Most NECA-IBEW Electricians materials use members’ names, sometimes in rotation. Click to play the spot.

A professional association can be an effective way to pool resources among companies of similar service offerings to jointly promote their industry to a specific market.

But the membership dues a company pays to be part of the association should also produce a measurable return on an individual level, as well.

That’s why NECA-IBEW Electricians, a group of Mahoning Valley electrical contractors and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers locals in Youngstown and Warren, Ohio, has followed a strategy that blends the interests of the industry with those of its individual members.

“Our objective with this group is not only to promote the hiring of union electrical contractors, but also to raise the profile of the individual contractors,” said Jim Houck, senior consultant at Pecchia Communications, the Ohio public relations firm that has supported NECA-IBEW Electricians since mid-2012.

For starters, the association has created a web presence that’s heavy on frequent, rich content updates and search engine optimization tactics. The site is a virtual clearinghouse of news, not only showcasing what the association generates through its media relations program, but also providing members a means to amplify their individual announcements.

Media buys feature primary messaging that promotes the benefits of hiring union electrical contractors and, where space permits, also lists the individual contractor members and contact information.

Value-adds received through media buys are allocated to the individual members. For instance, a full-page Business Journal ad commitment came with an opportunity to produce and post this spot on the publication’s Daily Buzz broadcast.

“We used that spot to deflect attention to the individual contractors,” Houck said. “This year we also negotiated favorable rates for a companion half-page Business Journal ad that will rotate throughout the year among the member contractors.”

Tangible member benefits are realized in referral website visits, telephone inquiries, news article mentions, news section website visits, Google key word rankings, advertising impressions and more.

In its entirety, the blend of association-specific marketing and amplification of visibility among the individual contractors is serving both interests well.

“We’ve leveraged the association’s collective marketing power to not only tell the broader story, but to highlight the qualities of the individual players who comprise it,” Houck said.

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