Connected Community

My firm has been asked to help facilitate WSAE's May Educational Program, which will focus on marketing, communications and branding. We are tentatively calling the program "From Got Milk to Got Done," a title that Eric Lanke kindly suggested to describe the question we will try to answer: how do association executives creating marketing campaigns and plans that can truly drive results for their organizations.

As we frame out the two-hour seminar I would welcome hearing from WSAE members. Are there particular topics you would like to see covered (or avoided)? Are there particular questions you would like to see answered?

We also plan to integrate case studies and peer discussion into the program. If you have a success story to share or would be willing to help facilitate table discussion please let me know.

Thanks in advance for your input as we try to build a successful and useful program.

Chad

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Chad Ritterbusch
President
The Ritterbusch Group
Brookfield WI
(262) 786-5970
chad@TRG-Marketing.com
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Thanks, Chad. This sounds awesome. One thing that I always struggle with is the multiple definitions of the word "marketing." To some staff and volunteers in our space, it means "marketing the association to prospects in order to grow membership." To others, it means "marketing the technology our members provide to customer audiences in order to help members increase their market share." To still others, it means "marketing the industry we represent to the general public in order to raise awareness and improve our image." All three are important (and there may be other definitions that are important to other associations), but it's really important for everyone in the decision process to understand which definition is being focused on. I would ask you to be just as clear with our audience in May.

BTW, my comment about "From Got Milk to Got Done" specifically referred to the last of these definitions, in which the famous "Got Milk?" campaign often becomes the idealized objective, even though it is woefully out of alignment with the resources many associations can bring to the effort. Moving the discussion from "We should do a 'Got Milk' campaign" to a set of successful strategies that can be resourced by the association is a particular challenge I think many of us face. 

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Eric Lanke CAE
CEO
National Fluid Power Association
Milwaukee WI
(414) 778-3351
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Chad - I would like to hear how social media fits in with narketing efforts and more importantly how we determine the value of the hits - are hits alone enough of an indicator that social media is aiding our efforts? ------------------------------------------- Lani Becker CAE Associate Executive Director Wisconsin Dental Association West Allis WI (414) 755-4114 -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 02-02-2012 12:15 From: Eric Lanke Subject: May Educational Program Thanks, Chad. This sounds awesome. One thing that I always struggle with is the multiple definitions of the word "marketing." To some staff and volunteers in our space, it means "marketing the association to prospects in order to grow membership." To others, it means "marketing the technology our members provide to customer audiences in order to help members increase their market share." To still others, it means "marketing the industry we represent to the general public in order to raise awareness and improve our image." All three are important (and there may be other definitions that are important to other associations), but it's really important for everyone in the decision process to understand which definition is being focused on. I would ask you to be just as clear with our audience in May. BTW, my comment about "From Got Milk to Got Done" specifically referred to the last of these definitions, in which the famous "Got Milk?" campaign often becomes the idealized objective, even though it is woefully out of alignment with the resources many associations can bring to the effort. Moving the discussion from "We should do a 'Got Milk' campaign" to a set of successful strategies that can be resourced by the association is a particular challenge I think many of us face. ------------------------------------------- Eric Lanke CAE CEO National Fluid Power Association Milwaukee WI (414) 778-3351 -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 02-01-2012 11:33 From: Chad Ritterbusch Subject: May Educational Program My firm has been asked to help facilitate WSAE's May Educational Program, which will focus on marketing, communications and branding. We are tentatively calling the program "From Got Milk to Got Done," a title that Eric Lanke kindly suggested to describe the question we will try to answer: how do association executives creating marketing campaigns and plans that can truly drive results for their organizations. As we frame out the two-hour seminar I would welcome hearing from WSAE members. Are there particular topics you would like to see covered (or avoided)? Are there particular questions you would like to see answered? We also plan to integrate case studies and peer discussion into the program. If you have a success story to share or would be willing to help facilitate table discussion please let me know. Thanks in advance for your input as we try to build a successful and useful program. Chad ------------------------------------------- Chad Ritterbusch President The Ritterbusch Group Brookfield WI (262) 786-5970 chad@TRG-Marketing.com -------------------------------------------