Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce Takes Control Of Chamber Business Directory And Creates Sustainable Model for In-House Publishing

Cindy Roth, CEO at the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, wanted more control of her annual Directory. In the wake of several publishers having gone out of business in recent years, protecting her members’ money was a priority. But Cindy also wanted more flexibility with content, a contemporary design and a greater return from the Directory.

The solution: bring the Directory in-house and hire Chamber Marketing Partners (CMP) to make the transition to in-house publishing and manage the project. CMP’s team strategized with the Chamber’s team, defining the messaging for the new publication, the target audience, team-member responsibilities, a project schedule and a budget, among other things.

The biggest change was renaming the publication to “This is Riverside – The Annual Magazine & Business Directory of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.” Armed with a new strategy, CMP’s team served as the Chamber’s “boots on the ground” making the publication come alive. Cindy did not want her membership team selling ads, so CMP brought-in and managed a team of outside advertising professionals to handle the job.

As for Cindy’s top priority – protecting her members’ advertising investments, the CMP model allowed her to have her finger on the financial pulse of the entire project. All advertiser monies went to the Chamber and CMP kept Cindy informed of the project’s financial performance with a transparent budgeting process. Bottom line? Sales exceeded expectations, the contemporary design reflects a progressive community, and Cindy is already planning the next edition!