www.sdchamber.org

Membership Update

By Doug Holman, Vice President of Membership & Corporate Relations

For just about two years now, I have written a membership report for Business Online.  Sometimes I struggle for a topic and other times it is very simple. This month it is an easy one. In my weekly meeting with our Membership Relations team, I learned from Patricia, Marta and Esteban that the number of members displaying the Chamber’s “Proud Member” logo on their website has tripled in the last 12 months. The same is also true for requests to use the Chamber’s brand in print and other media. While these statistics are promising, there are many members that have yet to take action. Therefore, I think it appropriate to re-run an article from 2007 wherein we first explained the advantages of co-branding your firm with San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

October 2007—For years, your Chamber has used a gym analogy to describe how being a member works best. The comparison is sound because a gym membership can only work if one shows up regularly, has a workout plan and performs the exercises with some level of energy. And, results are not instantaneous. Those that stay the course experience great results. The Chamber is quite similar and there are many members that “work out” at the Chamber and their businesses are in great shape. But what about those who do not have the time to attend events or who are simply not comfortable within a group dynamic? How do these businesses benefit through membership with the Chamber?

There is one benefit that can positively impact every member business! Each member actually controls how powerful this tool will be. It is something your Chamber has believed for years and there is an independent national survey to validate the fact that Chamber members gain credibility through belonging to the Chamber. Let me explain what that means and how your company can best take advantage of this extremely important member benefit.

A national study by The Schapiro Group, an Atlanta based market research firm, revealed a number of important findings about how consumers and business owners perceive the chamber of commerce and their members. For example:

• Consumers are 63% more likely to make future purchases from a company that they know is a member of the chamber of commerce.
• Consumers who are told that a business is a chamber member are 51% more likely to be highly aware of it and 57% more likely to think positively of its local reputation.
• When consumers know that a business is a member of the local chamber, they are 44% more likely to think favorably about it.
• Consumers are 29% more inclined to trust your reputation.
• When business decision-makers believe that a business is a chamber member, they are 37% more likely to think favorably of the business, 51% more likely to be highly aware of it, 58% more likely to think positively of its local reputation, and 59% more likely to buy goods and services from it.

What this means to San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce members is that by belonging, consumers believe that you are more reputable, customer friendly and a better choice compared to non-Chamber members.

As with everything in life there is a catch—the consumer must know that you are a Chamber member. Fortunately, this is very easy to accomplish. Following are several simple ways for your business to accentuate your affiliation with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce:

1. Download the Chamber’s proud member icon directly onto your website;
2. Prominently display the Chamber membership sticker at your place of business;
3. Add the proud member logo to e-mails, business cards, marketing collateral, advertisements, and yellowpage ads; and
4. Mention affiliation in on-hold messages and voicemail messages.

I have linked the entire Schapiro Group Study for anyone who would like to review the information in greater detail.

As always, please contact me directly at dholman@sdchamber.org for more information on how to access the Chamber logo and increase the credibility of your business.

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