. Comments included praise like: “I’m glad the PowerPoint will be posted so our HR Vice President can view it.” —Joe Cielinski, Sales Manager, Burkhart Advertising “Glad you included membership application in the folder you gave me at checkin. I’m filling out the application now. I want to be a part of this organization.” PROGRAMS SUMMARY Feb. 23, 2013, “AAF ECI Rock the ADDYs” Awards Banquet Event Details: AAF ECI held its annual ADDY Awards banquet “Rock The ADDYs” at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie, IN. Attendees were encourage to dress up as rock or pop stars. Target Audience and Methods of Promotion: In additional to the promotional methods used for other programs detailed above, AAF ECI began brainstorming the 2013 ADDY’s in November of 2012. Once the theme, “Rock the ADDY’s,” was finalized, promotion immediately ensued with an email sent to all club members. The emails continued weekly until the event with a different decade of music portrayed each time. Along with the stream of email blasts, collateral materials were featured at each speaking event, such as posters, table tents, table fliers and verbal announcements. In order to ensure student involvement, professional club members attended a student chapter meeting to spread the word, along with email blasts and collateral materials. AAF ECI had a tremendous program year. We kicked off our year with a speaker that drew 114 and increased our meeting attendance by 19%. In addition to our attendance increase, our members praised our programming, often commenting on how relevant the speaker’ topics were and the insights they gained bay attending. We also experienced one of our most successful ADDY programs ever. We believe that this extremely successful year has left our membership not only proud to be a part of AAF ECI, but excited about the organization and that this excitement will serve as a springboard to a more active membership, that is eager to insure this organization remains successful. Attendance: Attendance at the event was 130 up from 115 last year. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 153 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Board members reported progress on each of their committee’s goals at monthly board meetings. DIVISION IV: AAF FORT WORTH Opening Statement and Overview: The recession of 2010-2011 left an impact on all those who it affected in and out of the advertising realm. Whether it was loss of jobs or company cut backs on spending, it caused a great deal of concern for every dollar that was spent and how it was to be spent. In 2011-2012, AAF-Fort Worth began to see an increase in participation from not only the advertising community, but other closelyrelated industries. Agencies and industry partners were picking up the pace and getting back on track. For 2012-2013, we continued to ramp up our online efforts and work hard to reach out through social media channels. We also took a look at the speakers and topics we were bringing in, and made sure we were bringing in a variety of speakers about various topics that appeal to different targets within agencies, the creative community and supporting industries. Target Audience: The target audience for AAF-Fort Worth programs includes our membership base, professionals in communications, marketing and advertising industries, staff and students from Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Arlington, University of North Texas, Art Institute of Fort Worth, small business owners, and corporate and non-profit marketers. Methods of Promotion: Cvent: AAF-Fort Worth uses Cvent as our exclusive invitation, reminder and tracking device for all programs. We can also receive, track payments and print name tags through Cvent. Each program is e-mailed to about 2,000 e-mail addresses weekly up until the day before the event. We also send out an email the morning of the event as a reminder. AAF-Fort Worth Website: The AAF-Fort Worth Website (www.aaffortworth. com) underwent a major facelift in 2011. The new layout allows us to showcase the current events/luncheon programs on the home page in a large promo area. There is also a calendar of events listing on the home page as well as an “Events” tab in the top navigation that lists the monthly luncheons and other programs. Every page includes a link to register for events. Programming Objectives: American Advertising Federation—Fort Worth (AAF-FW) is an organization of advertising professionals with a common goal—to encourage and enhance the education and advancement of the advertising community in Fort Worth. The AAF-Fort Worth Board met at our summer retreat to work on the goals of all aspects of the club. The 2012-2013 goals of the club’s programming were: Social Media: AAF-Fort Worth employs Facebook and Twitter (@ AAFFortWorth) to promote our monthly programs. We have an official hashtag for all AAF-FW events (#AAFFW). We currently have 551 fans on Facebook and 1,161 followers on Twitter. • Work on membership to help drive up our attendance at luncheons and special events • Continue having luncheon speakers that do not charge a speaking fee to help save on costs for our club • Target programs for perspective member groups and diverse audiences • Come up with inexpensive and creative events for our members to be a part of and bring potential new members • Work with other local organizations to gain attendees and build stronger working relationships between similar organizations (PRSA, Social Media Club, AIGA, DSVC, etc.) FEATURED PROGRAMS August 15, 2012: 2012 Magazine Day Event Details: Our Annual Magazine Day featured speaker Bob Sacks, a veteran of the publishing industry since 1970. Sacks was one of the founding fathers of High Times Magazine and has held positions that include Publisher, Editor, Freelance Writer, Director of Manufacturing and Distribution, Senior Sales Manager, Circulator, Chief 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 155 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S of Operations, Pressman, Cameraman, Lecturer, and Developer of website companies. His resume lists directorships at such prestigious companies as McCall’s, Time Inc., New York Times Magazine Group, International Paper, Ziff-Davis, CMP, and Bill Communications (VNU). based on her own experiences and countless interviews with her peers, gives the full stories, from the junior account man whose wife almost left him when she found the copy of Screw magazine he’d used to find “a date” for a client, to the Ogilvy & Mather’s annual Boat Ride, a sex-and-booze filled orgy, from which it was said no virgin ever returned intact. Target Audience: AAF-Fort Worth members, marketing professionals, social media professionals, small businesses, advertising agency professionals, college students and professors, and magazine professionals. Wickedly funny and full of juicy inside information, Mad Women tackles some of the tougher issues of the era, such as unequal pay, rampant, jaw-dropping sexism, and the difficult choice many women faced between motherhood and their careers. Methods of Promotion: This month’s luncheon was promoted through Cvent, AAFFort Worth Website, Press Releases, Facebook and Twitter. Target Audience: AAF-Fort Worth members, marketing professionals, social media professionals, small businesses, advertising agency professionals, college students and professors and media. Attendance: Average attendance is 63. The August luncheon had an attendance of 96. Feedback: Feedback is tracked through Facebook and Twitter comments, all were positive. Results: This program stepped out of the comfort zone a little and brought interesting insights into the publishing industry. Our attendance exceeded our expectations and this event met our goal of bringing in outside speakers with great information and increasing our luncheon attendance numbers. September 19, 2012: Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the Sixties and Beyond Event Details: Jane Maas is one of the most respected names in advertising. She is best known for her direction of the “I Love New York” campaign, which changed the image of New York City and revitalized its tourism economy. Maas is a real-life “Peggy Olson” and in her book, she reveals what life was like as an ad woman on Madison Avenue in the 60s & 70s. Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the Sixties and Beyond is an immensely entertaining and bittersweet memoir. It’s a tell-all account of life in the New York advertising world by Jane Maas, a copywriter who succeeded in the primarily male jungle depicted in the hit show Mad Men. Fans of Mad Men have been dying to know how accurate it is: was there really that much sex at the office? Were there really three-martini lunches? Were women really second-class citizens? Maas says the answer to all three questions is unequivocally “yes.” Her book, Methods of Promotion: This month’s luncheon was promoted through Cvent, AAFFort Worth Website, Press Releases, Facebook and Twitter. Attendance: Average attendance is 63. The September luncheon had 90 attendees registered with an actual attendance of a little over 100. Feedback: Feedback is tracked through Facebook and Twitter comments, all were positive. Results: This program was well received and loved by many members. Response was that she was one of the best speakers we have had at a luncheon in the most recent years. Jane Maas was very entertaining and answered any questions attendees had, even the hard ones. We worked with Barnes & Noble on setting up a table to sell her books and she autographed every book sold during the luncheon. January 16, 2013: Everything You Know About Social Media is Wrong Event Details: Two local social media thought leaders debunked some of the latest social media myths such as: Only young people are on social media. Social media doesn’t work for B2B companies. The fans of my page see everything I post. Target Audience: AAF-Fort Worth members, marketing professionals, social media professionals, small businesses, advertising agency professionals, college students and professors and media. