ASMC's 100Th ANNIVERSARY

ASMC'S 100th ANNIVERSARY

Marketing Plan

1904-2004

Overview

The occasion of ASMC's 100th Anniversary presents many opportunities that the association can exploit for the benefit of itself and the members it serves. The purpose of this document is to identify goals that can be achieved during the 100th anniversary celebration; activities necessary to meet those goals; sources of funding; and a schedule for implementation. An outline of a publication to commemorate the association's accomplishments during its first 100 years is also attached.

ASMC's 100th anniversary year will “officially” begin on January 1, 2004 and continue throughout the year. The celebration will peak with the Executive Sales & Marketing Conference. Planning will, of course, commence by December 2002.

Goals

Seven major goals of the 100th anniversary celebration have been identified. They are:

Boost ASMC's profile within the sales agency community.
Contribute to member retention by fostering greater awareness of, loyalty to and pride in ASMC.

3. Support membership recruitment activities.

4. Generate more member involvement in ASMC.

5. Draw attention to the association's accomplishments.

6. Increase attendance at our events.

7. Capture ASMC's history in a permanent record.

Objectives to meet goals

Create a 100th anniversary publication.
Develop a special commorative web page.
Develop a 100th Anniversary logo for use on association communications throughout the year.
Use association communications to publicize activities connected with 100th anniversary celebration and to encourage member involvement.
Inform key non-member audiences (trade press, vendors) to raise awareness and to solicit involvement.
Use 100th anniversary occasion as a theme for recruiting or retaining members.
Put together a 100th Anniversay Board subcommittee to assist with historical collection.
Hire a p/t intern for 2003 to gather and assemble information.
Recruit Mark Singer to help.

Specific actions to be taken

Marketing Division

Hire intern to pull together historical data on ASMC, interview key people in ASMC history, obtain visual materials (photos, charts, etc.) and write and edit portions of 100th anniversary publication. Individual will also provide materials and information to be used in creating A/V presentation for use at ES&M and other meetings during the year.
Create logo and prepare guidelines for use.
Prepare 100th anniversary letterhead and envelopes.
Write, produce, and print 100th anniversary publication commemorating ASMC's history.
Solicit funding for 100th anniversary publication and a/v presentation from vendors and members.
Coordinate 100th anniversary activities with promotional activities associated with various conferences, particularly ES&M.
Solicit members to contribute statements about what ASMC has meant to the sales & marketing community, or how it has helped their business. Comments would be used in anniversary publication, website and membership marketing/retention activities.
Order 2-3 promotional items to highlight the anniversary for purchase and give-a-way (mugs, etc).
Work with an outside vendor to create a multi-media presentation commemorating ASMC's anniversary, ready for viewing by conference participants.

Communications Division

Write feature article(s) relating to ASMC's anniversary in January/February (04) issue of the Forum.
Include articles as necessary in "Sales Link" on related 100th anniversary activities and charter member company profiles.
Create several media opportunities designed to bring attention to key events. Specifically:

a)ASMC founding date anniversary. Invite members (along with ASMC leadership) to participate in special ceremony (perhaps the presentation of an anniversary plaque).

b)Publication of anniversary publication.

Write speeches for Mark B., Rick A., and ASMC Board chair that emphasize ASMC's actions on behalf of sales and marketing agencies during last 100 years.
Arrange for placement of articles or interviews with Mark in various trade publications. Angle could be ASMC's 100 years of accomplishment, or perhaps a perspective on the future of the industry. Either way, ASMC has arrived as a player in the agency community and Mark B. is recognized as the most influential person within the association.

Meetings/Education Division

Plan at least one meal function during each major event (T3 & ES&M in 2004) to show multi-media presentation, and tie-in anniversary in other ways (giant cake, customized desserts, anniversary balloons, etc.).
Recognize charter members, founders at annual conference. (I’m sure there are no founding individuals but there are founding companies.)
Put together a “Things that happened 100 years ago” piece or “how business was conducted then”.
Other meetings--pre-conference. Provide coupons ($100 off registration fee?) to attendees within a short time period before the event.
All meetings--script event to tie in to association's 100th anniversary as well as provide a forum for showing a/v program.

