An Association TruValueä Governance, Marketing and Communications Review and Analysis Designed for Trade Associations, Professional Societies and other Nonprofits
Sample using the Associated Building and Contractors, Inc

WHY DOES ABC NEED A GOVERNANCE, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS REVIEW AND ANALYSIS AND WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE?

• More so than any other functional areas today, rapid obsolescence of product, policies, strategies, programs and services occurs in the governance, marketing and communications areas of the association.
• With constant change as the driving force today, even though an association focuses on long range strategic issues and monitors weekly/month/y work plans, there is a periodic need to reassess its strategic marketing and communications positions.
• This reassessment which includes a thorough review of product and marketing plan integration is called the marketing and communications review and analysis. Associations are increasingly turning to marketing and communications reviews to assess opportunities and operations.(A sample checksheet is at the enclosure.)

WHAT IS A TruValueä GOVERNANCE, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS REVIEW AND ANALYSIS?

• A governance, marketing and communications review and analysis is a comprehensive, systematic, independent, and periodic examination of an association’s governance, marketing and communications environment, objectives, strategies, and activities with a view of determining problem areas and opportunities. It usually provides for a recommended plan of action to improve the organization’s strategic marketing performance, and to identify the "true value" of benefits, programs and services to the members as a whole, and member segments as well as other stakeholders.
• The review and analysis provides a snapshot of the association’s current marketing and communications position in each functional area examined, and enumerates discrepancies and findings as well as recommendations, presented in the form of action plans, as to how to correct them. AMMR’s unique ability in the conduct of the review and analysis is to focus on the governance, marketing and communications structural organization and degree of product line integration of the association in order to recommend appropriate tools to correct any problems noted.

WHERE DOES THE REVIEW FIT IN ABC’S STRATEGIC MARKETING PLANNING PROCESS?

The analysis and review enables ABC to revise association strategies that are found unreliable or unproductive while adding new entrepreneurial strategies discovered by the review and analysis. Elements of the Strategic Marketing Plan process incorporated into the review and analysis are:

• The review evaluates all phases of the Strategic Marketing Planning Process.
• The review and analysis reviews elements of the association’s overall analysis which includes mission, objectives, culture, strengths/weaknesses, publics, the competition and macro-environmental factors (Social, political, technical, economic).
• The review focuses on true value of benefits, programs and services. True value has four components: the tangible value a company, institution or individual receives through doing business as a direct result of the association; the tangible or intangible value the company and the member representatives receive as being active, involved participants in the association’s programs and activities; the critical, perceived and intangible value the company and it’s representatives receive from the years the association has spent building the industry into what it is today, and will be tomorrow, in representing the industry family; and, the critical value of member companies’ employees who have learned from the association.

Consequently, the major problem in identifying true value for the member or non- member is that they are too busy to focus on what the industry has done in the past and will do in the future to better business and professional conditions for everyone. If ABC ceased to exist, and there was no association to fight for the industry, then "true value" would take on a new and immediate meaning for all. Some benefits, programs and services have a direct dollar value and relationship while others can only be calculated as benefits and services perceived as having value to the company and the industry.

The TruValueä review and analysis operationalizes all four components in a meaningful and realistic way so that members and nonmembers come to appreciate the integrated true value of the association. To complicate matters further, each member segment has a different focus on what both true value is for the segment, both in terms of "direct results" value and perceived value.

Currently, ABC is in the position of having a variety of segments to serve and limited resources through which to serve them all. The objective of a TruValueä review and analysis is focused on raising the visibility of the value of ABC membership programs and services, and providing the means to deliver that value through re-engineering its marketing position in the promotion and delivery of the product and service line.

• The review and analysis reviews elements of association strategy including setting marketing and communications missions and goals and core strategy (targets position and mix).
• The review and analysis reviews elements of implementation including (design, specific targets and benchmarks) and performance assessment).

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL PLANNED AND EXECUTED ORGANIZATIONAL AND MARKETING REVIEW AND ANALYSIS FOR ABC?

• Inclusive -- an all inclusive review and analysis covers major organizational and marketing issues facing ABC, not just one or a few marketing trouble spots.
• Systematic -- The marketing review and analysis involves an orderly sequence of diagnostic steps covering the association’s marketing environment, internal marketing system, and specific marketing activities. The diagnosis is followed by a corrective action plan involving a prioritize listing of both short term and long term recommendations to improve ABC’s overall marketing effectiveness.
• Independent -- The marketing review and analysis should be lead by an experienced marketing professional, preferably one who has previously served as an association or foundation chief executive officer with a variety of experiences with different types and sizes of associations. This professional should have sufficient independence to attain top management’s confidence and needed objectivity.
• Recurring -- The marketing review and analysis should normally be carried out periodically, not in a crisis. It promises benefits for the organization that is seemingly successful, as well as the one that is in deep trouble. AMMR recommends a full review and analysis initially followed by a semi-annual review. Additionally, "functional" review and analysis of trouble areas (sales, pricing, fundraising specific product) can be carried out as needed.

WHAT IS AMMR’S OVERALL APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONAL AND MARKETING REVIEWS AND ANALYSES?

An organizational and marketing review and analysis is carried out by AMMR analyst(s) who gathers information that is critical to evaluating ABC’s marketing performance. The review and analysis or collects secondary data and also interviews managers, customers, clients, members, nonmembers, legislative and public relations personnel, dealers, salespeople, and others who might provide information on ABC’s service or product marketing performance.