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 156 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Methods of Promotion: This month’s luncheon was promoted through Cvent, AAFFort Worth Website, Facebook and Twitter. Attendance: Average attendance is 63. The January luncheon had an attendance of 77. Feedback: Feedback was tracked through Facebook and Twitter responses, which were all positive. Results: Ryan Cormier and Chip Hanna discussed the business of social media—from turning your customers into a community, to turning your community into customers. Many smaller companies that do not have social media departments benefited from hearing these guys speak. We have also added them both to the District Speakers Book and other organizations have invited them to speak locally after attending our luncheon. February 22, 2013: 2013 ADDY Awards Event Details: Everyone was encouraged to bring their A-Game to celebrate creative excellence in our community and find out who won the ultimate bonus round—the Best of Show ADDY. In order to allow for more attendees this year, we switched venues, which allowed us to also save money on the total cost of the Gala. This year we struggled with getting sponsors, but by saving on the venue and some other additions, we still came out ahead. We also selected a well-known caterer in DFW to help attract more people after food complaints last year. We added a silent auction this year to raise money for our club to be used for programs. In addition, we allowed attendees to purchase VIP tables for a premium price to help make extra money for the club. Target Audience: AAF-Fort Worth members, marketing professionals, social media professionals, small businesses, advertising agency professionals, industry vendors, college students and professors, and media. Methods of Promotion: The Gala was promoted through several different Cvent messages, AAF-Fort Worth Website, Facebook and Twitter. Attendance: Attendance for this event was at 301. Feedback: Feedback was tracked through follow up calls, a post-event survey as well as Facebook and Twitter comments. All were positive. Results: The new venue and caterer were a smashing success based on the feedback we have received so far. We made an extra $800 on the VIP tables. The Silent Auction brought in almost $2,500, without even publicizing it ahead of time. Both of these additions really helped balance out our shortfall on Gala sponsors. October 6, 2012: 6th Annual Beatles Benefit Bash Event Details: AAF-Fort Worth hosted its sixth annual Benefit Bash on the covered patio at Flying Saucer in support of PMR Charity. A local Beatles cover band A Hard Days Night rocked the house and the response was fantastic by members and onlookers alike. 100% of net proceeds from this event go to PMR Charity. Target Audience: AAF-Fort Worth members and all of District 10, marketing professionals, advertising agency professionals, college students and professors, media, vendors and fans of the Beatles. Methods of Promotion: This event was promoted through Cvent, AAF-Fort Worth Website, posters, flyers, Press Releases, Facebook and Twitter. Attendance: The event had an attendance of AAF members and patrons from the restaurant, which totaled 147 people. Feedback: The response to the event was fantastic. Each year we have returning attendees and new faces as well. People seem to still love hearing the band we have been using and the venue is perfect for this type of event. Overall it was a huge success. Results: We achieved our goal of raising a great amount of money for PMR Charity and broadening the awareness of the work they do for people. T-shirt and poster sales, along with tickets, allowed AAF-Fort Worth to make a donation to PMR Charity that totaled $3,795.00. The response was fantastic and we can’t wait to get started on preparing for next year’s event. December 12, 2012: Paint a Bowl & Feed the Hungry Event Details: Each year volunteer painters—professional and amateur alike—paint bisque bowls for the Tarrant Area Food Bank’s “Empty Bowls” fund raising event in February. Last year they raised enough for 1,250,000 meals from this event alone. The AAF-Fort Worth board decided this would be a fun event that would reach out to a 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 157 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S different audience than our standard monthly luncheons. Event was held at a professional potter’s studio. Space was limited to 20 people (17 years of age or older). Target Audience: AAF-Fort Worth members, artists, vendors, art directors, advertising agency professionals, college students and professors. Methods of Promotion: This event was promoted through Cvent, AAF-Fort Worth Website, Facebook and Twitter. Attendance: Attendance for this event was at max capacity of 20. Feedback: Feedback was tracked through follow up calls, a post-event survey as well as Facebook and Twitter comments. All were positive. Results: With it being a goal of AAF-Fort Worth to be more involved in the community and reach out to creatives, this event definitely helped develop a stronger relationship between AAF-Fort Worth and the creative community while helping out an organization/ event that plays such an important role in our local community. Another painting night was even added to the schedule for January 9, 2013 and it sold out as well. CONCLUSION AAF-Fort Worth has made programs the focal point of the organization. We recognize that quality programming will be the central force of the club and in developing a strong membership. This focus has brought a renewed energy to our monthly luncheon and evening events and led us to find new ways to keep the membership involved and interested. Growing our membership and engaging members is an ongoing effort. By giving our members more to work with and providing knowledge that they can take with them to help their businesses grow, we have continued to see success at our monthly luncheons and evening events. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 158 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Goal 3: Secure high-profile speakers for programs scheduled throughout the year to: DIVISION V: AD 2 DC • Enhance the value of Ad 2 DC to prospective and current members. Strong programming and events continues to attract prospective members and retain current ones. In its fourth year, Ad 2 DC continued to provide high quality programs to our members at a low cost. Our events have continued to garner us a reputation as the premiere organization for young professionals in the advertising, marketing and communications industry is the DC metro area. Within the past 12 months, Ad 2 DC has gained 71 new members and hosted over 15 programs and events. Although much of this success can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of the entire committee, our success would not have been possible without the excellent programs and sponsorship opportunities our Steering Committee members nurtured and produced. This year, we chose challenging goals that would sustain the momentum we’ve gained over the past four years and increase the quality of the organization as a whole. Our goals for the 20122013 year were as follows: Goal 1: Plan, manage and execute at least one sold out program by: • Consistently hosting programs that are free to members and charging a nominal fee to non-members. • Partnering with various industry-niche organizations for additional exposure and to show the benefits of Ad 2 DC to our current members. • Continuing to provide high caliber programs for our prospective and current members. Goal 2: Enhance the value of potential sponsorships by creating events that are in line with potential sponsor goals by: • Producing events that serve as effective vehicles to generate buzz among young professionals in the industry. • Maintaining the level of brand integrity achieved from the past four years of strong programs. • Increasing overall attendance at programs. • Attract sponsorships for programs to cover costs of space rental, food and drinks to lower ticket prices. • Continue to increase positive awareness of Ad 2 DC within the industry. We had a number of events planned through 2012-2013 that increased brand awareness and resulted in increased membership. Our signature events are Water Cooler Wednesday (WCW) and Tips & Tricks Series. WCW is a free happy hour for young professionals in the advertising, marketing and communications industry to network with other like-minded people. Our Tips & Tricks series is our advertising education program that provides interesting topics to all ages of Ad 2 DC to help with professional development. Tips & Tricks programs are always free to members and $15 for nonmembers. We developed this pricing structure to increase the value of our membership. While we won’t discuss all our programs for the year, we do want to share materials from a few. The following is a review of our three most successful programs. Political Marketing: An Evening with Rock the Vote Ad 2 DC hosted a political marketing event, An Evening with Rock the Vote on April 11, 2012 to educate our members on how to turn a mundane topic, such as politics, into a successful campaign. Our guest speaker, Chrissy Faessen, Vice President Communications & Marketing at Rock the Vote, presented a range of successful strategies to drive action towards a nonpartisan issue—low young voter turnout. Faessen discussed that one of the key successes of Rock the Vote’s campaigns is having a solid understanding of its target audience—adults ages 18-29. As a non-profit organization, it has strategically partnered with companies that resonate with young voters—such as Viacom/MTV, celebrity pop icons and grassroots street teams— and have the influential power to encourage young adults to take part in their civic duties. The event also reviewed Rock the Vote’s innovative online, mobile and social media tactics to simplify the voter registration process and further improve turnout for 2012. With 2012 being a presidential election year, Rock the Vote had big marketing plans to exceed young voter turnout from the last major election. Faessen unveiled its mobile 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 160 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S strategies to have young adults easily register to vote through their phones at big pop culture events around the country, primarily concerts and SXSW. Despite politics being historically a low-interest topic for young adults, Rock the Vote has successfully increased young voter turnout each year. Our speaker gave our attendees ideas on how to think outside the box to reach the right audiences with creative messages. Target Audience: Ad 2 DC and DC Ad Club members as well as other professionals in our industry. Method of Promotion: We leveraged Rock the Vote’s brand in our creative promotional materials. As a well-known brand in the DC area, we wanted to highlight the organization to draw a large crowd. We promoted the event through e-blasts, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blog entries and our website. Attendance: 30 people were in attendance. Feedback Mechanism: We collected feedback through social media (Facebook and Twitter) and word of mouth at the end of the event. Results: Prospective and current members were really impressed with the speaker and her presentation. They felt the program was very educational and learned a lot about the importance of doing thorough market research to understand target audiences. One must know its audience well in order to create good messages that resonate with them and drive them to take action. Faessen was a very engaging presenter and many attendees stayed up to an hour past the 2-hour event to speak one-on-one with her. March Water Cooler Wednesday, sponsored by Hulu Water Cooler Wednesday (WCW) is a strong event brand and flagship program that we’ve built over the past four years. It has become a model that other Ad 2 clubs have followed to develop their own programs. This past year, Ad 2 DC wanted to continue to use WCW as a vehicle to expand our membership base and add valuable content to our attendees by increasing brand awareness of this networking happy hour through high-profile sponsorships. It’s a great introductory event for prospective members. WCW gives new members the ability to talk with the Steering Committee chairs oneon-one to learn more on how they can get