Category: Campaigns

Class: One

Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce

New Braunfels, Texas

Synopsis:

People often think chambers are stuck in the routine of doing the same thing year after year and because of this cycle, the public perception of the organization can become stale and uninspiring. In 2015, the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce embarked on a movement to revitalize the Chamber’s image and show that we are constantly progressing to better serve the community and our members.

The purpose of the campaign was to update the Chamber’s image to convey that the organization is moving forward and evolving while maintaining our roots and respecting our past. We started by updating the logo to a modern version and updating everything the logo was on. We then created and publicized a four-year Strategic Plan to guide the organization’s actions and help communicate the Chamber’s purpose, goals and priorities.

Developing core messaging was the most meaningful element of this campaign and was accomplished through the creation and implementation of the Strategic Communications Plan. Marketing collateral was then either updated or developed to incorporate the new core messaging and improve the design and effectiveness. Updated marketing collateral included letterhead and business cards, website, and the weekly e-newsletter. Newly developed pieces included a membership brochure, “What Does the Chamber Do” video, membership video testimonials, radio ads, a newspaper ad and a “Did You Know” campaign.

A key component to updating the image was improved and increased social media usage. We are active on several social media sites including LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube with an emphasis on Facebook and Twitter. This helped the Chamber connect with our audiences and spread the Chamber messages in a broad, efficient and effective manner.

The campaign has made a significant improvement in not only how the Chamber and its representatives, both staff and volunteer, speak about the organization, but also in how it is viewed within the community. Tangible results include 100,493 website pageviews and 79,800 pageviews during 2015, representing increases of 61% and 64% respectively.

On Facebook the page likes increased by 7,040 or 202%, reach increased by 787,686 or 99%, impressions increased by 1.96 million or 37% and consumption increased by 107,409 or 139% during 2015. For Twitter, followers increased by 1,344 or 75%, impressions increased by 627,787 or 325%, likes increased by 510 or 94% and clicks increased by 1,563 or 84%. Overall the social media accounts gained 14,832 followers, an increase of 162%, during 2015.