Using Events As PR Tool in Resolving Challenges of a Nigerian Industry Association.pdf

Copyright © 2022 Publics Limited. All rights reserved ®.
UsingEventsAsPRToolinResolvingChallengesofaNigerianIndustryAssociation
Acasestudyof theEventPlanning,SponsorshipMarketingandEventManagement
of theNIGERIAWATERSUPPLYASSOCIATION’s1st InternationalConference
andExhibition,2-5July,2018.
By
EDWARD O. ADEBANJO, fnipr, mnim, rpa
1

ABSTRACT
2
The aim of this study is to show the strategies that
Publics Limited – led by Edward Adebanjo, its
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, applied,
using event and event management as Public
Relations tools to provide solutions to the brand
management and integrated communications issues of
the Nigerian Water Supply Association (NWSA).
Keywords: Event, PR, event management,
communications.
… Delivering Excellence!!!
.Experience .Innovation
.Engagement .Entertainment

Background & Identification of
problem
Research and analysis of problem
Plan of action
Implementation
Evaluation
Critique
Alternative Strategy
OUTLINE
3

Background & Identification of problem
The Nigerian Water Supply Association, as a
Community of Practice, is the umbrella body for all
operators in the potable water sub-sector in Nigeria.
After it was founded, it went into a prolonged period of
inactivity.
In January 2012, it was reactivated and had three Annual
General Meetings in the years following, up until 2017.
These AGMs were poorly attended and the Association
began to show signs of imminent death.
4

Research and analysis of problem
The Publics Limited team, upon being signed on , sent a scoping document to the client in order to help us
develop the most accurate and appropriate communications solutions to their needs. In the scoping document,
we requested for the following information:
a. Background on the Association: The most up-to-date information about the association including
membership strength and its disaggregation, Income & it’s sources, relationship with key segments of
their publics, etc.
b. What steps have been taken in the past regarding membership retention and sourcing of new
members?
c. Do they conduct any exit interviews for members to determine the reason members are leaving?
d. Goals: What exactly do they want to achieve? Where would they like their brand to be?
e. Measurement: What would they consider as a successful outcome of the campaign? How would they
measure this outcome?
After reviewing the Scoping document, we did a SWOT Analysis of the NWSA and arrived at the following
problems as being responsible for its imminent threat of death:
The main problems identified were:
• No new members joining the Association
• Current members are leaving
• Few members paying dues
• No state or federal government recognition and financial contribution or commitment
5

Strategy/Action Plan
1. The overarching strategy of our communications and brand
management campaign was to employ the platform of staging an
International event with topical cutting edge knowledge theme and
sub-themes as well as sought-after side-events of highly reputable
leading WASH industry international bodies to secure the
renewed interest of all stakeholders in joining and remaining in the
NWSA.
2. We wrote and secured endorsement as event partners from
international donor agencies as well as multilateral organizations
for the event to drive easy buy-in from the Federal and State
Governments
3. Deployed multi –dimensional marketing communication strategies
to drive sponsorship for the event to bridge the funding gap.
4. Position NWSA as a socially responsible association that is
creating virile atmosphere for mutually beneficial relationship
among all water and sanitation stakeholders in the country.
6

Strategy/Action Plan Cont’d
5. Used the media, both traditional and digital media, to create favourable awareness for
NWSA as an association and the Conference and Exhibition as a never to be missed
event for stakeholders. We paid courtesy visits to the management of both print and
electronic media houses in their offices in Abuja and Lagos with the twin objectives of
selling the Association and its importance in the potable water value chain. We also
emphasized the importance of the forthcoming event. The media was made to see the
event’s outcome as a way of providing possible pragmatic solutions to the challenges of
financial viability facing public potable water utilities in Nigeria.
6. For membership drive, we made the conference fee much lower for members - both
existing and the new ones joining at the point of registration. The link to the
membership application page was shared in the invitation letters and online on the event
website.
7. We also secured generous discount for NWSA Members for attendance fees for the
international organization’s side event holding at the conference.
8. Introduced an awards segment for state government owned utilities, state ministries of
water resources and for the Governors themselves
7

Strategy Summary
8

Fig 1 : NWSA’s Stakeholders Mapping
9

Implementation
Pre Event
Planning Stage with
Client/Sponsorship
Marketing
Event Delivery
Execution of the 3-
Day Event Proper:
Conference,
Exhibition & Awards
Post Event
Measurement, Project
Documentation
(Reporting) &
Sustenance
10