involved. From month to month, at least 40% of attendees are prospective members and each WCW this past year averaged five student attendees. This allows us to showcase what Ad 2 DC has to offer and provides us an opportunity to turn prospects into members. The event also creates an appealing sponsorship opportunity for businesses on a local, national and even international level. This year, we’ve also seen an increase in overall attendance—specifically in students. In March 2012, we continued the positive momentum generated by our popular February WCW sponsored by ESPN, which attracted over 100 attendees. This time, we developed a new strategic partnership with the internationally successful online video streaming and subscription service, Hulu. In both cases, these widely known and respected brands initially reached out to Ad 2 DC to inquire about potential sponsorship and collaboration opportunities. Over 100 of DC’s young professionals enjoyed complimentary drinks and appetizers, and were entered into a raffle drawing for the chance to win a Roku. The event was held at BlackFinn Saloon in Washington, DC and was so successful that the BlackFinn has invited us to book WCW in their venue as often as we would like. We are currently speaking with Hulu to sponsor another event in 2013. Throughout the year, we’ve also co-hosted with several organizations such as the What’s Next DC Conference, Social Media Club DC and AIGA. Target Audience: Our audience was composed of 21-32 year olds in the advertising, marketing, communications and public relations industry. It also included those in the DC metro area and students interested in learning more about Ad 2 DC. Method of Promotion: We kept the creative consistent from month to month to drive brand recognition. When there was a big sponsor, such as Hulu, we incorporated its logo into the email banner. Also, whenever we had a special presentation, such as an end-ofthe-year recap or a public service campaign launch, we’d add a twist to the creative. These events are heavily promoted via social media. Through joint efforts, both Ad 2 DC and the sponsoring organization promoted the event through social media. Additionally, we promoted through e-blasts, posts on our website and on community calendars. Our goals were to reach a much larger audience outside of our organization and to increase buzz around the program. Attendance: 100 attendees; the average attendance for WCW is 50. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 161 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Feedback Mechanism: Feedback was collected through social media (Facebook and Twitter), word of mouth and emails to the Ad 2 DC email address. Feedback will also be collected in our yearly member survey. Results: This was arguably one of our most successful WCWs to date. We more than doubled our average event attendance and increased our Facebook “Likes” and Twitter followers. These events actively contributed to our addition of 71 new members this past year. Both national sponsors listed above reached out to us due to the high success rate of these programs. The email promoting the March WCW sponsored by hulu had the highest open rate (19.7%) and click-through rate (4.53%) of all WCW emails sent out this past year. DCWEEK: The (Anti)Social Network For the second year, Ad 2 DC hosted an event during DCWEEK, a weeklong festival of hundreds of events powered by the community that is attended by over 10,000 people annually. To stand out in the crowd, Ad 2 DC partnered with a growing creative digital agency in DC, BRINKmedia, who hosted, sponsored and provided a moderator (their Executive Vice President) for the event. With the ever-changing landscape of the web and social media as a focal point, the panel discussed what makes “good” content for the web, how users expectations have changed, and how to measure effectiveness of messaging through social media. To conclude the event, the panelists discussed how social media is a career tool, what employers expect from young professionals when it comes to their online presence, and what harm it can potentially do. Target Audience: Local industry professionals of all levels, particularly with an interest in social media. Methods of Promotion: New creative was developed for this program to mention that the event was part of DCWEEK. We promoted the event on DCWEEK’s website, through social media (using DCWEEK, BRINK and Ad 2 DC accounts) and e-blasts to our mailing list. Due to a high response rate on this event, we closed registration early, however we continued to promote via social media and encouraged people to attend as there may be standing room available. Attendance: Over 80 people registered; 73% were non-members. Feedback Mechanisms: Feedback on the event was collected through social media, word of mouth and emails to the club. In our annual survey, we ask feedback for each event. Results: This event sold out within two days of posting, resulting in high attendance of nonmembers. Due to the high volume of registrations, we only deployed one email as we had to close registration. This email received the highest open and click-through rates of all program emails we sent the past year, with 23.8% and 5.7% respectively. With the partnership of a growing agency in DC and a well-known community industry event, we were able to expose attendees to Ad 2 DC’s great programming. This event was also executed at no-cost to Ad 2 DC; BRINKmedia coordinated the catering with a local restaurant. Mad Memoirs Storytelling was a hot trend in the DC area this year and Ad 2 DC was looking to develop a new program. Every agency has its fair share of horror stories; why not have them share their favorite and add a bit of competition to it? Our programs chair conceptualized Mad Memoirs—Horror Stories from Behind Agency Walls. Mad Memoirs featured local agencies who shared their most horrifying story and competed for the Golden Tongue Award. To offset costs and be able to host the event free for members, the programs committee sought out an event sponsor and secured, Spongecell. The sponsor was also a judge of the storytelling competition. We secured “storytellers” from Bates Creative Group, SmithGifford, LM&O Advertising, and Borenstein Group. Stories ranged from a phone left on after a client call was completed to a cast member on a video shoot not being able to formulate a simple line. The judges debated then awarded the Golden Tongue award to Karen Riordan at SmithGifford for her conference call gone wrong. Target Audience: Our target audience was split into two groups—agency veterans interested in exchanging “horror stories” with old friends and the young professionals entering the agency world. Method of Promotion: Our Creative committee developed the tag line and a logo for e-blast, and imagery for social media promotions. To build excitement around the event, promotions consisted of social media posts, e-blasts, and a branded cover photo on Facebook. Attendance: 68 people were in attendance. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 162 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P R O G R A M S Feedback Mechanism: Feedback was collected through our social media (blog, Facebook and Twitter), word of mouth and emails to the Ad 2 DC email address. We also featured a post-event write up on our blog. Feedback will also be collected in our yearly member survey. Results: Our first storytelling event was a huge success. We had a great turnout that was a mixture of our various membership levels. Having Spongecell as the title sponsor— which was worth $2500—allowed for members to attend at no cost. Spongecell will also be sponsoring an upcoming WCW. This event was our most profitable event of the year, resulting in over $1500 in revenue and 279 impressions on Facebook, the most for any Ad 2 DC Facebook post this past year. CONCLUSION As identified in the narrative above, Ad 2 DC has continued to achieve great success through programs in the past year. Consistent strategic partnerships have expanded our prospect base to result in the addition of 71 new members over the previous year. New sponsorships and the addition of several high-profile speakers to program discussion panels have allowed us to provide more to attendees and enhance our value to both prospective and current sponsors and members. We continually fill the rooms for our events and attendees consistently express their enjoyment of them. We were able to channel this positive momentum to help us generate $6,600 in sponsorships, 38% above our original goal for the year. By providing a high quality level of programming, Ad 2 DC continues to reinforce its place in the DC advertising, communications and marketing industry as the premiere organization for young professionals. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 163 public service div I: d i v II : A u s t i n A d v e r t i s i n g F e d e r at i o n aaf omaha d i v III : d i v I v: d i v v: a a f b at o n r o u g e AA F E C o a s t ad 2 honolulu AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E Target Audience: General public, ACS clients and support community, Ad Fed members. DIVISION I: AUSTIN ADVERTISING FEDERATION Public Service projects are central to the Austin Ad Fed’s success. They provide meaningful volunteer opportunities to current and prospective members, help volunteers make new friends and establish enduring professional relationships, and allow students and professionals to build their portfolios and win professional recognition. Public Service also builds the Ad Fed brand and public profile by promoting the perception of advertising as one of Austin’s important creative industries contributing to the region’s prosperity and health. Media/Materials Used: Design and photography for print and online/pdf annual report, video. Public Service Goals for 2012-2013 1. Select and work with ad agency/photographer/film-maker for new public service client Austin Children’s Shelter. Results: ADDY Award winning collateral produced for deserving non-profit. Existing Ad Fed member relationships strengthened through collaboration on joint project. Ad Fed members’ brands are elevated through pro-bono donations. 2. Promote public service/advertising education client E4 Youth at the ADDY Awards. E4 Youth Interns introduced at the ADDY Awards Promote E4 Youth at the ADDY Awards and elevate the ADDY mission by exposing guests to worthy pro-bono opportunities. 3. Produce events in support of non-profit DreamFund and program, “Marketing for Small Biz 101” . 4. Continue billboard exposure of member-generated creative supporting the Red Cross’s Central Texas Wildfire Relief efforts. Audience: ADDY guests, Ad Fed members and friends 5. Continue development of AustinProBono.org, an online “matching service” for non-profits and creatives who want to Do. Good. Work. Execution/Tactics: Every year the Austin ADDYs features one of our educational or public service clients as a way to elevate the ADDYs to something more than “just an awards show”. The Ad Fed supports E4 Youth—a successful program working with minority and at-risk Austin high school students exploring advertising and media as career paths. Directed by former Ad Fed VP Diversity Carl Settles, it is a model program with active and diverse support community. 