Communications

"It's not enough to have a great cause and good services.  You have to tell the public that you do, and it's how you tell them that can make all the difference in how they see you."

Association Resources' communications expertise supports clients in these areas:

Brand Building

How do you want your members, your prospective members, your leadership, your sponsors, and the general public to see you?  Association Resources directs client branding programs, working with organization leaders to develop focus, theme, and feel.

The lion's share of that effort is devoted to finding a client's unique selling proposition; that is, what makes your organization valuable to the groups it serves.  We examine each organizational element from the website to membership cards to determine its contribution to building a compelling, enduring brand.

To make sure we're on target, we create a membership assessment using historical data, surveys, evaluations, and demographic and financial analyses which tells us:

  1. Who a client's prospective members are
  2. What trends in the profession or industry will have an impact on membership growth
  3. Who a client's prospective sponsors/exhibitors are

Media Relations

When members of the media research an issue, one of the first places they are likely to call on for a credible statement is an association.  Properly managed, an association's response to press inquiries will pay high dividends in a public image of reliability, professionalism, and integrity. 

Media relations is an essential part of any communications program.  Association Resources takes a proactive approach, preparing and disseminating press releases, press packs, and briefing sheets, particularly at conferences.  For example, AR recently managed the response to the massive press inquiries and requests for interviews generated by the tragedies at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois Universities for one of its clients. 

Publications editors and reporters covering the conferences we manage are invited to our onsite press- rooms where they can receive a full briefing and file their stories.  Because media relations is a year-round job, we can also set up online pressrooms, which house general information about the organization and serve as repositories for press releases and other public briefings.

Government Relations

Associations that achieve meaningful legislative outcomes through advocacy deliver huge rewards to their membership.  Association Resources professionals have extensive experience in working with Congress, state legislatures, state and federal agencies, and regulatory bodies on behalf of our clients.  Overseas, our joint venture with Kellen Company, which is headquartered in Brussels, works closely with the European Union and legislators throughout the EU.  As we extend our global reach, we will continue to widen our legislative influence.

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AR Benefits!
Association culture has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. Professional associations are composed of volunteers, who are busy with their own careers, families and businesses. It therefore often makes sense to outsource management duties to professional managers, relieving volunteers of administrative and operational tasks so they can focus more effectively on their association's goals and strategies.

Association Resources offers associations the convenience of experienced staff and a wide range of services, without the need to deal with personnel issues and expending funds on capital purchases. They gain shared buying power for supplies, stationery, hotels, conference services, and design/web/printing services.

Leveraging AR's experience and state-of-the-art equipment, clients find they can lower their overhead costs and simultaneously achieve a stronger, more vital membership base.