Chamber of Commerce left in a bind when traditional Publisher refuses to print Guide
Chamber moves to in-house publishing and knocks it out of the park!
“It really was a wonderful blessing to work with y’all.”
Amid the COVID challenges, the Fort Bend County Chamber’s publisher declared that they would not print their Relocation Guide, prompting the Chamber to assert that it was finally time to take control and bring the publication in-house. Keri Schmidt, President/CEO, reached out to Chamber Marketing Partners for help.
The goal was to create a completely new publication, branded to the Chamber that provided real benefit to the advertisers, gave readers valuable information, and told a positive story about both the community and the Chamber. The Fort Bend County Newcomer’s Guide and Business Directory was born.
The process?
- Advertisers paid the Chamber – which built trust for the advertisers
- Chamber controlled the cash
- Transparent project budget gave the Chamber full control
- Outside professional sold ads – Chamber staff time wasn’t strained unexpectedly
- Local vendors were used
Juliette Nesmith, Director of Special Events at the Chamber and the Chamber’s project lead, said the process was straightforward and easy. Nesmith said “Working with both CMP and our members, it was just so seamless and worked perfectly. So bringing it in house definitely was an advantage.”
End result?
- Ad sales exceeded expectations
- The content was more relevant and more exciting
- The design was colorful and contemporary – a much more appealing look than their previous guides
- Overwhelmingly positive response from advertisers, members and the community
- Major Win for a Chamber that found themselves in a jam, and came out on top!