6. Secure new creative agency and continue support for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS. 7. Provide meaningful volunteer opportunities to Ad Fed members wanting to make new friends, learn new skills, build the portfolio, and earn professional honors. Austin Children’s Shelter Annual Report and Promotional Video Long-time Ad Fed professional and personal networks led to an easy solution for the Austin Children’s Shelter’s marketing needs. Goals: Leverage existing Ad Fed relationships to provide marketing support to client. Execution/Tactics: When the Austin Children’s Shelter looked for an agency to create and produce their annual report they were fortunate to ask Ad Fed member agency Mason Zimbler. The agency reached out to former VP Public Service and photographer Scott Van Osdol, who donated $15,000 in photography to the annual report. This led to current VP Public Service Mark Scholes at Third Rail Creative and Cut to Black Films producing a promotional video which premiered at ACS’s annual gala and serves as a fundraising tool for the coming year. The video featured Van Osdol’s still photos and the distinctive design work from Mason Zimbler. For the second year in a row Austin ad agency McGarrah Jessee purchased a Gold ADDY sponsorship and donated the benefits to E4 Youth. One of Austin’s leading agencies, McJ designed a brilliant campaign featuring Austin advertising luminaries had they not worked with an advertising mentor and their careers had taken a different path. We worked closely with McJ to feature the campaign and its six original posters at the awards show. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 166 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E Media/Materials Used: The E4 logo appeared on all ADDY collateral, website, and email broadcasts. E4 Director Settles presented the Best of Show Student awards, using that opportunity to describe E4 Youth’s mission and encourage guests to meet with, mentor, and hire the high school students as summer interns. Before the show students met at McJ, received campaign T-shirts and were briefed on networking protocol. McJ staff took their photos and helped them set up LinkedIn pages, promoted the event through social media, and donated a full-page ad in the highly valued Winners Book. McJ staff accompanied students throughout the show, introducing them to creative directors, account supervisors, film and video professionals and more. Results: At last year’s award show students were invited to tour several ad agencies including LatinWorks, Ad Age’s Multicultural Agency of the Year; Texas’s largest African-American-owned ad agency, Sanders\Wingo; and Austin’s largest agency, GSD&M. While results are not yet in, we expect similar results this year following the February 28th awards show. By showcasing E4 Youth at our industry’s leading event, we help promote the club’s support for diversity and education initiatives while providing our members an easy way to get involved by mentoring and hiring interns. DreamFund Fundraiser and “Marketing for Small Biz 101” Seminar Two of this year’s public service projects looked more like traditional Ad Fed program events: a fundraising event and a breakfast seminar. Goals: 1) Produce a fundraiser for DreamFund, a 501c3 dedicated to helping those in the advertising community in times of need, while also providing our members with a fun social and networking event. 2) Produce a seminar for non-members in the non-profit and small business community. Execution: In both cases we worked with complementary professional associations, the DreamFund and the Austin Chamber of Commerce in producing these highly successful events. Media/Materials Used: HTML email broadcasts to the Ad Fed, DreamFund, and Chamber of Commerce lists. Results: The DreamFund event, ‘Night in Biloxi’ raised $4,000 via ticket sales, a silent auction and various games of skill. The Marketing 101 seminar provided basic marketing principles and best practices to non-profits and small businesses. Ad Fed member agency Door Number 3 principal and New York Times blogger M.P. Mueller delivered a solid presentation to a sold-out crowd of 75 at the Texas Law Center. Both events led to improved relationships with fraternal associations: the DreamFund director now serves as our VP Programming and we look forward to engaging the Austin advertising community and the Austin Chamber of Commerce to assist nonprofit organizations needing marketing support. Wildfire Relief Project The wildfire started in the piney woods east of Austin. By the time it ended a month later, 1,645 homes were destroyed and property damage reached $325 million, making it the most destructive single wildfire in Texas history. Our neighbors needed help, and Ad Fed members pitched in by designing and producing two billboards reminding people to donate to Red Cross relief efforts. Goals: Sponsor a design competition among Ad Fed members for wildfire relief billboards. Target Audience: 1) Ad Fed members and the ad community. 2) the general public. Strategy: Build visibility of relief efforts by producing billboards supporting the Red Cross. Engage our members by offering them highly visible display of their creative work. Execution/Tactics: • Ad Fed issued a call to the ad community to submit designs. • Our members submitted 40 entries. The Public Service committee selected the final two entries and worked with the designers to carry their designs through production. Media/Materials Used: Reagan National Advertising donated two billboards to display the winning entries Results: The Austin Ad Fed made a significant contribution to the massive outpouring of community aid to wildfire victims. The value of the donated production services was $2,200. The value of the donated billboard space from March 2012 onward was $42,025. Total gross impressions for 2011 and 2012 are calculated at approximately 70 million. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 167 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E AustinProBono.org Launched by the Ad Fed and several member agencies in June 2008, AustinProBono. org is an innovative website that allows ad agencies and qualified non-profits to connect to create public service campaigns and promotional material. The website is built on a peer-to-peer model that allows users to connect directly, requiring little supervision from founding members. Goals: Hill Country Ride for AIDS: Helped HCRA Secure New Creative Agency Partners In 2004 the Austin Ad Fed tapped the Hill Country Ride for AIDS as its premiere public service client. HCRA is a cycling event that distributes funds to local nonprofit agencies providing AIDS education and services such as health care, food, clothing and counseling to some 2,500 Central Texans living with HIV/AIDS. In the nine years we’ve worked with them the ride has raised more than five million dollars, over 80% of which goes directly to client agencies. One of the principal goals of our public service projects is to “graduate” our clients. We help them create their brand identity, introduce them to a network of professional marketing support, and teach them the basic marketing principals that allow them to grow on their own. HCRA has done that by assuming responsibility for their own marketing in recent years. • Promote AustinProBono.org as the go-to site for ad agencies and creatives wanting to produce public service work and for non-profits needing donated services • Secure a new volunteer partner to update the APB.org website and assume administrative duties for connecting creatives and non-profits Target Audience: Advertising agencies and creative service providers; non-profit agencies Execution/Tactics: • Secured new volunteer partner, Build-A-Sign.com (BAS) principals and staff. • BAS secured 501c3 Non-Profit status for APB.org. • Launched new website with improved functionality. • Promote new website through Ad Fed email to 3,500 members and friends. Media/Materials Used: Website Results: The original website’s peer-to-peer model proved to be a success, listing hundreds of agencies, vendors, and non-profits. But the site was proving difficult to administer with existing volunteer resources. In Summer 2011 we secured a new volunteer partner, BuildASign.com. A new Ad Fed member and sponsor, BuildASign agreed to design and launch a new website and take on promotion and administration of APB.org, dedicating the services of a full-time staff member in charge of community relations. With this new partner, and with our new 501c3 Non-Profit status, we hope to see substantial growth in 2013, and new relations created with leading non-profit organizations. Still, the Ad Fed continues to support the ride by hosting training rides, organizing company teams, and encouraging our members and friends to join and donate to riders. More importantly, when our long-time creative agency resigned following the 2011 ride, we helped secure a new agency partner for the 2012 ride by writing a creative brief and developing an agency pitch strategy. We repeated the process for the 2013 ride. Campaign for April 27, 2013 Ride We began searching for a new creative agency to produce the 2013 campaign by using an updated RFP and personal direct mail and phone calls to 17 Ad Fed member agencies. This resulted in several agencies asking to be considered in coming years and finding one great match in TKO Advertising. TKO is led by an openly gay couple and a bright young creative team chomping at the bit to do innovative work. Goals: • Work with new creative agency TKO to refresh the creative campaign, building on previous success • Reinforce relationship with Ad Fed member sponsors who for years have provided probono creative campaigns, printing, paper, media relations, and banners and signage. