It’s a great day at the union — business is good and new initiatives are beginning to take shape. From the small stories happening in communities across the country to nationwide union news, the public and members nationwide should know about it.

Every day, good things are happening in unions and signatory entities, but typically, no one outside a certain radius will hear about them. As a rule of thumb, if a story is worthy enough to tell a spouse or partner, it’s worthy enough for a website, national internal communication, social media post or release to television or newspaper publications.

This is only one of the reasons unions should hire a marketing firm that understands the brotherhood/sisterhood of a union, how hiring, training and organizing works and what it needs to succeed. A union-friendly marketing firm can guide a union to the appropriate means to advertise and otherwise brag about happenings at the national, regional and local levels through many avenues — from the logo design and the colors of the union T-shirts to creating an interactive website and telling members’ stories to a nationwide audience.

Here are five ways a union-friendly marketing firm can help your local union:

1. Public Relations
   If a person didn’t grow up with union knowledge, or if they weren’t introduced to it, they don’t understand more than what they see in the press. Positive stories about members, apprentices, jobs, community service projects and military veterans are ways to show a community, region or industry who your members are and put faces to the word “union.” Also, in case of emergency, a public relations team can help strategize and correctly navigate communication through any size crisis so the union comes out in the best light possible.
2. Logo and Branding
   If a union’s logo is its moniker, its identity, the branding behind that logo — from the fonts and colors to the rules on how it can all be used — provides a canvas of consistency. Branding is what is thought of when McDonald’s or Coca Cola is brought up in conversation — the colors, the fonts, the logos, the feeling they convey. A graphic design team can help a union either come up with new branding, centered around a new logo, or spruce up the current logo and branding elements. Logos and branding aren’t limited to only representing the union as a whole. A new program, class or initiative can benefit from a logo or branding to establish identity and increase member recognition.
3. Recruitment and Organizing
   Any union attending trade shows, job fairs, association events and conventions can benefit from table and/or booth design, pop-up displays, informational collateral and even promotional items such as stickers, flyers, pens, buttons, etc. It can draw in the next generation in addition to attracting non-union works in search of a more stable, safe and beneficial work environment. These types of events help to increase exposure, educate specific groups of people and recruit members. A marketing firm also can help you create strategic campaigns to organize companies and attract those non-union workers. What’s great about your union and why should people join? A marketing company can help you with your sales pitch and increase your abilities to organize and maximize opportunities.
4. Internal Communications
   Public communication is key, but internal communications can be just as vital. A marketing firm employs skilled professionals to craft content — including for websites and social media — that can speak to your members, who are typically spread out across vast areas. One way to keep them engaged in union activities is to creatively communicate with them through internal means such as digital magazines or newsletters, virtual or in-person member events, industry information, best practices, education and stories about other members, to name a few.
5. Website
   Today, when someone is searching for information, they typically turn to the internet, especially if they are of recruiting age for a union. Any organization that lacks an up-to-date web presence is not seen as a legitimate business or educational institution. A marketing firm with a website design and development team can help you create a new website, complete with user/member log in, or refresh an existing site with updated photography and new content and design.

One of the best things about a union-friendly marketing firm is it already speaks the union language and understands the culture and operational, educational and political processes. The items above are only some of the ways a marketing firm can help a union create a public presence.

If you are interested in learning more about how a union-friendly marketing firm can help you, contact us today.