Williamsburg, Virginia ACE Awards Entry. signs of confidence. Category 5 Campaigns and Programs

Transcription

1 Williamsburg, Virginia 2009 ACE Awards Entry signs of confidence Category 5 Campaigns and Programs

2 summary Fall, 2008 As we entered a crucial time in our local, state, and national economy, the Chamber organization itself, as well as our individual membership, were facing unprecedented financial pressures brought on my the deep recession we were just beginning to experience. Reported summer sales figures in businesses across the board had been significantly lower. At the same time, our Chamber was entering its highest membership renewal months. Our twin objectives became immediately clear: help increase business for our membership and maintain our member retention rate. By embarking upon a new Chamber identification program based on accomplished research, and creating a print advertising campaign to support that identification, we successfully increased our member retention by ten percentage points while garnering the gratitude of our members.

3 - 2 - synopsis Needs Identification There is an ongoing need for the Chamber, whose membership is primarily comprised of small businesses, to encourage Williamsburg area residents to help grow our economy by doing business locally. There is also a great need for the Chamber to undertake activities aimed at retaining our members. No time had these two issues been more important than the fall of 2008 when the economy nationwide was in the early days of the deepest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Throughout the area, members were reporting downturns in sales during the summer of The September government bailout of AIG, coupled with a 23% drop in the Dow Jones Index since April, had everyone anxious. We had featured Shop Local campaigns in the past. However, in the fearful economy of the day, this message seemed to ring hollow with the implied: be a good citizen shop locally. All the while, we knew these sales by loyalty messages pleased our members, but had not been strong motivators for consumers. And, they would likely not work during this time when consumers were even more acutely aware of the real possibility of personal financial adversity. Objectives Recognizing these needs stated above, our objectives became extremely focused: increase business for Chamber member businesses protect and improve member retention The target audience for the first objective consisted of adult shoppers of goods and services within our chamber coverage area: City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County, VA. The target audience for the second objective was our current membership. Of the two objectives, only member retention could be quantified and accurately measured. Regarding encouraging local shopping at member businesses, we could only quantify our

4 - 3 - spending efforts not results. Therefore, we had to rely upon feedback from our individual members as to their actual results that could, in their view, be attributed to the campaign. However, as you will see later in this report, we were able to quantify the results of some of the tactical initiatives undertaken. These two objectives speak to the core of our stated Purpose: to encourage the development and growth of new and existing businesses. Without successful businesses, we have no economic foundation within our community. And, without the continued support of our membership, we have no organization. The Message We needed a new message. A message that would connect with consumers, as well as our members. A thoughtful message that would speak directly to the inherent reasons for not only shopping locally, but also shopping with our chamber members. We found that message in the research entitled The Real Value of Joining a Local Chamber of Commerce. This 2007 study by The Schapiro Group with Market St. Services, had been provided to us earlier by the ACCE. This research had been designed to answer the question: do consumers really support businesses because they are chamber members. The survey results confirmed that, particularly for small businesses, consumers believe that Chamber members: care about their customers are reputable business people use good business practices are involved in their community The only caveat to this is, consumers need to be aware that the small business is involved with its local chamber in order for the benefits to emerge. We used the results of this research to develop a consumer campaign that would support those reasons for shopping our member businesses. The campaign would also encourage member businesses of the need to promote their membership, as well as to renew it in order to continue to enjoy this outstanding reputation with consumers.