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 168 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E Target Audience: Former riders, the cycling community, the AIDS service community, the LG&TG community, the general public, Ad Fed community and ride sponsors Strategy: volunteer partners. The Ad Fed’s continued involvement with the HCRA proves the slogan of the Ad Fed Team Veloci-Peddlers (Latin for Speedy Sellers)—Our Campaigns’ Got Great Legs! Volunteer Opportunities For the first time the Ad Fed conducted a Listening Tour with six agency members and one non-member media company. The goal was to discover current perceptions of the club and determine what people want and need from the Ad Fed. Many respondents expressed the desire for meaningful social and professional development opportunities through volunteering and public service projects. • Update creative campaign building on playful look and feel of earlier campaigns • Expand use of social media and events to build ridership and donations • Recognize value of pro-bono donations at all opportunities Execution/Tactics: • Ad Fed volunteer Ride Marketing Director worked closely with Ride staff and TKO as they produced new campaign. Goal: Provide meaningful volunteer opportunities to Ad Fed members. • HCRA staff updated website to match new creative campaign Target Audience: Ad Fed members and potential members, students. • Social media branded to campaign style, executed by Ride staff Strategy: Providing meaningful volunteer opportunities is one of our most successful membership recruitment and retention tools. Our members feel engaged, make new friends and professional contacts, learn new skills, produce portfolio pieces, and earn the chance to win ADDYs while donating their skills to deserving non-profits. • Guerilla campaign: hang 5,000 bicycle hand-bar tags at Austin City Limits Live Music Festival bike parking lots • Sponsors recognized with logo display on website hyperlinked to their own websites, recognized at all ride events and personally thanked from the stage Media/Materials: • print collateral including posters, push cards, brochure; event signage, riding jerseys, guerilla bike cards; interactive and social media including website, Facebook, and html email; display ads; mass media press releases Results: To date some $30,000 has been raised. Registration is on pace and training rides have been well attended. Summary: In its 12 years the ride has raised $5.84 million, much of it coming in the nine years of our involvement. We helped grow volunteers and riders from 125 in 2003 to over 1000 today. Donations have grown from $186,000 in 2003 to $663,000 in 2012. The ride has been embraced by the advertising community with several agencies and vendors sponsoring teams over the years. The pro-bono campaigns designed and executed by Ad Fed volunteer members have appeared in the pages of Communication Arts, HOW International Design Annual, and PRINT, helping build the professional status of our Execution/Tactics: Volunteers are recruited with emails about public service events which direct readers to web pages describing our public service opportunities. Our homepage features a “Get Involved” button, and our highly trafficked web Job Line contains new Volunteer Opportunities listings. Our newsletter subscription form has a space to volunteer. The form is sent to several officers and the volunteer coordinator contacts potential volunteers by phone and email. Media/Materials Used: HTML email, web pages, telephone calls to potential volunteers Results: Our Volunteer Coordinator lists over 50 new volunteers this year, and that is before counting one of our largest volunteer events, the 2013 ADDYs. Several dozen volunteers engaged with public service projects and submitted billboard designs. We expanded our permanent base of volunteer support by enlisting the help of BuildASign and TKO Advertising, who we expect to handle Hill Country Ride for AIDS creative for several years to come. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 169 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E Conclusion The Austin Ad Fed continues to grow its public service practice. In recent years we graduated several successful clients including Global Austin, AustinFree.Net, Art From the Streets and The SIMS Foundation. This year we: • Worked with new non-profit client Austin Children’s Shelter • Continued support of E4 Youth at the ADDY Awards • Continued media exposure for Wildfire Campaign • Enlisted a new partner in securing 501c3 status and producing a new AustinProBono.org website • Secured new agency partner and continued support for long-time public service client Hill Country Ride for AIDS • Provided multiple volunteer opportunities, increasing the value of Ad Fed membership. This success makes it clear that public service work is a form of enlightened self-interest; it profits everyone involved. Not only have we helped area nonprofits raise well over $5 million in recent years, we’re making a real difference to our members, our industry, and our community. By providing a variety of volunteer opportunities to our members, they are able to make new friends, learn new skills, build the portfolio, and share in professional accolades. Public Service also builds the Ad Fed brand and public profile by promoting the advertising industry’s contribution to the region’s health and prosperity. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 170 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E Goals of the Project: DIVISION II: AAF OMAHA Based on the communication problems above, the committee set forth to achieve two goals: Introduction: Every year, the American Advertising Federation Omaha (AAF Omaha) designs and executes a pro-bono public service campaign for a nonprofit organization. In 2012, the public service committee was contacted by Red Basket (see RedBasket.org) to assist them with ongoing promotional work. Red Basket is a nonprofit philanthropic organization that matches those who are in financial need with those who are willing to give. AAF Omaha provided marketing communications support for the organization. As in years past, AAF Omaha partnered with advertising students from Creighton University who, with guidance from other AAF Omaha members, functioned as the public service committee. The students, who operated under the name of Soup Line, conducted themselves like a student-run agency, with account services, media and creative departments. Students were responsible for conceiving and executing all work done for the client. The students’ involvement was the focal point of the advertising campaigns class offered by the Department of Journalism, Media & Computing at Creighton University. Why Red Basket? Red Basket is an Omaha-based non-profit organization that allows individuals to donate time or money directly to people or projects that need help. The organization’s website, RedBasket.org, serves as a micro-philanthropic resource that connects individuals who are in need of financial support with individuals who are willing to assist them. Donors can browse the different projects and individuals that are featured on the website and can donate to them directly through the website. Unlike some of Red Basket’s competitors, such as Kiva.org, that also specialize in micro-philanthropy, 100 percent of each monetary donation goes directly to the person or project asking for help. Red Basket takes no commission nor does it charge the asker or giver. Communication Problems: 1. Despite the effort that Red Basket has made to establish its brand, awareness of individuals asking for help is very low. 2. Individuals asking for help were in need of assistance in promoting their causes to potential donors. 1. Increase awareness of individuals and projects on the Red Basket website among the community and among those who are willing to donate to them. 2. Help those needing financial assistance with guidance in promoting their causes. Target Audiences: Adults between the ages of 25 and 65 in Omaha who are inclined toward charitable giving were the primary target audience. Since Red Basket is an independent affiliate of Woodmen of the World (an Omaha-based insurance company), Woodmen’s members and employees were identified as the secondary target audience. Strategy: To inform the target audiences about the individuals and projects on Red Basket’s website that need help, the committee felt that a personal connection needed to be forged between the “asker” (the person asking for help) and the giver. For example, we felt that someone simply reading about a person needing financial help with overwhelming medical bills due to a critically ill loved one simply wouldn’t establish a connection strong enough to stimulate one to want to give. Moreover, we felt that even photographs would lack the strong emotional appeal that is often needed to precipitate giving, particularly when individuals are bombarded by compelling images every day. To overcome this form of desensitization, and to help forge a strong connection between someone needing help and someone willing to provide it, the committee felt that producing videos of askers would best meet the goals of the project. Each video would feature the asker describing their situation in an appealing, documentary-style format. In this way, potential givers could better understand why the asker needs assistance and how the asker would use donations given to them. Media/Materials Used: The work undertaken included four videos and collateral material for askers. In cooperation with AAF Omaha public service committee members, Creighton University students wrote, directed, filmed, and edited the videos, and wrote and designed the collateral material. Videos: The first video was done for the parents of Lia Jansen, who at one month of age was diagnosed with Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, a chronic heart condition. After suffering cardiac arrest and enduring an extended stay in intensive care, her parents 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 172 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E were forced to deal with staggering medical bills. The video showcased Lia, in her home with her mother and father. Angel Watts, who lost her home and belongings in a fire, was the subject of the second video. Angel’s oldest daughter, Adaysha, found the house in flames and attempted to extinguish the fire, nearly suffering from smoke inhalation. The video featured Angel, a single mother of four children ages 1, 5, 7 and 15, tearfully sharing her story along with Adaysha. Two other videos remain in production. Collateral Material: To help askers as they join the Red Basket community, Creighton students wrote and designed what they referred to as an “Asker’s Basket”—a welcome letter with advice on how to promote their cause to potential donors. Results: • Red Basket’s “askers” now have powerfully persuasive vehicles that compellingly tell their stories in ways that enable them to forge meaningful connections with potential donors. • As a result of the committee’s video for Lia Jansen, her parents raised $3,552. Lia is now a happy 8-month-old and continues to recover, despite continued physical therapy. • Angel Watts used the video that the committee executed for her to raise $1,475, which enabled her to move into a new home and to begin to establish a sense of normalcy again. • Advertising students benefited from getting an inside look at how professional videos are written, produced, and executed; they also benefited from exposure to AAF Omaha and from learning how they can use their skills and talents to give back to nonprofit organizations. • The estimated value of the campaign, considering donated hours, was estimated to be $55,000. