Seeing brand awareness as solely a visual experience it too limiting. Have you ever thought about what your brand should smell like?

Effective direct-marketing campaigns can make all the difference in the success of your next meeting. A direct-marketing guru who wowed his audience…

Effective direct marketing campaigns can make all the difference in the success of your next meeting. A direct marketing guru who wowed his audience…

Small actions really can have big results. See how the American Health Information Management Association increased its numbers by changing the tone…

Your brand is your most valuable asset. Help your chapters and individual members spread your message in a way that will add value to your whole

If you are the owner of a large AMC, you may have your in-house public relations guru to promote your company. But, if you are with a smaller, growing…

Want to elicit praise that complements your strengths without sounding fake? Ask these leading questions. Plus, examples of three strong testimonials…

When it comes to great ideas, anyone can have them. When it comes to taking action, only some ideas stand out from the crowd. Four organizations

Proactive strategies that unleash the full potential of your associationÆs image can help you improve member loyalty and sustain a competitive advanta…

Some organizations have a healthy culture, and some don't. The ones that truly excel, however, are the ones that know themselves well. In hiring

"There's a major disconnect between marketing and product development," says author John Winsor, but associations have an inherent advantage in solving…

Peter Blackshaw's new book is based on an old marketing adage about word of mouth. Its value to associations lies in showing you how to keep your…

Two books comprise invaluable resources for marketers, including a five-step plan for branding and key words for product promotion.

Hard times are no time to cut back on your marketing dollars. Prove that your efforts pay off with these simple techniques.

Branding is a poor choice for magazines searching for a quick fix. A makeover or a promotion--or both--may produce results faster than a full-blown…

An effectively communicated brand idea does half of your marketing job for you. Here's how to throw out that generic, fuzzy language and get to the…

Making the most of your marketing budget is more important than ever. Get a preview of a fascinating session on how to establish fruitful marketing…

A meeting or conference is a perfect opportunity to use social media in a way that both develops community engagement and builds excitement for the…

The web-savvy staffers of ABA Journal spent a year improving their multimedia skills for its Legal Rebels project. Editing podcasts, posting video,…

Take your association's message to a product that many of your members use every day.

Association milestones are a great time to remember where you've been, examine where you are, and look forward to where you're going for the staff,…

Since people started gathering to share information, attendees have asked, “Where can I get a copy of the presentation?” Attendees want to be able…

Need to increase attendance at your upcoming conference? Your corporate partners may have deeper pockets and resources you can leverage.

Building a brand image is taking on new significance with associations as they strive to capture member loyalty and grow their membership base.

Together Everyone Achieves More, right? Not when your brand is a hodgepodge of competing logos and inconsistent designs. But by building trust and…

Released last summer, Designing Your Future offers new future-focused trends research for associations. What value does this research

Bring buzz and "stickiness" to member retention, public outreach, and conference marketing with online games.

Wish your association could attract more fans? In this month's selection of blog posts that pertain to you, view a video with a fresh look at lurkers,…

Explore the art of listening in cyberspace, consider 10 ways that social media is changing, and find the hidden messages in 25 clever logos.

The first of a four-part series, this installment reveals the underlying reasons why brands are so powerful for associations, as well as the key

A successful brand is only as powerful as the collaborative reasoning, energy, and execution behind it. It requires every employee in every department…

From vision to brand management plan, learn the management processes that ultimately lead to precise, highly focused communication to members.

Don't bury your potential customers in a mountain of words. Rather, study their needs and carefully prepare a message that shows how your services…

Powerful, expressive, meaningful—is your association's tagline everything it should be?

In February, one direct-marketing consultant posed questions to association professionals about how they open, read, and use direct marketing messages.…

Just as international attendance to U.S. meetings was making a comeback in 2004, the federal government implemented new measures to improve border…

Even with all the new channels of communication at your fingertips, you could have more difficulty than ever getting through to your key audiences.…

They are your organization's next generation. But are you doing everything you can to reach them? How to speak so that generation Y will listen.…

What is the "truth" about your brand? Do people associate it with the characteristics you are trying to covey, or is your brand's message broken?…

Alpha companies direct the actions of both their customers and competitors. These companies get through difficult times by looking beyond economics…

Your organization will reap the rewards of passionate donors only if you actively and purposefully reinforce that passion and enthusiasm in them

Before you take steps to require all components to use one uniform logo, recognize this is a sensitive issue and must be approached carefully—as

Should you provide a logo for individual members to use in their own marketing efforts? Should it be the same or different from your association’s…

Your association is reaching a milestone—25, 50, 75 years—and you want to let people know. How can you share your anniversary with members? Your

Thinking of putting your membership directory online? Your colleagues discuss what to keep in mind and how to market the change to your members.

