Media Outreach: Benefit Advisors Network

To support its member recruitment efforts, Cleveland-based Benefit Advisors Network (BAN) – a national association of benefits brokers – selected Weiss PR to launch a national media relations initiative.

The Problem

As the premier national network of independent benefit advisory and consulting companies. BAN members represent the “best of the best” among benefits brokers in their respective markets. To be admitted to BAN, firms go through a stringent screening process which focuses on their industry knowledge, ethics, business acumen, and vision. Further, only one BAN firm can represent a specific geographic market, eliminating competitors from membership consideration.

“Weiss PR’s expertise, counsel, and service have enhanced our professional image and educated the public about our values, strengths, and qualities – resulting in opportunities to grow. They possess a wealth of PR knowledge from how to handle media questions and interviews to maximizing positive impressions to finding opportunities for telling our story.”

Deane Elek, Director, Benefit Advisors Network
Cleveland, Ohio

Those tough standards and BAN’s focus on “quality over quantity” made it difficult for BAN to regularly recruit new members. A number of potentially eligible companies opted to join competing associations where the standards for admission and the dues were minimal. Others did not see the value in becoming part of a national network or sharing best practices.

Our Solution/Results

To complement its one-on-one recruitment initiative, BAN hired Weiss PR to create and implement a national media outreach program. Weiss PR created and implemented a proactive media relations campaign that not only publicized the addition of new BAN members, but touted the benefits of BAN membership and used BAN’s exclusivity as a differentiator. Weiss PR also positioned BAN as a thought leader in the employee benefits space, regularly providing opportunities for BAN’s leadership and members to comment on key issues such as healthcare reform that impacted the profession.

The result was a series of high-profile media placements in prominent trade publications such as B&C Solutions, Benefits Selling, and Employee Benefits News which established BAN as the dominant employee benefit trade association. Over the past year, the volume of BAN membership applications has risen dramatically, while the actual number of new members has jumped 20%.

For more information on Benefit Advisors Network, please visit their website at www.benefitadvisorsnetwork.com.