5 - 4 - Methodology Objective One As suggested by the research, in order to meet our first objective of promoting our members to local shoppers, they first. need to be aware that the business is, indeed, a local Chamber member. To accomplish this we needed to expand our member identification program. The plastic Chamber membership plaques we had been distributing to members were being used primarily on countertops inside the shops and restaurants. Therefore, these were serving only as an afterthought for shoppers, not as an influence for entering that business in the first place. In order for the businesses to enjoy the inherent competitive advantage afforded membership, as reported by the Schapiro study, the consumer must be aware of that membership. Chamber membership had to be clearly identified from the street. With help from our agency, we created colorful and bright, easy peel-on, (and importantly, peel-off) window clings that could be replaced each year with little effort. The technology for the clings also allowed them to be easily moved and re-applied at different window locations as needed. With the initial mailing to all members, these new window-clings immediately began to appear on storefronts throughout area. Soon, many of the members were requesting additional clings for use at multiple entries to their business. Aaron Williams, President of Williams Landscape & Design, a business with no storefront, sent us a request for ten additional window-clings for his trucks along with a note saying; When my trucks are on a job site the clings let my customers know my company is a chamber member. This recognition gives them confidence in me and my business. With the appearance of these clings on shop windows and doors throughout the area, we were then ready to initiate our second tactic a yearlong advertising campaign featuring that window cling design in newspaper, magazine, and local online advertising. Again, using the Schapiro study confirming consumer attitudes towards chamber membership, the message was clearly stated to the reader: when shopping, here are the reasons (which you already believe to be true) you want to shop, and dine, at local Chamber member businesses.

6 - 5 - Unlike the loyalty shopping messages of the past encouraging consumers to do this for the benefit of the community, these benefits addressed the needs of the shopper herself: her confidence that these member merchants are reputable, care about their customers, are involved in the community, and use good business practices. Consistently using the cling (i.e. sign) as the focal point in each ad design, we worked handin-hand with our agency to develop topical headlines: A Sign of Certainty in a Time of Uncertainty Early Signs of Recovery Signs of the Season Other headlines, with the window-cling still featured in the artwork, were more direct: Shop with Confidence Dine with Confidence Repeated in the copy of each of these designs was the reminder to the reader that the businesses displaying this sign care about their customers, are reputable business people, use good business practices, and give back to the community through active involvement. Objective Two Our second objective was to improve member retention. This was of immediate importance for the Chamber as an institution. While our retention percentages had remained relatively constant throughout the years, with the recession in full swing, there was concern that this number would plummet. We determined we could best assure member retention by successfully waging this consumer campaign. For, in addition to addressing the shopper, this campaign also sent a strong message to our members about who they are and why shoppers trust them. And, therefore, why it will be important to renew that membership. As a bonus, the print campaign stealthily spoke to non-members. A message that would help them value one of the major benefits of joining our organization to grow their own business.

7 - 6 - Production & Marketing Timeline Fall 2008 Ongoing Nov/Dec 2008 Ongoing Window-cling design, printing, and distribution Window-cling distribution to new members and returning members Design initial advertising messages Placement of advertising message in print and online Budget Expense Window-cling design and production 1,500 count... $1,987 Message design and production First two ads... $2,700 Additional creative... $2,000 Resizing ad for magazine & online... $700 Media buys... $4,450 Communications Piece The strategy of using the visual of our new window-cling required us to advertise exclusively in print and online media. Fortunately, in our community we enjoy a twice-weekly newspaper that has been in publication since 1736, The Virginia Gazette. The Gazette reaches nearly 80% of the households in the area. We also ran our campaign in a locally published monthly magazine, Next Door Neighbor. This independently owned publication is mailed to 36,000 area households. Finally, we placed our message with WYDaily.com, a locally published website featuring daily news of the area. Each ad in the series carried a consistent image and theme throughout the campaign: shop confidently at locations posting this sign.

8 - 7 - Evaluation During the year of the campaign, our member retention rate, the only metric we can directly measure, increased by 10 percentage points verse prior year. The Board was especially pleased with this result at a time when the concern was whether we would be able to even match the prior year retention rate. Physical surveys of the number of window-clings posted at member businesses indicated a dramatic response to the campaign. Posted window clings were found at 77% of the member locations. Anecdotally, members are personally expressing their appreciation of our continued commitment to them with comments such as, We appreciate the continued support of the Chamber s advertising program and the Cling campaign theme, Just put up my new window cling. Thanks for making them so easy to replace no scrapping off the old one. The colorful window cling really stands out on our front door window. I am receiving positive customer comments acknowledging their appreciation of our Chamber membership.