Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce produces non-dues revenue generating business directory and community guide in-house with help from Chamber Marketing Partners
“I loved the opportunity to manage the money. I could always tell my board exactly where we were.”
After 25 years of using a turnkey publisher for her chamber of commerce directory publication, Sharon Mayer, president and CEO of the Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce wanted to take control of the publication.
Sharon thought turnkey publishing was convenient, but she didn’t like the lack of control she had in the turnkey process, particularly over the financial aspects. She had also experienced frustration in the turnkey model with publishing delays of up to four months beyond the dates when the publications were promised.
Searching for a better solution, Sharon hired Chamber Marketing Partners and brought her community guide/business directory in-house. Chamber Marketing Partners’ unique model gave Sharon complete control over the financial performance of the publication, complete flexibility with the number of pages and content, and the ability to use local vendors. Most importantly it kept the money local.
The books were in circulation the moment they arrived from the printer – a local company distributed thousands of copies to businesses and residents. The Chamber had enough copies for the rest of the year with the majority of books out in circulation.
With Chamber Marketing Partners, the chamber’s profit on the project (comparable to a royalty) was well into the 20% range.
The best part — the advertisers paid the Chamber, keeping the money local and allowing the Chamber to protect its members’ investments with the Chamber.
Total financial control, local member vendors, flexibility with content and control over profit, and a smart distribution strategy are just a few of the benefits of partnering with Chamber Marketing Partners.
Click the cover above to see the digital edition.