FCM Blog

Stimulus Transparency: Keeping it Real

In an unprecedented effort to revitalize the economy, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has entrusted funding to many government agencies and community organizations across the country. While some programs have been restored to 1990 funding levels, the ARRA holds both immense opportunities and challenges for the funding recipients.  Spearheaded by a new Recovery Board, the ARRA contains built-in measures to eliminate waste, inefficiencies, and unnecessary spending. As organizations determine the best usage of the ARRA funds, there is a critical need for recipients to:

1. spend money wisely and strategically; 
2. demonstrate outcomes and impacts that are meaningful; and
3. deploy a communications strategy that demonstrates accountability and transparency.

Full Capacity Marketing, Inc. (FCM) has been working extensively with organizations across the country that have received stimulus dollars.  An important component to the strategy is a highly effective educational campaign to raise awareness about the stimulus strategy, engage appropriate customers, and communicate impact.  FCM has found that the following communication tactics have been very successful and quickly to implement.

Microsite
A microsite, also known as a mini-site, is a targeted page or several pages from a main site, or a stand-alone page, that is used to provide highly targeted information that interests a particular user. It provides a virtual method of transparency around both the usage and outcomes of the funding.

Fact Sheets
Downloadable Web-based fact sheets can be designed for each of the target audiences with a compelling call to action and value propositions. These can be posted on the microsite, and distributed through various mediums, such as program partners.

Hotline
A hotline can be established for the campaign to provide recorded information about assistance and available resources.

If you’d like to see samples or discuss how your stimulus strategies could be improved, give us a call at 858-793-6694 or info@fullcapacitymarketing.com

The Connection Between Green Jobs & Workforce Development

by Judy McQuitty, Missouri Division of Workforce Development

Guest author, Judy McQuitty, is the policy coordinator for the Missouri Division of Workforce Development, and makes the connection for green jobs and workforce development, in a recently published report.  While the report contains resources specifically for workforce professionals in the state of Missouri, it is also filled with a broad-based set of Green Tools including green legislation, definitions, job banks, publications, and resources.  Judy also provides some clear and concrete strategies to use the report to better align and position workforce development with green trends, and communicate its importance to customers. Here's an excerpt from the report.

Green Jobs is an increasingly prevalent topic in the media, industry and governmental legislation. Corporations are including green issues in their advertisements and public policymakers at many levels are making it the subject of discussions. For many reasons, this is a vastly important issue for Missouri’s Workforce Development professionals. Why? Because it touches on virtually all levels of workforce system service delivery, from federal legislation to the actions we take in helping a job seeker choose a career. It also touches on something that all of us value: the world around us. “Green” refers to a clean environment, outdoors and inside of homes and buildings.

“Green-collar” jobs are not only jobs that promote environmental protection and clean energy, they are jobs that pay a family-supporting wage, require post-secondary education/training, have a career-ladder, and contribute to a green economy. “Green industries” produce a product or service that contributes directly to preserving and enhancing the quality of the environment. Legislation, government funding, private investment, large-scale collaboration, technological innovation, and education are some of the elements that will help create a “green economy.”

Since this is a critical issue, coming at a critical time in the health of our economy and workforce, we want to make sure we all have a thorough understanding of how it relates to us and the customers we serve. This paper brings together many sources of research and analysis on green jobs to raise understanding and awareness and provide specific advice on how we can make green jobs a path to prosperity for our customers and our state.

Click here to download the full report.

Advanced Manufacturing: Tackling the Dual Market of Youth & Business

The Finger Lakes Workforce Investment Board (FLWIB) spearheads a sector-based initiative called the Finger Lakes Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise (FAME), which is a partnership of manufacturers supported by regional workforce and economic development agencies and educators.  FAME targets a dual audience (youth and advanced manufacturing businesses) with the goals of advancing the sector within the region, and attracting and mentoring youth.  

The team undertook an extensive brand strategy process to better position the initiative among both business and youth.  The process included 1) uncovering customer perceptions using market research; 2) identifying the products and services of FAME for both audiences; 3) examining “competitor” organizations that engage in advanced manufacturing; 4) refining its mission and vision; and 5) finding its unique selling proposition (USP).

The USP is a statement of the organization’s most compelling offer and benefit in a way that the potential customer can automatically answer the ‘what's in if for me’ question.  It leads to the organization’s tagline which symbolizes its key value proposition. When addressing a dual market such as FAME, the statement has to have meaning for both advanced manufacturers and youth.  FAME’s process led them to the following USP and tagline.

FAME’S USP is all about investments in human capital.

The niche is workforce development through a team of experts that specialize in it.

The end result in this investment is a bright, motivated, informed, skilled mind that contributes to the advancement of the sector.

FAME builds bright minds that make it:
from a manufacturing perspective these minds are making innovations in the field;
from a professional perspective, these minds “make it” successfully in the career ladders that the sector affords them; and
these bright minds contribute to the success and growth of the sector.

From the USP, FAME’s tagline became – “building minds that make it”.

You can see their brand strategy in full action at www.MindsThatMakeIt.org including two You-Tube videos on the homepage -- a membership video designed for advanced manufacturing companies, and a video for youth, entitled "Advanced Manufacturing: It’s Not Your Dad’s Job".