Barry
J Barresi O.D. Ph D
Executive
Director
American
Optometric Association
243
Lindbergh Boulevard
St.
Louis, MO 63141
Dear
Sir;
No
doubt the current business and economic environment have had an impact on
your plans and goals as an association. Challenging times require extra care in
association management and as you evaluate alternatives. Going forward,
marketing and communications will play an important role in shaping the future.
As I have thrown my hat in the ring as a candidate to be a part of AOA, I hope
you do not mind a few unsolicited thoughts on just how my background and
experience might be relevant and how I might contribute if I am fortunate
enough to be selected.
Building
a plan and using that plan as a benchmark
AOA
has a mission and a number of exceptional programs and initiatives. The annual
meeting/conference, ongoing efforts to guide regional membership, thought
leadership/position papers and publications – to name just a few. Resources are
always limited, but your chances of making progress on an annual basis are more
likely to be achieved if they are part of a dynamic planning process that
organizes and prioritizes activity. Given the opportunity, I would be happy to
share examples from my experiences at HBE, Clayco and Thermadyne. In addition,
as a 12+ year chapter leader for the American Marketing Association I would be
happy to show you how that successful association addresses ongoing challenges.
Done well, a dynamic plan becomes a documentation of success as well as o
commitment to focus on best practices.
Budgeting
for success
The
plan document is important and should have broad readership. The budget, on the
other hand, in my experience, is best managed with a smaller circulation.
Budgets for marketing and communications activity can be accomplished in a
variety of ways. Many companies simply do the best they can with a ballpark
that has been established within in the past two-three years. Consumer products
marketers often battle for a reasonable “share of voice” and budget based on
best estimates of competitive spending. New products often try to obtain
targeted rating points against the target prospect. When all is said and done,
the budget should be a companion document to the marketing and communications
plan. It should be realistic and fair. The budget also needs to be evaluated at
least quarterly as the year unfolds. My experience has been within a relevant
range of a wide variety of budget scenarios. Examples: I was account director
at D’Arcy when they rolled out a campaign on behalf of Caller ID in the Pacific
Bell territory that totaled $17 Million. At Crossland Construction, their
budget for marketing and communications was decidedly more modest. (Less than
one million dollars for a company with annual revenues of $500,000,000.)
Engaging
membership
Your
association must attract new members and retain members each year. To
accomplish this you must understand what products and services add value. If
your value proposition falls short or it not fully understood, you will
experience attrition among your ranks. At Thermadyne, we were keenly aware of
the industry-wide problem and growing shortage of skilled craftsmen interested
in metal cutting, welding and fabrication. To address this we launched an
industry leading campaign that featured Thermadyne brands while celebrating the
end-users themselves. As membership VP
for the American Marketing Association I saw firsthand the very real
impact of reaching members as they faced the annual membership renewal
decision. In both cases, we recognized the influence and impact on schools
(welding and trade schools for Thermadyne/marketing programs at area colleges
and universities for the American Marketing Association)
Managing
the brand
AOA
is a brand. Like all brands, it is a reflection of a positioning in the minds
of members and others who interact with the association. The brand comes with a
promise. The promise must be reliable and true. Otherwise the brand loses
equity and can be tarnished. I have come
to believe that marketing and communications programs designed to reinforce the
brand are a critical pieces to the puzzle. If you visit a Starbuck’s Coffee
Shop, anywhere in the world, you see a dramatic illustration of a company effectively
managing their brand. I have been fortunate to have built my career from the
very beginning with a keen understanding of the enormous impact branding can
have on the perceptions of the products and services. A well managed brand can
command a premium because it is trusted and respected. My experience with some
well known brands and some less famous caused me to adopt the challenge to
“Make good brands better and new brands known.” It has been my privilege to
leverage brand equity in the context of a number of new product launches from
JVC consumer electronics to Matchbox die-cast miniature vehicles (toys) to the
TRUE series plasma cutting line from Thermal Dynamics and the EDGE series
regulators from Victor.
Innovation
and thinking outside the box
AOA
is a brand platform, just as Thermadyne’s Victor and Thermal Dynamics brands
are. I mention this to reinforce the fact that as a newcomer to the metal
welding and cutting hard goods market, I was able to apply brand building
strategies that resulted in meaningful success that added value to the brands
and the company overall. I mention only two examples here, but there are
countless others. The discipline and processes for uncovering this equity and
leveraging it is very real and palpable at AOA.
Social
media and thought leadership
Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs and a host of other digital media options are
generating opportunities for exponential exposure (and at a modest cost). It
begins with understanding the attitude of key stakeholders. But the only way to
earn exposure is to go viral with news that is relevant, compelling and timely.
In short, it starts with CONTENT. AOA is an organization that has a unique
opportunity to showcase best practices and expertise. At Thermadyne, we were
able to use our industry leading brands as leverage in ongoing e-mail blasts to
distributors and drive traffic to our website, newsletter and trade show
activity. Like all media, the interactive media presents opportunities to be an
important part of a bigger picture. The AOA whole has an opportunity to be far
more significant that the sum of its parts!
Targeting
market segments
The
association has, like many brands, a number of market segments that will merit
effort and attention. Underdeveloped segments may require some investment,
mature segments may require some fresh thinking and new products might require
exploration. My career has cast me in the role of managing product launch
assignments. Examples: Over a two year period we introduced 25 new products
from Matchbox. Some were simple innovations we knew would attract our existing
following (like themed multi-packs) and others were completely new territory
(like a radio-controlled skateboarder called R.C. Radskate).
Reputation
Management
AOA
needs to be mindful of its brand and its reputation. Being prepared with crisis
communication and smart about the brand is essential. I could elaborate on how
we were able to reinforce brands with an ongoing program of public relations
activity. (I can also share with you a process by which the successful
measurement can guide ongoing programs designed to add credibility and showcase
expertise but instead I will share a personal experience that dramatizes the
potential negative impact if reputation management is not a part of your
overall plans for your brand.)
In
1999, I found myself in the center of a big national story around the Adam’s
Mark Hotel chain. What began as a small group, snowballed into a class action
that was joined by the NAACP and the Department of Justice (DOJ). While the
Adam’s Mark Hotels (and their parent company HBE) were never convicted of any
wrongdoing or required to admit any guilt, the damage was done. The settlement
and all of the publicity around the chain of 24 hotels, resulted in setbacks of
which the company could not recover. The list of actions the company could have
taken to prevent the brand from taking this hit is long. Today, the Hyatt
Regency enjoys the premier location (in the shadow of the gateway arch) where
Adam’s Mark once sparkled.
AOA
needs innovation and creative thinking. Membership at all levels want to be a
part of an organization and profession that is viewed in a positive light.
There needs to be a sense of urgency and a desire to be pro-active. AOA has an
opportunity to reinforce itself the place to go for answers and leadership.
Managing
the team
Marketing
and communications are often undervalued. The activity can boost sales, enhance
value and dramatically improve an organizations performance. Yet, so
often, much activity falls on a small
cadre of soldiers motivated more by the art than the commerce of their daily
tasks. This is as it should be. Let’s face it, movies would be boring if actors
and directors thought of nothing else but box-office draw. Instead, you need
actors and directors who are passionate about telling a story and telling it
well. Managing such a team, takes finesse. It also requires discipline and
guidance to contain and focus energy on priorities. At the start of each day
there needs to be a sense of purpose. At the end of each day a feeling of
accomplishment (and being a part of a larger mission).
cc:
Renee Brauns, Chief Operating Officer
