Discovering whether your communications are connecting with your intended audiences represents a key resource issue for YMCAs. This session focuses on the communications audit using case studies from the AYP and the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington.

1. Your sending ...
Are You Connecting?
See us in Booth 1000
Making Dreams Fly ®

2. Introduction
Selling Salt Water Taffy
Y Camp staff
Associations: 32 years
PR/Marketing: 40 years
 Communications audits for
AYP and YMCA-DC
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3. Making Dreams Fly ®

4. What
• Independent
• Review/Analysis
• All communications (print,
electronic, digital)
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5. Making Dreams Fly ®

6. Why
• Communications & marketing changing
… rapidly!
• Is “your stuff” is connecting?
• Where are your customers?
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7. USA Today, Wednesday
Mail 3 Times A Week Apple Has Record Earnings
25,000,000
• USPS = $8.3 Billion loss 20,000,000
20,300,000
15,000,000
• Cutting Saturday service 10,000,000
9,250,000
7,500,000
• 3x a week before 2025 5,000,000
3,950,000
0
iPhones iPads iPods Macs
2 183%
1.5
142%
1
0.5 -20.0% 14.0%
0
-0.5
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8. Your Prospects Are Here
Are You?
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9. Mobile Mania
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10. Making Dreams Fly ®

11. Go to
mobile.southwest.com
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12. billion
billion
Cell Phone Users Computer Users
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13. Making Dreams Fly ®

14. Process
1. Analyze existing communications
materials/vehicles/content
2. Conduct executive interviews
3. Meet with employees and managers
4. Interview stakeholders/key audiences
• One-on-one interviews
• Survey of members/potential members
• Town Hall session(s)
5. Submit report & recommendations
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15. Methodology
1-on-1 interviews
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16. Methodology
Member feedback
1,498
8,251
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17. Who Responded?
• 93.4% current members
• 45.2% member <5 years
• 24.7% with Y 21+ years
• 44% suburban; 40% urban
• 43.2% boomers
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18. Process
1) Interviewed 29 staff
2) Interviewed 25 stakeholders
3) Reviewed 29 communications/publications
4) Facilitated Town Hall session
5) Surveyed members
We build strong kids, strong families, strong
Making Dreams Fly®
iti

19. Making Dreams Fly ®

20. Who Does It?
• Internal staff
• External consultants
Why: Overcome the “curse of
knowledge”
• Combination of both
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21. Making Dreams Fly ®

22. Results
1. Review of research findings
2. Detailed analysis of all
communications/publications
3. Specific recommendations
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23. Methodology
Reviewed four issues
of Perspective
“I’m a big fan.”
“Seldom read…
Not pertinent.”
Reviewed AYP Website
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24. AYP Needs
• Website
• Perspective
½ • Contemporary
Communications
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25. Preference for Perspective
3 times a year Not at all
0.3 0.04
Monthly
0.6
6 times a year
4 times a year 3.5
1.8
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26. Content Management Strategy
E-Letter
Other Tip of the
(ACA, ASAE) Week
Blogs Chapters
AYP
Website Conference
Outside
Resources Presentations
Y-USA Webinars
Digital
Journal
Media
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27. Recommendations - Strategic
Strategic Communications Plan
Rule
Of
9
Content Management Plan
Digital (Social) Media Strategy
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28. Members think …
 “My branch is the Y”
• Front desk person
 Fitness, exercise, health
 Convenience
 Access to swimming pool
 Friendly, uphold core
values
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29. Communications Clutter
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30. Where Go for Information
40.0% 38.0%
37.2%
33.3%
35.0% 31.7%
30.0% 25.4%
25.0% 22.8%
20.0%
15.0% 12.6% 12.2%
10.0% 7.8%
3.0% 3.4%
5.0% 0.5% 0.5% 1.5%
0.6% 0.3%
0.0%
t er ily
le
sl
is te
s FB itt ds ia
og si en m ed
Go ai
g
eb Tw Fr
i Fa M
Cr W
Always Frequently
 Google #1 at 65%  Websites #2 at 63.4%
Making Dreams Fly ®

31. Where is the Y?
The Y barely places in Google searches!
 Fitness club - all results are locations, none of which
are the Y (most prevalent being Fitness First, Gold's
Gym, Sport & Health, and Bally's)
 Exercise - Arlington Y shows up, but rest are videos,
other gyms, and educational sites
 Gym - all locations and a couple locators, none of
which are the Y
 Swimming classes - results are local pools, children's
swimming lessons and swim class locators, none of
which are the Y
 Health and wellness - local wellness centers and
educational info
 Youth fitness - pulls up Arlington Y and national Y's
website (Arlington being first on the list)
 Family fitness - no placement
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32. • Cluttered, no
focus
• Over the top
• Where’s “my
Y”? (branch)
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33. Y’s Website
Frequency of Looking at Y Website
Daily
Never 0.3% Weekly
24.2% 6.3% Monthly
19.2%
Sometimes
50.0%
Daily Weekly Monthly Sometimes Never
And, members rarely turn to Y’s website
Making Dreams Fly ®

34. Making Dreams Fly ®

35. Costs
• Professional Fees: 200-300 hours
$19,000 - $32,000
Interviews
Surveys
Publication analysis
Strategy
 Presentations
• Out-of-pocket Costs: $1,500 - $3,500
Making Dreams Fly ®

36. CONTACT INFORMATION
See us in Booth 1000
Steve Drake
President, Owner
16020 Swingley Ridge Road drake@drakeco.com
Suite 300 @stevedrake
Chesterfield, MO 63017 @causeaholic
(636) 449-5050
Making Dreams Fly ®