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Your Association at Work

Your Association at Work. Public Relations – Your Story. Your way. ACA International. Committed to you and your business… Established in 1939 Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN Leading source of compliance and training resources for the industry

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Your Association at Work

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  1. Your Association at Work Public Relations – Your Story. Your way.

  2. ACA International Committed to you and your business… Established in 1939 Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN • Leading source of compliance and training resources for the industry • Voice of the accounts receivable management industry before state and federal lawmakers • Premiere advocate for credit and collections industry in Washington D.C. • Your first source of business products and risk management services

  3. Members Board of Directors Executive Committee Chief Executive Officer Chartered Committees Staff/Departments ACA InternationalOrganizational Structure

  4. Members – 5186 total* 3363 third-party collection agency companies 75 asset buyers (non-agency) 808 member-sponsored attorneys 748 individual credit grantor members 192 affiliate member companies *As of March 31, 2009. • Board of Directors - 78 Members • Sets the vision for ACA • Approves operating budget and SOPs • Nominates candidates for elected office ACA InternationalOrganizational Structure – Member Driven

  5. ACA InternationalOrganizational Structure– Elected Officers • Executive Committee • - Acts on behalf of the Board of Directors • - Carries out the vision set by the Board • - Sets association policy • - Serves 14 association operating committees Karolyn Rubin President Martin Sher President-Elect Mark Neeb Vice President Thomas Stockton Treasurer Jay Gonsalves Past President Rozanne Andersen CEO

  6. Name of unitYour Unit Leaders at Work Your Unit Members – __* Your Unit Leadership • President - ____ • President-Elect - ____ • Vice President _____ • Secretary ______ • Treasurer _______ • National Director(s) _________ *As of March 31, 2009.

  7. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. PUBLIC RELATIONS Your Story. Your Way.

  8. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. NO • The evolution of the Internet and Social Media means you can tell your own story directly to your clients, consumers and others. • You can create your own online platform and utilize free social media communication channels to share your key messages, respond to stories about your company/industry and target specific audiences in the process. YES Even though readership and viewership are declining, the media are still very important sources for news and editorial comment – especially among policy makers, business leaders and community leaders. You can get free, highly credible, attention grabbing, positive publicity. Do we still need the media?

  9. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. PR Tip #1: Accentuate the Positive! KEY #1 TO PR SUCCESS

  10. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. Ask Doctor Debt: 2009 PR Campaign First 60 days: * 80 Interviews Nationally * 18 million viewers * $865,000 Ad Value * National TV & Radio ALL POSITIVE COVERAGE!

  11. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. ACA Member Roger Weiss went on TV to promote the Collector’s Pledge, saying: “I’m tired of being lumped in with the bad guys.” His agency got priceless, positive coverage as a result. The Collector’s Pledge takes a well-worn, negative stereotype and turns it on its head.

  12. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. PR Tip #2: You actually have to TALK to reporters!

  13. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. IMPORTANT: Make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you engage the media! If you have skeletons in your closet, they will find them! ACA Member Terri Shepherd opened her doors and became one of the good guys in a local TV segment that was trying to highlight “bad” debt collectors. It won her business and credibility within the industry.

  14. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. ACA Member IC System opened its doors to a local TV station and helped humanize debt collectors.

  15. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. PR Tip #3: Talk in Sound Bites! KEY #3 TO PR SUCCESS

  16. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. “Explain it to me like I’m six years old.” – Denzel Washington in “Philadelphia” “It’s a solution in search of a problem.” – ACA Member Chris Wunder in a 2008 interview with the Wall Street Journal Rules of the Road Colorful quotes carry the day. Industry jargon = Charlie Brown’s parents. Ramble at your own risk. Follow Denzel’s lead – assume the reporter knows ZERO about the industry. Tell it like it is – be honest and say what you mean.

  17. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. PR Tip #4: Remember your audience KEY #4 TO PR SUCCESS

  18. Who are you trying to reach? ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. Consumers? A tough sell to begin with, and impossible if they’ve had a negative experience in the past. Clients? ALL your PR should be done with this one thought in mind: How will doing this help me retain and/or win new clients? Legislators/Regulators/Policy Makers? They still read newspapers, watch TV and listen to talk radio. So get in front of them!

  19. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. PR Tip #5: If you’re playing defense, you’re losing. KEY #5 TO PR SUCCESS

  20. Don’t be afraid to get aggressive! ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. • TELL YOUR STORY • Blogs (monitor, comment & host) • YouTube Videos • PRWeb & PR Newswire • Twitter • LinkedIn • PUT THE REPORTER ON NOTICE • Videotape (with reporter’s consent) the interview and let the reporter know you’ll be posting it on your Web site, YouTube, PRWeb, etc., if you need to respond to an inaccurate or out-of-context portrayal. • Remember, the reporter needs you, not the other way around. • Set the ground rules – let them know what is and isn’t OK to film/discuss/etc. and explain WHY that is.

  21. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. PR Tip #6: Do the reporter’s job for him! KEY #6 TO PR SUCCESS

  22. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. • Make their job easy • Feed them stats/trends/etc. to help illustrate a key point. • Think of what will appeal to their specific audience in terms of content. • Help TV/Radio producers visualize how you can help them create a good segment based upon what you’ll offer their audience. (Lends itself to callers, has great visuals, makes for a lively debate, etc.) • Understand their needs (B Roll footage, photo ops, putting a “face” to the story, etc.) and meet them ahead of time. • Follow-up and begin building a relationship – lay the ground for future coverage. Follow them on Twitter, read their other articles, Blogs, etc. • Pitch perfect • E-mail works best (the shorter the better, with the “hook” at the top.) • Think like Twitter (bread crumbs approach) when pitching a story. • They get hundreds of pitches daily. What sets yours apart?

  23. ACA InternationalPublic Relations – Your Story. Your way. THANK YOU!Questions? • MORE INFORMATION • ACA International PR Director John Nemo (952-928-8000, ext. 124 or nemo@acainternational.org) • ACA “Members Only” PR Page: • http://www.acainternational.org/prtools

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