1. National Chamber Image Campaign Part I: Message Infusion Toolkit February 7, 2006

2. To put into: INTRODUCE To cause to pervade: IMBUE
Infuse
To put into: INTRODUCE
To cause to pervade: IMBUE

3. The Prime Prospect is Tough
“I don’t know who you are.
I don’t know your company.
I don’t know your company’s product.
I don’t know what your company stands for.
I don’t know your company’s customers.
I don’t know your company’s record.
I don’t know your company’s reputation.
Now – what was it you wanted to sell me?”
Key Messages = Clarity
McGraw-Hill magazine ad appearing in 1958

4. The Competition for Your Message
Your target audience is suffering from information overload:
We are exposed to approximately 245 ad messages every day
The average American household now receives 100 TV channels
There are more than 6,000 consumer magazines being published
Nearly 27,000 new food and household products are introduced every year
Key Messages = Consistency

5. The Communication Process
Message
Factors
Source
(Chamber)
Receiver
(Prospect)
Channel
Encoding
Decoding
Noise
Fields of Experience

6. How the Tools Fit Into the Process
Fields of Experience
Channel
Receiver
(Prospect)
Source
(Chamber)
Encoding
Noise
Message
Factors
Decoding
Key Message Worksheets
Value Proposition Worksheet
Communication Strategy Worksheet

7. Step #1: The Value Proposition
The value proposition helps the target audience de-code and establish relevance for the “inbound” message.
It should translate the benefit in ways that demonstrate tangible and/or emotional value that relates to their specific needs.
Understanding
Benefit
Value
Credibility

8. Value Proposition Some key questions to ask: Understanding Benefit
What are the specific goals? What problems do they face? What issues are they wrestling with? What are their top priorities?
Understanding
Which key message provides the resources and/or solutions to their need? What chamber benefit provides the most value?
Benefit
What do they currently believe about the chamber? What do I want them to believe when I am through? How will they define value?
Value
What 2-3 examples will provide the most credibility? How relevant are these examples to the target audience? How do these examples demonstrate uniqueness and differentiation for the chamber? What tangible proof (e.g., trends, results, etc.) must I provide to demonstrate success?
Credibility

9. Value Proposition Sample Economic Opportunities value proposition:
Firm A is an established mid-size professional services firm looking to expand. They want greater access to key decision makers at large area businesses in order to grow their revenues.
Understanding
The chamber creates new economic opportunities by helping members build new and stronger business-building relationships.
Benefit
“My chamber provides me with numerous opportunities to network with important decision makers, giving me quality face time that I would not have if it weren’t for my chamber membership.”
Value
93% of the top 50 employers were represented at the most recent State of the Community luncheon.
In the past year, the Chamber Referral Network received 65 inquiries from businesses looking for services similar to what Firm A provides.
Credibility

10. Step #2: Key Messages
Make your “outbound” messages relevant to the target audience need, and use them to establish and support the target audience belief.

11. Key Message Worksheet
The key message worksheet helps you encode your message.
It is designed to help you focus your “outbound” thoughts in ways that will create clarity and consistency.
It will also help you develop important talking points that support and demonstrate the desired target audience belief.

12. Where’s the Message?
The tendency is to focus the main message in the middle, where it is often buried by data.
Beginning
Middle
End
Headline
Lead paragraph
Opening remarks
Facts, figures & trends
Case studies
Testimonials
Tagline
Closing paragraph
Closing remarks

13. Message Order Impacts Recall
The main message should be front- and back-end loaded to increase recall and retention.
Key Message Recall
Beginning
Middle
End
Headline
Lead paragraph
Opening remarks
Facts, figures & trends
Case studies
Testimonials
Tagline
Closing paragraph
Closing remarks

14. (Why the prospect cares)
Message Loading
Relate the benefit to the audience’s wants and needs, and create uniqueness and differentiation with the feature:
Key Message
Feature
(What chambers do)
Benefit
(Why the prospect cares)
Economic opportunities
Enhance and leverage the talents and resources of members
Improved economic opportunities for all
Advocacy
Serve as the leading advocate for its broad and diverse membership
Creating a climate of growth and success
Impact
Provide unique leadership and volunteer opportunities
Members can make a difference in important community issues
Focus
Staying focused and involved in the top business, civic and social priorities
Building stronger communities

15. Step #3: Communications Strategy
The communications strategy builds the bridge between your world and the target audience’s world. It creates the frame of reference that helps ensure that your messages are decoded properly, and creates a roadmap for execution.

16. Communications Strategy
We recommend developing a communications strategy for major initiatives, such as:
The development and launch of an ad campaign
The launch of a long-term PR campaign
A relationship marketing program (versus an individual direct mail piece)
Creating the annual plan for your newsletter and/or chamber magazine
The re-design and re-launch of your web site
Your annual membership campaign

17. Infusion Examples
Value Propositions: Greater Richmond (VA) Chamber of Commerce

18. Infusion Examples
Testimonials: Las Vegas (NV) Area Chamber of Commerce, Voices of the Chamber campaign

19. Infusion Examples
Websites/Taglines: San Diego (CA) Regional Chamber of Commerce

20. Case Study: Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership
Rebecca Martin Vice President Erie (PA) Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership

21. Background
Chamber and economic development group merged to form the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, creating a clear need to define the new organization to staff, members and the community
ACCE’s work on the national image campaign provided research and a framework that:
Provided national statistics which gave further credibility to research conducted at the local level
Focused Erie’s campaign and helped align it to the national messages
Provided a set of tools to engage the membership and support retention efforts

22. The Process
ACCE research and recommendations helped answer the following strategic questions:
What are the key trends for chambers on a national scope?
Where and how does the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership fit in?
How can the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership compete most effectively?
What should be the primary focus?
Strategies and direction presented to Board, Chamber staff and Economic Development staff to clarify focus and create complementary messages.

23. Leverage Points
Developed leverage points consistent with the key messages and overall positioning strategy
Economic vitality and opportunities:
Building stronger communities as Gateway to services
Creating a climate of success and growth
Enhancing quality of life for economic development
Focused on the community:
Knowledgeable and involved in important business, civic and social priorities because it is the unified voice
Connects members to important community needs
NATIONAL FOCUS: Leading businesses and communities
LOCAL FOCUS: Making an investment in the community

24. “We are Erie” Ad Campaign
Information from the national campaign was used to focus member quotes on the four key messages
(August 2005 ad)

25. “We are Erie” Ad Campaign
Key messages are incorporated into member quotes.
Impact
Advocacy

26. “We are Erie” Ad Campaign
Economic Opportunities
Focus

27. Campaign Evolution
Campaign will focus on specific programs and initiatives that support the key messages to demonstrate expertise and credibility.

28. Campaign Contact Information and More
Visit our new National Chamber Image Campaign Web page at
Watch for the Image Campaign’s exciting second component, the Advertising Toolkit, in late February
Sign up online for our March 7 DIALogue, Getting The Most From Your Advertising Toolkit, at
Questions? Contact Christine Reider, ACCE Director, Marketing & Communications, at