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 173 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E DIVISION III: AAF BATON ROUGE The American Advertising Federation-Baton Rouge (AAF-BR) outlined club and committee objectives for a three year period at its Strategic Planning Session in July 2011. The strategic plan for Community Outreach was to engage the local advertising community and bring together creative individuals and resources to provide an advertising campaign that could be utilized and implemented by a local non-profit. In an effort to stay in line with AAF-BR’s strategic plan, these projects would be accomplished through member and community involvement, which would in turn increase awareness for both AAF-BR as well as for the selected non-profits. Campaign for Community Project Goals of the Project: In an effort to give back to the community, bring awareness to the federation and increase member involvement, the Community Outreach chair built a committee to plan and create an inspiring event where creative individuals, supporting members, and additional resources could be brought together to provide a marketing campaign for a non-profit within the Baton Rouge community. The concept for this project was to build the “AAF-BR Ad Agency” that would be made up of various advertising professionals who would collaborate to create an advertising campaign for a local non-profit. Target Audience: AAF-BR general membership, board of directors, advertising professionals, students, general public A press release was sent out requesting applications from local non-profits. We received eight applicants eager to be selected for this project. The applications were reviewed and voted on by a panel of AAF-BR members and board members. This year, a partnership program was selected. Junior Achievement of Greater Baton Rouge (JA) and the Big Buddy Program are working in a collaborative fundraising effort, hosting a crawfish boil competition in conjunction with an established Baton Rouge spring event, Live After Five. Both organizations were very open to giving the committee complete creative freedom. A schedule was created to plan and promote two half-day creative sessions on December 12 and December 15, 2012. The sessions were promoted as “a unique opportunity for advertising professionals, and students to experience professional growth, network, and rejuvenate creativity all while giving back to the community.” It was defined as a chance to network, collaborate, and brainstorm with other professionals in a creatively inspiring environment. A variety of channels was used to get the message out. The four-hour creative sessions were strategically divided into two days; one day for planning and one day for implemenation, with a very specific agenda for each day. The idea was to empower the volunteers to collaborate and use their own skill sets to determine a creative strategy and start implementing a new branding or advertising campaign, all within the two days. A background information sign-in sheet was used for the volunteers, a PowerPoint presentation helped get everyone on the same page, and executive board members from both JA and Big Buddy attended to provide more details about their fundraiser and be available for questions. Strategy: (Part One) Find a local non-profit that would inspire volunteers and also be willing to give volunteers creative flexibility and freedom to create an effective campaign in a short amount of time. (Part Two) Promote this opportunity to all advertising professionals including account managers, art directors, designers, writers, photographers, PR/social media specialists, and web developers from all agencies, firms, and freelancers, etc. Members, non-members, and students were all welcomed. This while having a positive influence on the local community. Media/Materials Used: For promotion of the sessions: Press Releases, Email, Website Event, Facebook, Twitter, and monthly luncheon announcements via PowerPoint. Execution/Tactics: With the success of the 2011 “Campaign for Community” program, we reused the established logo and format of a creative “lock-in” atmosphere to inspire the initial creative development process. During the first creative session, the group came together and brainstormed a plan of attack. JA and Big Buddy had most of the logistics of their event planned, but lacked a decision for the name, theme, and marketing direction. The volunteers worked as one group to tackle their first task of developing the fundraiser name, “Crawfish King Cook- Results Attained: The creative lock-in was held over two half-days to discover the marketing needs of the chosen organization and how those needs could best be met. The “AAF-BR Ad Agency” formed organically during the two half-days. A total of eight volunteers participated both days. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 175 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E off.” The team also created the logo concept, secured a web address, began designing a promotional event poster, postcard to solicit team entries, T-shirt design, and other grassroots ideas for the fundraiser. By the end of the second creative session, the creative team developed and received approval on the new logo, website design for registration, and postcard, poster and T-shirt designs. Media/Materials Used: Email, Facebook posts. Results Attained: Since some of the project needed extra attention to details before final completion, the volunteers all agreed to continue their work on the individual elements needed to promote this fundraiser. For example, as the event gets closer, the volunteers will incorporate the sponsors’ names and/or logos on the poster, postcard and T-shirt designs. File sharing and management accounts were created to connect the designers’ work to both non-profit organizations for updates. “8 Months of Giving” Monthly Meeting Donations Goals of the Project: Provide a simple community outreach opportunity in which the federation can give back to the Baton Rouge community by collecting monetary and/or material needs at each monthly meeting for a selected local non-profit. Target Audience: AAF-BR general membership and board of directors Strategy: Research and select a local non-profit organization for each month we have membership meeting. Ask federation membership to bring material needs or offer a financial donation at each monthly meeting. Money collected during the “Holla’ for a Dollar” segment of the meeting was assigned to the non-profit for that month. “Holla’ for a Dollar” is a fairly new idea that was added last year to the monthly meetings. As part of the general opening announcements, anyone wanting to share information with the membership (i.e. birth announcement, internship opening, new employee) could have the opportunity to do so by donating a dollar. All monies collected were donated to the LSU AAF students. Execution/Tactics: The “8 Months of Giving” campaign kicked off at the first membership meeting in September. A survey form was given to all members asking for suggestions on non-profit organizations they would like to support during the upcoming year. The selected non-profits were announced by email and social media. • September: LSU AAF Students—$120 was collected and donated to support the student chapter’s back-to-school club meeting with refreshments and other needed items. • October: Baton Rouge Parents Magazine’s “Sock It To Me”—an annual sock drive to collect socks for men, women, and children in need during the holiday season. $137 was collected to purchase packs of socks in addition to the variety of socks placed in the donation box at the meeting. We donated a total of 249 pairs of socks for the magazine’s sock drive. • November: Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank—25 non-perishable food items and canned goods, along with $25 in cash donations, were collected at this monthly meeting. Other federation members collected canned goods throughout the week at their office and donated to the food bank on behalf of AAF-BR. • December: Nubian Kruzers United Baton Rouge (NKU-BR)—For the past several years, the AAF-BR Diversity and Community Outreach committees have worked together to partner with the NKU-BR for their annual Christmas toy drive. NKU-BR is an African-American motorcycle club whose mission is to serve in the community by delivering a positive message and positive role models to those who need it most. Each Christmas they travel around the Baton Rouge community on their bikes to deliver new, unwrapped toys to needy children up to 18 years in neighborhoods and hospitals throughout East Baton Rouge Parish. We collected a box full of fun toys, stuffed animals, and games, plus $18 in cash donation during “Holla for a Dolla”. • January: Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge (FHFGBR) —This non-profit was chosen in response to the Sandy Hook school tragedy. FHFGBR is a local non-profit whose mission is to provide the individualized services, information, resources, and support needed to positively enhance the independence, productivity, and integration of 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 176 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E their target audiences, while showcasing how we, as an advertising industry, can help our community. The experience of working together with others in the Federation on these public service projects also fostered better communication among our members and enthusiasm among members who had never before volunteered for a Federation committee. Several participants even expressed an interest in furthering their involvement with the Federation. persons with disabilities into the community. Because their staff is also parents and/or family members of individuals having a disability, one of their core services is family/peer support particularly with Autism. $100 was collected and members were encouraged to participate in their annual Autism Walk in April. • February: AAF-BR did not have a monthly meeting scheduled due to focus on the local ADDYs. • March: American Heart Association (AHA)—monetary donations will be collected and federation members will be encouraged to participate in the AHA Heart Walk in April. A marketing partnership has also been established to promote the sale of a specially designed T-shirt in which the proceeds go directly to AHA. One of our past AAF-BR presidents designed the T-shirt. T-shirts orders will be sold at this monthly meeting. • April: Habitat for Humanity—monetary donations will be collected and federation members will be encouraged to volunteer for a build project. • May: LSU AAF Students—The May meeting has historically been dedicated to advertising students. The LSU National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) team is invited to the meeting to showcase their presentation with the professional membership. Monetary donations will be collected to support the student chapter. Summary Our Community Outreach projects over the past year have increased AAF-BR’s visibility in the Baton Rouge community, increased an awareness of volunteerism among our members, and fostered new professional relationships among competing creatives and other members. Integrating our Diversity and Communications Committees into our Community Outreach efforts created a multi-faceted approach to each project and allowed a greater participation from AAF-BR and student membership. By selecting several non-profit organizations to which our members could donate their advertising skills and services, we were able to help each non-profit communicate more effectively to 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 177 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E DIVISION IV: AAF EMERALD COAST Organization Background: The 2011-2012 Board of Directors challenged themselves with a club rebrand moving from Emerald Coast Ad Fed to AAF-Emerald Coast in order to more closely align the club with the national brand and increase recognition as part of a larger brand with local, regional, and national exposure. The board implemented a cohesive marketing plan which included: membership packets, membership forms, luncheon