Management consultant and University of San Francisco professor Oren Harari dips into the manuscript for his upcoming book to describe seven strategic…

The difference between serif and sans-serif fonts is more than just aesthetic. Readers perceive messages in these two types of fonts differently,…

The tumultuous economy affects us all as marketers, and it most certainly affects your members. In these times, it is wise to re-evaluate your marketing…

Don't wait until you finish an assignment to look for your next project or piece of work. Market your business through in-person meetings, social…

When the American Planning Association began to look at its branding five years ago, it had an array of chapters and sections with wildly different…

Keeping your association's mission in mind as you market your meetings can provide a creative and fruitful perspective. View your meetings as opportunities…

If you suspect you're not getting all you should out of your marketing, Philip Kotler says you're probably right. But if you think the problem is…

Analyzing your internal marketing capabilities can help you make informed strategic and tactical decisions. These assessment tips will get you started…

Perk up your marketing copy with personal stories that are meaningful to your audience.

From Betty Crocker to Mattel, discover the cross-cultural inconsistencies these companies' marketers have made. The author also explores success

NBC Nightly News, CNN, Fox News Channel, and the Today Show—these and other local, regional, and national media wrote or broadcast positive stories…

An enterprising association shows how to leverage social networking tools to promote your events. You'll be amazed at the interest you can build

To stay in the race for better name identity and global visibility online, associations may need to rethink their branding strategy, including possibly…

A marketing guru offers his attention-grabbing ideas to increase membership and event attendance through the “so-what” test, ethical bribes, and

Creating a theme for your annual conference may be the best and easiest way to breathe new life into the biggest event for your organization while…

Bringing together a diverse mix of professionals in your association means more than simply making services available to everyone. Different factors…

If your marketing efforts are falling flat, don't blame your marketers and salespeople. Chances are, your product, your message, and mindset of your…

Starbucks equals community. Apple equals cool. BMW equals performance. Your association equals—what? By implementing a few simple ideas, you can

Approach branding as a dimension of strategic planning and management by integrating. Integrate the development of products and relationships, communication,…

In a down economy, could word of mouth make all the difference? Andy Sernovitz thinks so.

Beyond marketing, every department has a vested interest in the organization's brand--and an obligation to help create success. Deploy a successful…

Compared to the corporate market, associations traditionally experience a delayed financial impact in a slower economy. Even so, now is not the time…

When the American Canoe Association looked at its communication strategy, it realized its boat needed more than a fresh coat of paint; it was time…

In case you missed the recent ASAE & The Center programs on these topics, here's a quick recap of what your corporate cousins can teach you about…

A sense of humor and a well-honed message have helped two associations succeed in their online video efforts.

Read real life elevator speeches and find out how to get your listeners to say, "Tell me more" with a proven three-step process on how to revise

Trade show giveaways can create valuable buzz in your booth. The results of a recent survey provide insight into what's hot and what's not in this…

Associations are treasure troves of information about their industries. Why not market that information to members and nonmembers to create new revenue…

Many associations find benefits in exhibiting at tradeshows (not just hosting their own). Learn some tips about effectively conveying the value of…

Extend the lives and appeal of your print magazines and newsletters by engaging readers through interactive online techniques. Association publications…

Making an emotional connection with your members can lead to some surprising rewards. Here's a simple technique that can lead to some big changes…

“What do you do?” Some call it an elevator speech, but for those of us associated with AMCs, it’s our “What is an AMC?” story. This article describes…

Who is your association, how is it different, and why should your audiences care? Your tagline—when crafted for power—should communicate…

Many times when a new executive steps into the lead role at an organization, there's some cleaning up to do. In no place does a fresh improvement…

Speaking to a reporter on behalf of your industry is hard enough at the best of times. But when you’re fighting an uphill battle against stereotypes…

The right tagline can create passion and involvement. Here's some expert advice on how.

Getting the best of a 250-pound linebacker? Fighting through bitter partisan politics? Steve Largent's done that. But was he able to rebrand the