Evaluation
1. There was an uptick in state owned utilities and state governments joining the NWSA as corporate
members and registering staff members of their utilities and Ministries as members of NWSA. They also
paid their dues and also registered them for the conference. This is due to better understanding of the
mutual gains accruing to both parties
2. Upon the investiture of the Hon. Minister as a honorary Patron of the NWSA, the association got
sponsorship funds as seed money for the planning of the conference and the Ministry allowed its logo to
be used as partners of NWSA and sponsors of the event in all marketing materials.
3. Our pre-event courtesy call and advocacy visits to media houses led to positive news of NWSA in the
media. Subsequently, the event press conferences and other press releases were given wide publicity
before, during and after the event.
4. The brand re-positioning of NWSA impacted not only in the increase of its membership and finances
but also has a ripple effect of deepening the relationship between Nigeria & major international
organizations in the water sector globally.
5. The event provided all attendees – delegates, exhibitors, sponsors, partners, side event organisers, the
opportunity for peer exchange, learning and sharing of best practices in the urban WASH sector
6. Apart from event registration fees and exhibition fees, money was raked in from advert in event
brochure, from OEM‘s advert during breakout sessions and substantially from sponsorship in cash and
kind.
11

Evaluation
Overall, after the event
• Membership increased three hundred percent
• Finances of the Association, after reconciliation was up by more
than 10 fold
• A number of state governments signed NWSA as consultant to
their Water Utilities
12

Critique
The Good
1. The Association realized its predicament at the nick of time and contacted a
professional PR organization to help save it from extinction.
2. The Association is the only national body for stakeholders in WASH sector in Nigeria
3. The Association has had interaction with some international WASH organizations in
the past
The Bad
1. There were no regular and aggressive engagement with all stakeholders in the sector.
The yearly general meeting was grossly inadequate.
2. A large segment of stakeholders were left unattended to, for example, state and
federal governments as well as private sector employers in the sector.
3. The media was largely ignored except for announcement of the AGM.
4. The leadership of the Association hitherto was lethargic
5. No opportunity for members to acquire knowledge and learn of best practices in the
industry
13

Alternative Strategy – by NWSA PR Department
The following alternative strategies are what we would have done if we were the internal PR department of the
Association:
1. Host “bring a professional friend” meeting. This would allow prospective members see what they’ll be getting by
joining. It could even be a recurring event so that members are continually bringing new friends!
2. Getting potential new members to attend meetings is only half the battle! The second part will be on creating a
welcoming experience for new members by training current members to be warm and welcoming to newcomers
and avoid association jargon when there are visitors.
3. Another strategy is to create a welcome package for guests that will include things like the mission statement of
the association, calendar, contact information, and member’s benefit as well as information about becoming a
member.
4. After the meeting, follow up with all guests that honoured the invitation to the meeting. One could send an email
or postcard, or make a phone call thanking the guest for attending, and asking if they’re considering membership.
Sending out a post-event survey can also help one see what went well and what can be improved for next time.
5. Help members develop an “elevator speech” about their membership. Why are they members? What’s the biggest
benefit of membership? Can they explain the purpose of the Association?
6. Discuss the issue of dwindling membership during meetings and ask current members for recruitment ideas. They
may have one or two ideas that haven’t been thought of before, or know about opportunities within their own
social, office or professional networks.
14

Alternative Strategy Cont’d
7. Offer Association business cards to members. This will be an easy way for them to point people to the
association and share more easily with their network. The cards may have a line for the referral source
so the member gets credit for referring someone new.”
8. Ask members to list their membership in their professional bios. This gets the Association’s name in
front of more people, builds the association’s prestige, and reminds members to talk about it.
9. Creating perks for members who recruit new members. Little perks and freebies can really motivate
people
10.Hosting a business spotlight event for local businesses in the industry
11.We could also consider the affordability of dues and events for existing members.
12.Lastly, seek audience with and meet with state Commissioners of water resources in every state of the
federation and lobby them for mass registration of their employees with the association while also
selling the benefits accruable therefrom to the state and prospective members.
15

NWSA’s Marketing Brochure Document
16

Daily Trust & Punch Newspaper Adverts of May 31, 2018
17

NWSA ICEWASH Programme of Event
18

Copyright © 2022 Publics Limited. All rights reserved ®. 19
References:
Morand, T. (2019). 101 Ways To Get New Members for your Organization. WildApricot Membership Blog.
Available from https://wildapricot.com/blog/ways-to-get-new-members/ [Accessed 8th July 2022]
Newspaper Reports:
https://blueprint.ng/7-nigerians-access-potable-pipe-borne-water/
https://dailytrust.com/water-association-to-hold-exhibition-in-abuja
Appendix:
a. NWSA 1st International Conference On Water Supply, Sanitation &
Hygiene Abuja 2018 marketing brochure document -pdf
b. Daily Trust advert of May 31, 2018 -pdf
c. Programme of Event - pdf
NWSA NIG MKG
BROCHURE-pdf.pdf
NWSA’s Free Advert
in Daily Trust 31-May-2018.pdf
NWSA 1st ICEWASH
2018 PROGRAMME.pdf

CONCLUSION
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME!
20

Using Events As PR Tool in Resolving Challenges of a Nigerian Industry Association.pdf

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