receipts, raffle tickets, business cards, note cards, MailChimp templates, Facebook page, and a redesigned website integrated with a content management system which included blogging capabilities. The 2012-2013 Board of Directors set goals to continue implementing the objectives established by the previous Board. Based on the comprised eight AAF core values, a foundation was laid that the 2012-2013 Board used as a guide when they explored new initiatives to increase club membership, sustainability, maintaining long-term growth, and achieve “Club of the Year”. Habitat for Humanity of Walton County’s program is not a hand out, but rather a hand up. The programs requires every qualified family to give 250 sweat equity hours per adult living the house, pay a nominal closing fee, attend credit and financial counseling provided by Habitat for Humanity, and pay back 100% of the cost to build the home in manageable monthly payments. Habitat for Humanity Walton County Digital Rebrand Goals: The objective for the Habitat for Humanity of Walton County Digital Rebrand was to achieve a more professional presence, set up a standard operating procedure for marketing the brand digitally, increase fundraising event attendance, and recruit online donations. Target Audience: The target audience for the rebrand was the local Walton County community and potential donors. Strategy: The online procedures for branding events utilizing PayPal, Wordpress, MailChimp and Social Media were streamlined in an effort to give the brand a consistent voice. AAF-Emerald Coast is a distinctive chapter due to three highly-populated military bases within one county and area demographics of 84% Caucasian, 50% female, and 27% women-owned firm representation. Due to a smaller market, unique geographical limitations, and a transient military population, AAF-Emerald Coast experienced difficulty in attracting and retaining energetic, professional members. Execution/Tactics: The website was redesigned in a Wordpress format to allow Habitat the ability to maintain the electronic publishing of events and news in addition to recruiting potential family applications and gaining online donations. The club also established standards for Facebook presence and MailChimp templates for email marketing. In an effort to serve the community, AAF-Emerald Coast established programming as an implementation guide to achieve the goals set forth at the annual Board Retreat in July 2012. Media/Materials Used: AAF-Emerald Coast executed the rebrand through the utilization of website, Facebook, and MailChimp. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WALTON COUNTY Habitat for Humanity of Walton County is a non-profit Christian ministry dedicated to the elimination of substandard housing in Walton County, Florida. The non-profit provides opportunities for the community to help break the cycle of poverty by building affordable housing and improving the quality of life of their partner families. The lives of two families per year have been forever changed with monetary donations and through volunteerism from the community they serve. Results Attained: In the first month after the website rebrand, traffic to the website increased by 643.33%. During the fourth quarter of 2012, $3,000 in donations was generated through the website. The website was professionally recognized with an International Davey Award in addition to a 2013 AAF-Emerald Coast Silver ADDY Award. The email marketing efforts generated 33 e-blasts with an average open rate of 25.09%, which was a 160.87% increase over the prior average open rate of 15.59%. Facebook fan growth was 20% with an average 28 Days Page Engaged Users increase of 489% over 2011. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 179 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E 2nd Annual Habitrot at Sandestin The 2nd Annual Habitrot for Humanity at Sandestin, 5K and 1/2 marathon, was established as a fundraising event to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Walton County. The event’s proceeds were used to fund the next housing project, which will be House #26 for the county. Goals: The club worked to brand the event as an annually recognized event with the purpose of increasing awareness for Habitat for Humanity Walton County and to raise funds for future house builds, while generating an increased interest in volunteerism. The objective was to increase participation by 25% in addition to increasing the funds raised by 25%. Target Audience: The target audience for this event was runners, walkers, local Habitat supporters, the general public, and the local community. Strategy: The committee established a centralized source of information, encouraged media coverage, marketed at other running events, partnered with local running clubs, partnered with venue which was a local resort, and set up volunteer identification. Execution/Tactics: The event was promoted through the Habitat for Humanity Walton County’s website, a new permanent Facebook page for the annual event, MailChimp email marketing to Habitat’s local database, as well as the creation and distribution of fliers, posters, and cards. Through partnerships with Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort, news releases about the event were distributed locally, regionally, and nationally. The volunteers were required to wear newly designed T-shirts that were specifically for volunteers so they were visible and easily identifiable in a large crowd. Media/Materials Used: AAF-Emerald Coast executed the promotion of the event through Habitat for Humanity of Walton County’s website, Facebook, print, T-shirts, and MailChimp. Results Attained: The 2012 Habitrot website page was promoted in the months leading up to the event, and it was the most popular page outside of the home page on the Habitat for Humanity Walton County website for the months of September and October, achieving 17.15% of the website traffic. The Campaign as a whole won a 2013 AAF-Emerald Coast Silver ADDY Award. The Volunteer T-shirt developed for the event won a 2013 AAF-Emerald Coast Gold ADDY Award. Habitat for Humanity Walton County increased their net profit for the event by 85% with $6,813.97 in net profits over the $3,700 net profits from the Inaugural Habitrot event in October 2011. Due to more focus being placed on sponsorship and in kind donations the net profits increased while the number of participants decreased by 28 participants in 2012. Habitat for Humanity Walton County Painting Party: The Winter Sun Goals: The objective for the event was to raise awareness in Northwest Florida to recruit volunteers, sponsors, and donors to get involved with Habitat for Humanity of Walton County. Target Audience: The target audience for the event was anyone in Northwest Florida who had an interest in supporting a local non-profit while having fun. Strategy: AAF-Emerald Coast hosted a painting party to raise funds and awareness in our community to bring attention to Habitat for Humanity of Walton county. In addition, the club partnered with two small businesses, which increased awareness for AAF-Emerald Coast with potential members and strengthened our visibility with those who were familiar with the club from past public service campaigns that were created for various non-profits in the community. Execution/Tactics: AAF-Emerald Coast hosted a painting party at a local business and invited other businesses to participate and assist in the promotion to raise funds and awareness for Habitat for Humanity Walton County. AAF-Emerald Coast created a Facebook event to promote attendance, sent out a MailChimp email marketing blast, and created a flyer to distribute for promotion of the event. The club worked with other involved local businesses for promotion through their channels, in addition to AAFEmerald Coast’s resources and Habitat for Humanity Walton County’s resources. Media/Materials Used: AAF-Emerald Coast executed the promotion of the event through the utilization of a website, Facebook and MailChimp. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 180 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E Results Attained: The Habitat for Humanity Walton County Painting Party raised over $500 in net profit, raised awareness for the cause by increasing Habitat for Humanity Facebook likes by 15, and secured three additional volunteers. CONCLUSION The ultimate goal of promoting a better understanding of advertising by educating current and future advertising professionals was certainly attained. Advertising professionals learned about new creative ideas and how innovative techniques can assist them in achieving their company’s advertising goals and objectives. From teaching how branding relates to taking a non-profit to the next level or a fresh look at the advertising industry, the AAF-Emerald Coast has and will continue to encourage excellence by educating its members, the community it serves and the next generation of advertising professionals. Based on the tireless efforts of the club leadership, partnered with the AAF-Emerald Coast re-brand, the club has grown in multiple ways and is looking forward to continued growth. New, innovative, and relevant programs were produced to maintain current membership, and more importantly, attract new members. This effort put the club at a 45% increase in new memberships increasing from 39 to 56 as of March 2013, while maintaining 90% of the existing membership. New forms of communication including media press releases, Twitter, Instagram and postcard mail outs assisted in increasing ADDY Entries by 51% and increasing the average attendance to monthly Professional Development Luncheons by 30%. Building the membership through meaningful programs, and achieving stated goals has strengthened AAF-Emerald Coast to become an invaluable resource to the local community. