Technology Helps Get Your Message to the Top of the Pile
March 1, 2001, Fairfax, VA -- By Lisa Martin -- ASAE Government Relations Newsletter
© Copyright 2001 American Society of Association Executives.
How can associations, lobbyists, and other advocacy groups get their voices heard above the hundreds of others in the crowd? There are traditional methods, such as phone calls, e-mail, direct mail, and office visits, but in addition to consuming time and dollars, these devices often produce disappointing results. Groups such as yours need to get key messages to the top of the pile. Thankfully, there are new technology solutions that allow you to do just this.
Bobbie Kilberg, president of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), Herndon, understands the problems facing organizations trying to get their messages across to government lawmakers. From her days as deputy assistant to the president for public liaison for former President George H.W. Bush, she recalls, "The amount of paper that came across my desk from interest groups was immense. It is hard to differentiate yourself and guarantee that your voice is being heard." As president of NVTC, Kilberg has employed technology solutions, such as a mini CD-ROM, to attract the attention of policy makers at the state and local levels.
Mini CD-ROMs, roughly the size of business cards, are a relatively new technology entering the mainstream. They can hold video and text files, interface with the Internet with links to an organization's Web site, and serve as a direct connection to the most recent news and updates on specific issues.
The device's portability is appealing, and a tremendous amount of information can be housed on the disc to accomplish a variety of goals. "The mini CD-ROM gets the viewer's attention and demonstrates that the organization is tech-savvy and wants to make information-gathering convenient," Kilberg says.
NVTC's mini CD-ROM contains information about the organization and membership, a "Get Linked" section that drives users to the NVTC Web site, and four separate video clips. The clips allow NVTC to send four distinct messages to users in a personal fashion that would not be possible with other forms of marketing communication.
The mini CD-ROMs have been phenomenally successful, in part, the organization believes, because they are compact and portable. They are packaged in sleeves that also can hold a business card--handy for distribution at networking events. They also complement NVTC's other marketing materials and offer the added benefit of driving visitors to the organization's Web site for the latest information.
Lisa Martin, president of LeapFrog Solutions, Fairfax, Virginia, is a member of the Government Relations Section.
About LeapFrog Solutions Inc.
LeapFrog Solutions Inc. (LFS) provides public- and private-sector clients with a comprehensive range of services that include strategic marketing communications, advertising, public relations, Web site design and interactive marketing. Formed in 1996, the company is a privately held, certified, woman-owned small business located in Fairfax, Virginia. For more information, visit www.leapfrogit.com or call 703-273-7900.
Media Contact:
Sherry Syence
LeapFrog Solutions, Inc.
(703) 273-7900
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