Canadian Society of Association Executives
Establishing Media Relationships for Canada’s Association Leader
Did you know that the association sector is made up of 11,500 association businesses, employing some 186,000 people across Canada? The sector contributes a whopping $27.5 billion+ to Canada’s economy. The executives who run these associations rely on CSAE (Canadian Society of Association Executives) to advance association excellence through networking and learning opportunities.
Our Engagement
- Earned Media
Challenge
CSAE does incredible work. But – beyond insiders – it had little to no name recognition.
Anamorphiq was brought in to change that. And we did it with a smart (if we do say so ourselves!) media relations strategy.
Objective
Our targeted six-month media relations program was designed to:
Showcase CSAE as the champion for associations in Canada
Highlight CSAE as a centre of excellence and a model for continuous improvement in association management
Support membership retention and growth
We put ourselves squarely in the shoes of CSAE’s target audiences: what perspectives and angles would be important to them, and where are they getting their news? We then crafted an integrated tactical plan with stories built around topics like association sector impact, human resources, and business leadership – topics that matter to the people CSAE needed to reach, told through media outlets they watch, read and listen to.
We looked for ways for CSAE to share its unique perspective while building authority and visibility.
That meant we:
Pitched HR media highly relevant news they could use – like CSAE’s Benefits & Compensation Report.
Offered CEO Tracy Folkes-Hanson as a leadership expert, securing interviews with high-profile media outlets.
Identified and pitched regional and vertical feature stories to trade and business press.
Watched for relevant issues in the news and put CSAE forward to provide insights and commentary.
Results
This was CSAE’s first-ever foray into media relations and the results far exceeded expectations.
Some examples:
Extensive Earned Media Coverage: A strategic announcement of CSAE’s Benefits & Compensation Report garnered significant national and regional attention.
Thought Leadership: Successfully positioned CSAE’s CEO Tracy Folkes-Hanson as an influential voice through articles and interviews, notably in the Globe & Mail and the “Do Good To Lead Well” podcast.