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 181 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E DIVISION V: AD 2 HONOLULU Every year, Ad 2 Honolulu selects one nonprofit organization to receive a fully integrated marketing campaign. This includes research, marketing strategies, production, media planning, advertising, public relations and promotional events. With the hard work and dedication of our members, we have been able to successfully develop marketing campaigns for over 40 years. The public service team consisted of two co-chairs, one director, one creative director three production assistants, three media buyers, a public relations representative, one social media expert, two event planners, and two general support team members. Call for Applications and Selection Process To notify the public that Ad 2 Honolulu was accepting applications for the 2012-13 Public Service campaign, a news release was sent out to the media and our database of over 600 subscribers, featured on the Ad 2 Honolulu website, Facebook page, and Twitter. The call for applications article was featured in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s business column. We received a total of 43 applications. After careful review, our team narrowed the selection down to five finalists. During the interview process, we met with a nonprofit representative from each of the finalists. After the interviews and much discussion, the nonprofit organization that was chosen was the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic. Situational Analysis & Organizational Background The Aloha Medical Mission (AMM) was founded in 1983 as a Honolulu-based secular 501(c)(3) non-profit organization when a group of volunteer physicians and nurses traveled to the Philippines to perform surgery on the poor and needy. The organization’s mission is “Bringing Hope and Changing the Lives of the People We Serve.” Over the years, AMM has traveled to 15 countries, performing 18,000 surgeries and treating 260,000 patients. In 2002, AMM created a vital local presence by opening the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic at the Palama Settlement, home of the former StrongCarter Dental Clinic. The Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic’s flagship presence is Hawaii’s only free dental clinic; in 2012 they celebrated 10 years of hope, volunteerism, and quality dental care. The Dental Clinic is located in Honolulu’s low-income Kalihi-Palama district, where patients come from all over Oahu for free interim dental care. Their target demographic are local residents and new immigrants to Hawaii that have no dental insurance, are below the poverty level, in-between employment, or awaiting insurance from their employers. The goal of AMM Dental Clinic is to ensure patients find a permanent dental home. Since 2002, AMM Dental Clinic has provided $4.5 million in dental services including examinations, x-rays, cleanings, fillings, and extractions to more than 21,000 patients. They look forward to celebrating 30 years helping needy communities across the world in 2013. Project Description In September 2011, the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic expanded operational hours to full-time, resulting in hiring their first full-time staff dentist. Operational hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with six evenings per month, one dedicated to children. AMM Dental Clinic added a part-time dental assistant and second volunteer dental hygienist to their dental team. The expansion was based on the Board of Directors’ review of clinic operations resulting from the community’s growing need for dental care. The Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) Foundation was instrumental in making their dream a reality from the very beginning. Since expanding operational hours to 40 to 50 hours per week (previously 28 hours per week), AMM Dental Clinic has seen an increase in patient traffic, treating an average of 200 patients per month compared to an average of 120 patients in August 2011. Of Hawaii’s population, 30% are unable to afford dental insurance. According to The Pew Center on the States (2012), there were approximately 830,590 visits to the emergency rooms nationwide in 2009 due to preventable dental conditions. The report also revealed that among low-income patients who went to the emergency room for toothaches, 80% needed follow-up care from a dentist. Objectives The overall objective of this campaign is to increase awareness of and participation in Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic’s free interim dental program for the community. The increase in awareness will help the organization strengthen their brand and relationship within the community, differentiate them from other dental health-related organizations, and increase participation in their free interim dental program. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 183 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E • Objective 1: Create and strengthen Aloha Medical Missions Dental Clinic brand and relationship within the community. • Objective 2: Increase awareness of and participation in Aloha Medical Missions Dental Clinic’s free interim dental program. Target Audience The main target audience for the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic are individuals, families and residents living in the housing shelters who have no dental insurance, local residents and new immigrants to Hawaii that have no dental insurance, are below the poverty level, in-between employment, or awaiting insurance from their employer. Our goal is to spread AMM’s message to the community, as people are not aware of the organization and what they have to offer. Market Research—Omnibus Survey Ad 2 Honolulu contracted Qmark Research to conduct a telephone survey in January 2013. A total of 504 interviews were conducted. Interviews were conducted on Oahu (356) and on the Neighbor Islands (148 including Hawaii Island, Maui and Kauai residents). The results conveyed that those interviewed associated the Aloha Medical Mission as helping foreign countries, and that only 8% of those interviewed were aware that Aloha Medical Mission provided dental care. This confirmed that there was an overall lack of awareness of the Aloha Medical Missions Dental Clinic and their services. Strategy & Execution Logo Redesign: Because the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic is a part of the Aloha Medical Mission, they did not have a logo to differentiate themselves apart from the overall organization. In order to help promote their Dental Clinic and to focus on the services provided by the clinic, a new logo was created to communicate “dental care” and to really bring awareness to the services offered by the AMM Dental Clinic. The newly created logo features five teeth that are placed together to create the five petals of a flower. The flower represents aloha and their local Hawaii roots and the teeth represent the dental clinic. Website: The Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic did not have their own website, so we created a website that featured their new logo and made it easy for people to navigate through. The website features the services they offer, contact information and hours of operation. Television campaign: The strategy for the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic is “All Smiles Welcome.” We wanted to create a campaign that would show all smiles and teeth in all stages of life. In the television spot we see the many, countless ways we use our mouths, smiles and teeth throughout our lives. At the end of the spot we ask the viewer “what have you done for your mouth lately?” We wanted to create a campaign that was positive and conveys a clear message that the organization offers free dental care for all people who do not have dental insurance. Radio campaign: In order to keep the message consistent with TV ads, a :30 second radio commercial was developed with the same theme of “All Smiles Welcome.” In the radio spot, the voiceover talks about the free services that Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic offers. Print Advertising: The print ad features individuals of different ages showcasing their smiles, keeping with the same message “All Smiles Welcome” featured in TV and radio ads. Social Media: A Facebook page and Twitter account were created for the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic as a way to expand their reach and keep the community informed of the organization’s services and efforts. Currently, a member of our public service team updates the social media pages daily. Eventually, the client with adequate training will take over the social media program. Promotional Materials: To help create buzz and awareness for the organization, we created T-shirts, a vinyl banner, and branded a tooth costume for future events. Events & Partnerships: Street Team: To gain awareness, we had a Street Team event on Friday, February 22 from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. in the busy Downtown district area. The Street Team consisted of 8 volunteers, two dressed up in the AMM Dental Clinic branded Mr. Tooth costume. Dental Day Event: In conjunction with National Children’s Dental Hygiene month, Ad 2 Honolulu and the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic held an event, Hawaii Dental Day, at the Palama Settlement. The event offered people from a local shelter the opportunity to get their teeth checked as well as to put together a treatment plan. The event featured games for the keiki (children), educational booths, entertainment, and lunch. 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 184 AWA R D W I N N I N G I D E A S : P U B L I C S E RV I C E Media Execution With the continuous support from the local advertising community, Ad 2 Honolulu is fortunate to have been able to secure a number of media space donations for the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic campaign. Television: The television spot will air on Hawaii News Now (KGMB–CBS Affiliate), KFVE, and KHNL (NBC Affiliate); KHON2 (FOX Affiliate); and KITV (ABC Affiliate). In addition, we received donations from Oceanic Time Warner Cable, along with local multicultural stations KBFD and KIKU. Radio: Oahu’s major radio groups have all donated media. This includes Clear Channel Communications, Cox Radio, Salem Media of Hawaii, and Ohana Broadcast Company, LLC on Oahu. Between the four radio groups, the commercials will air on 23 stations on Oahu. Day, of those 10 were walk-ins and some coming in with flyers that were distributed by the Street Team. In addition, during the event, we were able to secure food donations from Alternative Services International and Kahumana Farms. To date, Ad 2 Honolulu has secured over $750,000 in media donations and $85,000 in production and public relations. Conclusion The maintenance of one’s dental health is an important personal priority. Many people often overlook their dental health, either because dental health insurance is hard to come by or because they simply do not prioritize dental care. We hope that with the AMM Dental Clinic campaign, we can create awareness of the organization’s free dental care services for low income and/or uninsured individuals. Print: The Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Oahu’s only daily newspaper), MidWeek (Oahu and Kauai’s free weekly newspaper with circulation of over 500,000 per issue) and Chinatown Newspaper (monthly on Oahu) have all generously donated space in their publications to help deliver our message. Public Relations The Honolulu Star-Advertiser supported our public relations efforts to help increase the awareness of the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic through editorial stories. • Announcement of nonprofit selection in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Speaking of advertising,” July 9, 2012 • Public Service winner announced in Star-Advertiser, “Ad club aims to spread word about free dental facility,” September 21, 2012 • Casting call in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Time for your close-up,” January 11, 2013 Results With the effort of our Street Team promoting the Hawaii Dental Day event, the Aloha Medical Mission Dental Clinic has seen great response. As a result, they have doubled the amount of patients they see on a daily basis. A total of 63 people attended Hawaii Dental 2 0 1 2 – 2 0 1 3 N AT I O N A L C L U B A C H I E V E M E N T C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N I N G E N T R I E S 185 headquarters 1101 Vermont Avenue NW, 5th Floor, Washington DC 20005 P: (202) 898-0089 F: (202) 898-0159 www.aaf.org