The review and analysis does not solely rely on internal management opinion, but seeks opinions and evaluations of outsiders regarding the organization. AMMR conducts in-depth interviews with members, leaders and allied and competing organizations to solicit ideas and verify findings. AMMR sometimes recommends that the association use in-depth interviews to help construct focus group questions, and use both the interviews and focus group results to construct a questionnaire for the marketing survey. Although budget constraints often do not allow for a full analysis, AMMR can tailor the review to match budget considerations.

Sometimes the findings and recommendations are a surprise, (and sometimes a shock!), but always valued by management. AMMR works very closely with management to insure that management’s deliverables are identified and produced in such a way in which management can use recommendations to obtain results.

WHAT PROCEDURES AND TOOLS WILL AMMR USE TO CONDUCT A Tru Valueä REVIEW AND ANALYSIS FOR ABC?

AMMR’s review and analysis are conducted systematically in a series of review and analysis steps using a predesigned review and analysis review tool which examines (5) five distinct marketing processes. The review and analysis steps include:

• A detailed review of ABC’s history including all current and previous surveys, needs assessments, review and analyses, etc.
• An initial meeting with ABC principals and staff to set review and analysis parameters and determine specific deliverables including timelines. This meeting has the following purposes:
• Assure ABC that the review is designed to assist management in developing a better communications and marketing organization using better marketing strategies and tactics. ABC must know and accept that the governance, communication and marketing reviews are not at all like accounting reviews and analyses, which looks for errors, deceptions, or other evidence of mismanagement. Instead, the marketing and communication review is a forward-looking tool indicating to management what can and should be the focus of their strategic marketing and communication efforts in the coming months and years.
• Introduce AMMR personnel to management and explain to management that the review and analysis will be on concrete practical considerations that take full recognition of ABC’s actual conditions. A review and analysis is not an ivory-tower exercise that outlines ideal strategies or evaluates programs according to unrealistic standards. Rather, it is a down-to-earth set of findings, recommendations, benchmarks and guidelines, which can point ABC in directions consistent with it’s vision, mission, key focus areas using the best marketing wisdom and experience.
• Ascertain ABC’s expectations and outcomes for the review and analysis. It is important that the review and analysis meet not only the needs of the association, but also those of management.
• Describe AMMR review and analysis procedure and review our specific review and analysis instruments.
• Present a formal request for archival information to learn what required information is available and when and how it can be obtained.
• Begin planning site visits and temporary office space (usually not necessary) for on-site work.
• Establish a regular procedure to keep key staff informed of the review and analysis process. It is critical there are no surprises to management in the final report.
• Prepare the review and analysis plan - Review ABC review and analysis objectives and tailor the review and analysis review tool to reflect all general and special areas of concern.
• Review secondary information sources including all organization documents. The following preliminary list documents will be provided as soon as possible:
• Membership Statistics
• Bylaws & Budget/Audit
• Policy & Procedures Manual
• Legal documents affecting the Product or Service lines
• Strategic Plan
• Marketing Plan including Product line Marketing Plans
• Collateral materials on all products and services
• All surveys and research from 1992 - Present
• Staff and Volunteer Organizational Chart, list of volunteer leaders & vendors
• Marketing Department Policy and Procedures
• Job Descriptions of all Marketing Staff and other staff who sell any association product
• Other materials unique to specific ABC requests.
• Schedule primary data gathering and conduct on-site visits and interviews. AMMR will normally:
• Interview all appropriate staff and volunteers
• Review documents not previously reviewed
• Observe training and briefings as appropriate
• Accompany staff to product/service meetings if appropriate
• Review and/or interview competitors/allied organization’s products, pricing, packaging and point of purchase materials as appropriate.
• Conduct focus groups and \or conduct a marketing needs assessment (if necessary).
• Complete review and analysis-- cross-tabulate and integrate responses and prepare the review and analysis final report. The final report will include:
• Cover Page
• Table of Contents
• Background and History
• Mission of the Review and analysis
• Deliverables
• Statement of Confidentiality/Copyrights
• Executive Summary (Brief presentation of major findings and recommendations)
• Major Findings, Recommendations and suggested Action Plans by Review and Analysis Area (Governance, Marketing, Membership, Communications, Government Relations, etc.)
• Conclusion
• Appendices (exhibits, reports, questions, tables, guides, sample materials and plans, etc.)
• Review draft report with the CEO or designated staff liaison, and make needed adjustments to ensure the accuracy of association information.
• Prepare and present the final report. The final report will be written in an easy to read and comprehend style with appropriate appendices explaining all information.
• If requested as part of the contract, present a Board briefing outlining the review and analysis.
• Follow-up – Discuss further assignments based on the review and/or schedule next review and analysis date or establish timeframes for functional area review and analysis to be performed in the future.

HOW SHOULD ABC USE THE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS?

If utilized, the TruValue™ review and analysis can be an immediate remedy for changes in marketing and communications philosophy, policy, procedures and product line integration. This means that the report will be stated in the simplest, most direct language and, that it should also be discussed in person with all interested parties. Such discussion will ensure that any ambiguities are cleared up, that there is no misunderstanding of the major recommendations and suggested plans for remedies and, that ABC understands what is required to implement necessary changes.

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