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How is the Great Recession affecting the corporate communications industry?
If membership in the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is any indication, then communicators have been hit hard. An e-mail sent to IABC members on Monday said the association has lost about 1,000 members since the end of 2008, a rather frank admission from a professional association.
IABC has more than 15,500 members, according to its Web site.
Meanwhile, a small IABC survey released last month found that 26 percent of the association’s members have lost their jobs in the last 12 months.
While it might seem likely that struggling communicators would cut costs by not renewing their professional memberships, it’s also common for the unemployed to turn to their IABC network in search of jobs.
I sent an e-mail to IABC President Julie Freeman to get her thoughts on the matter.
IABC isn’t taking these challenges lying down. To thwart the losses, it’s offering communicators free membership extensions to IABC if they enlist new members.
“If you recruit new professional members, you will get three free months of membership for each new member you bring in … up to a full year at no charge,” Lee Anne Snedeker, senior vice president of IABC global membership development, said in the e-mail to members. The promotion runs 2009.
There are conditions to this offer, which Snedeker explained in her e-mail. Here they are:
1. The new member must identify the referring member in one of the following ways:
-For mailed, faxed, and online enrollments: Write the referring member's first and last name and chapter (or region if he or she is a member-at-large) on the application form or enter it when enrolling online.
-For phoned enrollments: Mention the referring member's first and last name and chapter (or region if he or she is a member-at-large).
In other words, the referring member's name must be provided at the same time the check or credit card number is received to be eligible. We cannot apply credit if your name isn't mentioned, so please be sure it is. We want you to benefit from your efforts!
2. The new member must not have been an IABC member since October 1, 2008.
3. The limit for this promotion is four members, which would provide you with a full year of membership at no charge.
4. The new member must be a professional member (not a student member), although recruiting members can be any type.Snedeker said that all chapter and region membership volunteers are eligible for the promotion.
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I didn't say -- or mean to imply -- that the content of the post was "useless." My comment was a response to the subhead...
Comments (6)
I think it's the profile of membership that is important. Most IABC members are in internal communications or marketing comms jobs. These areas within the communications business were hardest hit and it makes sense that without companies paying the dues and the fees, memberships will drop. As a business owner, I preemptively dropped certain memberships and subscriptions and saved much and didn't miss it. I found other ways to keep up that were virtually and literally free and much more effective.
Posted by Anonymous | November 10, 2009 9:43 PM
Posted on November 10, 2009 21:43
This recession is unprecedented for most of us. When my manager said we all needed to cut back as much as possible to get through the downturn, I didn't hesitate to let my professional memberships expire. Now that I've lived without them for a year, I'm rethinking how much I really need them. The recession has made all of us rethink how we spend our own money and our employer's, and it's shown us there are a lot of things we really don't need. That'll be the challenge to IABC, PRSA and so many professional organizations.
Posted by RLM | November 10, 2009 2:08 PM
Posted on November 10, 2009 14:08
The member-get-a-member program is not a requirement, it is an option. It is based on the fact that often people join because one of their colleagues says, "You ought to join IABC." This current promotion is intended to reward those members who do reach out to their associates and suggest they join. If someone feels uncomfortable recommending IABC, he or she does not have to do that.
IABC's strength has always been its partnership with its members and their volunteer contributions. We see this as a way to thank those who help us.
Posted by Julie Freeman, IABC President | November 10, 2009 1:47 PM
Posted on November 10, 2009 13:47
I am a member of IABC and find it to be a useful organization. However, I agree with other comments that forcing its members to do its sales and recruiting is out of touch and heavy handed. Discounts for unemployed would be a more appropriate move. Furthermore, I would suggest that IABC provide some talking points to take to managers for employees who are finding that their employers are no longer willing to pay the membership fee. It seems that a lot of professional associations establish hefty fees and subscription rates thinking that a corporate entity will foot the bill.
Posted by Heidi | November 10, 2009 1:37 PM
Posted on November 10, 2009 13:37
You would think that IABC would just discount membership rates for the unemployed, rather than require them to sign up new members. The unemployed have enought to worry about in this job market and should not have to worry about signing up members. At least PRSA is giving unemployed members a discount.
This program sounds to me like IABC is an organization that's out of touch with the needs of its members.
Posted by JKT | November 10, 2009 1:00 PM
Posted on November 10, 2009 13:00
Money is a key issue to membership, but it's not just about the dues. The networking events, courses and workshops are additional costs. Personally, I'm disappointed that the only way I can get a break is to sell the IABC on my colleagues who are still employed. I'm thinking of creative ways to continue making my mortgage payments. I don't need this additional stress.
Posted by Anonymous | November 10, 2009 12:53 PM
Posted on November 10, 2009 12:53