Highlighting your District Export Council

Business America, August, 1997 by John S. North

The 51 District Export Councils located throughout the United States are unique organizations. The District Export Councils are comprised of volunteers from successful exporting businesses and export promotion organizations who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with others interested in exporting. Few other trade promotion organizations offer this direct opportunity for practical and personal advice. However, due to the wide variety of excellent programs with international themes sponsored by a number of Indiana-based private and academic organizations the value and distinctiveness of our District Export Council programs were being overlooked by Indiana businesses.

Indiana District Export Council (IDEC) programs have always been of the highest quality, offering tremendous value to participants, yet we were beginning to lose the interest of treasured long-time IDEC members. We realized that in order to counter this, we as a DEC needed to define our identity and purpose -- and then publicize it.

When I assumed the chairmanship of the Indiana District Export Council this year, I gave priority to increasing our visibility and improving our public image. Fortunately, I had an ally in Tom Hirons, who had sought one-on-one counseling from IDEC as he prepared to establish a presence for his Bloomington, Ind. advertising and public relations firm in China. Tom's experience with the DEC was so positive that he wondered why more potential exporters did not take advantage of its services and asked what he could do to help.

Our efforts to improve our visibility, combined with Hironst offer of assistance, resulted in the development of a marketing campaign and materials that highlight the uniqueness of the Indiana District Export Council. Our program is called Real World Export Advice, which we initially promoted to our existing IDEC members.

In May 1997, we rolled out our new logo, brochure, and web site (http://www.ita.doc.gov/indec) to IDEC members with a letter reminding them of the IDEC's mandate to help build Indiana exports. We also included a practical, how-to Public Relations Handbook containing tips for interviews, a fact sheet on the Indiana District Export Council, lists of local media, and a supply of our Real World Export Advice brochures for our members to use when speaking to groups and businesses about IDEC.

The first public exposure for our new campaign was a major program in July called Network 97. Sponsored by the Indiana Department of Commerce and the Indiana Small Business Development Centers, Network '97 offered small- and medium-sized Indiana businesses the opportunity to learn more about exporting to various countries and to develop a stronger international network in the state. For the first time, the Indiana District Export Council staffed a booth and made literature available to explain our organization to potential exporters from across the state.

We know that our efforts will raise the profile of our DEC, help reenergize our membership, and reinvigorate some of our programming. If other DECs would like copies of our materials, contact Ava LaLiberte at the Indianapolis Export Assistance Center, Penwood One, Suite 106, 11405 North Pennsylvania St., Carmel, Ind. 46032, tel. (317) 582-2300.