“There is no lack of nonprofits and member organizations in the water space. With such a crowded field, it’s important to stand out and be clear on your core differentiators,” according to Rogue Water, the firm that conducted a Marketing and Communications Audit for the Exchange recently. The firm concluded that we have some work to do and, here, I’ll summarize its major findings, recommendations, and the next steps that have been approved by the Strategic Planning & Policy Committee.
A. Background
Rogue Water bills itself as “the only communications firm specifically serving the water community with both an industry-leading breadth of strategic communications know-how, and the depth of knowledge of the water sector.” Those of you who attended last year’s annual meeting may remember that the firm conducted a story-telling session; so, it is not new to the Exchange or to the industry in which we work.
Completing the audit and making recommended changes are part of the Exchange’s strategic plan. In undertaking this work, Rogue Water reviewed publications, the website, social media, and email marketing starting last fall. The firm also conducted a discovery session. The Exchange is grateful to The Kresge Foundation for support of this work.
B. Findings
1. What’s Working:
a. Social Media:
The firm concluded that our LinkedIn engagement rate of 7.4% was “excellent” and that “impressions in the recent month are going strong because you are posting regularly.” The advice is to “keep up the good work.”
b. GI Library:
“The GI Library was easy to use and … it is well put together for a technical audience.” There were some recommendations for simplifying webpage content and the upload process.
2. What’s Not Working
a. The Website
Rogue Water concluded that many changes are needed for the website to be both functional and attractive to members and other audiences. There are too many drop-down menus and redundant pages (e.g., Resources and Collaborative Grant Program), making it hard to know where to go to find something. It also should be more member-centric and have more focus on the benefits of becoming a member.
b. Email Marketing
Email communications are generally too long and hard to skim, with too little content linking back to the website for the full story. (The newsletter has been revamped in response to this feedback).
c. Logo and Color Palette
Neither the logo nor the color palette speaks to the Exchange’s core differentiators, making it difficult to stand out in a crowded field and contributing to low brand awareness.
C. Recommendations
Among the key recommendations that the SPPC approved for implementation in the current year are the following:
1. Develop a Strategic Communications Plan
The goal of the plan is to develop brand and identity, better define key audiences and develop personas, enhance message development, identify optimal communications and listening channels, and create a content calendar.
2. Develop a New Logo and Color Palette
The goal here, too, is better brand identity, honing in on core differentiators with respect to the new color palette and logo design. Among the recommendations to be implemented next year is the development of a new website. The reasons for waiting on this initiative are that the Exchange doesn’t have the budget to accomplish everything in the current fiscal year and the communications plan, logo, and color palette are precursors to designing a website. In the interim, the staff will tweak the existing website in line with the recommendations of the audit.
D. Next Steps
A small committee of members and staff will be meeting with Rogue Water for a “discovery session” on the design of a new logo and color palette on Thursday, April 6, from 1-3 PM, EDT. Members interested in participating or in reviewing the complete audit, should reach out to our Program Manager, Tasha Cruz, at tashalee@giexchange.org.