Membership Division

Utilize 100th anniversary as a theme in member recruitment ($100 off of first year dues, etc.).
Weave 100th anniversary into member renewal and retention activities, such as dues letter, dues insert & acknowledgement letter. Perhaps give renewing members who pay by X date a $100 dollar coupon off next conference registration.
Encourage existing charter members who have dropped ASMC to rejoin, using 100th anniversary as device to get their attention. Invite them to attend Annual Conference. Work with 100th anniversary subcommittee members to help identify charter member companies.
Use anniversary as occasion to challenge board and membership committee to recruit new members (ex., challenge the board to recruit 100 new members).

100th Anniversary Subcommittee

Write down or record recollections of key events in ASMC history for use in anniversary publication, a/v presentation.
Interview other key players in ASMC's history for their recollections.
Identify current status of charter members of ASMC; provide to Membership Division for recruitment activities and to Marketing for use in anniversary publication.
Use both personal contact and correspondence to encourage agencies to participate in 100th anniversary activities by contributing their recollections/memorabilia, sponsoring publication, attending conference.
Provide staff with personal photos and memorabilia of events in ASMC's history – if anyone has any. Of photos of their companies history if it’s been around.

ASMC Leadership (Baum/Abraham/Connell)

Emphasize ASMC's anniversary year in all appearances. Make special effort to note association's accomplishments during last 100 years and how the agency community has benefited.

Attachment A

100th Anniversary Activities

Proposed sources of funding

ASMC Budget

These activities can be undertaken through current funding sources.

Office supplies (letterhead, envelopes)

Jan/Feb issue of Forum

"Sales Link"

Annual conference promotional activities

Other on-site annual conference activities (meal function, dessert, etc.)

Press releases, press events

These activities might require additional funding authority

Discounts on conference registrations

Discount on joining ASMC

This item would require additional funding authority

"Anniversary” publication--$10,000

Annual conference a/v presentation

Sponsorship from vendors

100th Anniversary publication ($10,000)

Video for ASMC conferences ($12,000)

ASMC Members

Contributions as patrons for 100th anniversary publication (est. 100 x $100 each). For this they would receive recognition in publication.

Attachment B

100th Anniversary Activities

Proposed timeline

August 2002

Logo development.

November 2002

Marketing/action plan approved internally & by Board.

December 2002-June 2003

Archive search.

Interviews conducted with former ASMC members & staff.

Other research conducted.

Sponsors lined up for publication and a/v presentation.

Charter member companies identified.

Members solicited for sponsorship of publication.

Members asked to write what ASMC membership has meant to their company.

July 2003

Letterhead/envelopes done.

Writing for anniversary publication begun.

August 2003

Company hired for a/v production

Scripting/storyboards begun for a/v presentation.

Design and thumbnail outline for anniversary publication completed.

September 2003

Production of 100th anniversary publication.

Pick date and develop 100th “ceremony”.

November 2003

100th Anniversary publication printed.

Press release on anniversary publication. Key press people sent copies. Promotion of publication to members begins.

December 2003

Press releases announcing 100th anniversary year sent out.

A/V program completed.

Web section completed.

Attachment C

100th Anniversary Activities

Proposed outline of 100th anniversary publication

General

This would be a glossy magazine style publication or perhaps coffee table book depending on amount of materials/photos collected. It would follow a chronological history of events that shaped ASMC, broken down into sections covering 10-year periods of the association's history. Each 10-year segment outlines history of the association during that period, covering events such as membership growth, the state of the agency community (good economy or bad?, typical products and services of an agency), new ASMC programs added, staffing levels, highlights of annual meetings, appropriate period photos and world events at the time.

There would be a general narrative outlining the general events of each period, with sidebars, photos, charts & graphs, and other visual materials to make graphically attractive.

Sidebars would focus on major events facing association and community. Other sidebars might include charts and graphs on ASMC membership growth, asset growth, mergers, manufacturers served by ASMC members, rosters of board members, etc.

Potential people to interview

ASMC Chairmen and Board members

Former CEOs and staffers (Cindy – ha ha)

Final section

A focus on the future and changes we can expect.