Not so long ago, associations had only a few ways of communicating their emerging messages to their members and the public—at a live event, in a printed publication or, if the budget would allow, a broadcast spot on radio or television. Each message, while carefully constructed, had a limited shelf life due to the availability and accessibility of its broadcast platform. 

Not so today, when messages are instantaneous and captured indefinitely with the advent of such social media tools as Twitter and Facebook. Nowadays anyone can learn about the pros (and cons) of an organization with the click of a mouse or by viewing a message on a smartphone. And while I am still a lover of all things printed on paper, I recently witnessed the success of two completely different messaging campaigns that went digital against all odds and came out with unparalleled results.

In its first year of a multi-year government grant, Coulter client RESOLVE created a traditional radio and print public service announcement (PSA) campaign targeted to promote embryo donation as a specific family building option in specific areas around the country. Even after pulling out all the stops, employing numerous resources that had shown previously proven results, airplay and print placement of the campaign messaging was slim to none. RESOLVE then took a step back, reevaluated the campaign direction and decided to focus its efforts on a digital PSA campaign. They created a video PSA that was an instant hit on YouTube, found followers on Facebook and created Google ads that had interested parties immediately directed to its Destination Family section on the RESOLVE website.  The campaign garnered national attention, and was recently featured as a success story in Google’s Public Sector blog. Ironically, the “digital revolution” was not even part of the initial discussion when RESOLVE developed the campaign, yet that’s where it found its home…and its most effective messaging.

Coulter client Tysons Tomorrow reaped its own reward when it received official recognition from the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Zoning regarding its online “get the message to those who need to hear it” campaign promoting smarter growth in the Tysons Corner area. After simplifying the complex issues behind the discussion of the Tysons Corner Comprehensive Plan, participants were asked to send electronic messages (either pre-generated or self-written) to members of the Planning Commission urging them to reconsider certain aspects of the current plan up for approval. The overwhelming response received by the Commission directly led to positive modifications within the plan text, generating a “win-win” situation for all of those involved.

You won’t ever hear me say “print is dead” and I have yet to convert my library books into a Kindle, but after witnessing first-hand how simple, cost-effective and triumphant these two completely different campaigns were, I’m a true believer that everyone should consider ALL the “instant messaging” options available in this day and age before choosing how to get the word out.