Winners Circle: Lessons from All Media Contest winners
Crafting effective communications
Regardless of the type of communication an association is producing, it is imperative that everything bearing the association’s name is consistent with its mission and reinforces its goals. The piece is, after all, representing the association to the public.
In the 2011 All Media Contest, the Property Casualty Insurers of America won more awards for exceptional communications pieces than any other association. In addition to effectively written pieces, PCIA tackled complex subjects and made communications interactive and engaging, in pieces that were well-thought-out and well-organized.
PCIA marketing and communications director Steven Cline said, “The best advice I can give is to try your best to look at whatever you are working on from your audience’s perspective. For a few moments, be a reader, not a communicator.”
“Aspects that are crystal clear to you may be indecipherable to your audience. So look at each piece without your preconceptions and make them as visually engaging and well-written as possible,” Cline advised. (Read the case study on PCIA’s gold-winning entry in the most improved magazine or journal category at right.)
Managing editor Diane Rusignola of Independent Agent, a publication of Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, discussed the processes behind a video series of documentary-style stories of real customers, “designed to drive consumers to and around TrustedChoice.com, where they can find a nearby agent and learn more about the types of coverage offered.” (The association won gold for its video The Lockharts’ Story: Rapid Recovery.)
Rusignola advised communications directors who are looking to embark on video that “it’s very important to know your audience and your resources. Since so many consumers rely on video as a primary source when gathering information about an organization, it’s more important than ever that your video send the right message and make the right impression.
“In addition, it’s critical to fully utilize all the platforms available to your association for your videos. Remember to play them not just at your meetings and conferences, but post them online throughout your social media sites, homepages and electronic member publications.”
She recommends that “consumer-grade handi-cams and amateur editing systems can produce decent-looking videos very quickly and easily that can be extremely effective for communicating a news update or a call to action for association members. But for videos that will be widely available to the public or will live on your social media pages or websites, it’s important that they be higher quality, professionally produced pieces.”
From Brian Clark, marketing and membership director of the Asphalt Institute, which won gold in membership directory: “The Asphalt Institute’s 2011 Membership Directory focused on highlighting and honoring its members. The front cover design features an asphalt road rolling out into a red carpet to underscore our emphasis on supreme service to our members. By definition, asphalt is not a sexy product, but this membership directory lets our members know that we believe they are a class act. The directory is a heavy use item for Institute members and this was the catalyst for using 130# Athens Silk stock with soft touch aqueous for the covers and rounded tab pages. The benefits are no fingerprints and a very durable cover.
“Inside the front cover we incorporated a fold out spread of Asphalt Institute member company logos, again focusing on them as the stars of our industry. The first few pages of content are dedicated to honoring members and those who have served the Asphalt Institute and the asphalt industry via membership longevity and other ways. Also, a redesign of the layout for member company personnel (reflected in this edition) made the information cleaner and easier to read, in turn making the directory a more efficient tool.”
Ellen Kim, creative director of Graphek Inc., said the Asian American Justice Center, which won gold in the convention promotion package category, “desired to celebrate 20 years of advancing equality in a unique and celebratory way at the 2011 American Courage Awards. [We] designed a visual timeline that highlighted events that took place over the past 20 years. This distinctive and visually celebratory timeline uses design elements from AAJC’s brand identity while making up the core visual solution for the event. The design elements were flexible and functional to apply to various collateral materials that included an invitation, flier, program, web banners, posters and signage.”
