105 - Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals - Rotary's Position/Mission Statement.

In this series, Rotary refers to the enterprise of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation.

Please review Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals 101, 102A, 102B, 103 & 104.

Please refer to the Marketing Rotary Schematic available at this link.  Previous Rotatorials discuss marketing issues that take place in the schematic's darker shades of blue - Rotary's leadership.  Before making the marketing jump to where the action is - local communities throughout the world - Rotary must undertake a critical task: create a sustainable unified directional philosophy, or position/mission statement, a Rotary identifying idea around which everyone from the international president to the newest Rotarian can rally.
   So let's assume that Rotary leaders have agreed on an easy-to-communicate, universally acceptable position/mission statement that embodies the Object of Rotary and appeals to like-minded people regardless of their gender, generation, ethnicity, religion, or political orientation; a statement similar to:

Rotarians Make the World Better - One Community at a Time! 

    Implanting, nourishing, and sustaining this idea in existing and potential Rotarians' minds will take more than rah-rah speeches, website visits, advertising, and newsletters.  It takes using the dynamic power of networks and knowing how to translate information into concepts and actions.  The Rotary world is a dynamic, established network. Rotary already has important information buried in its history and cyberspace.  But does it have the will and know-how to translate the information into actions that could create Rotarians today and in the future?  Forward-thinking mindsets, prioritizing an Internal Marketing initiative centered on creating Rotarians, could lead the way in breaking down Rotary's internal silos and embedded legacy practices. 

   For example, Rotary clubs must produce value locally to attract members from communities.  For years Rotary has had data showing that ten-year Rotarians contribute approximately 350% more per capita to the foundation than two-year Rotarians. This data was not translated into language that could have been used to help leaders make important strategic decisions; to help retain members.  North America, the foundation's most supportive continent, has lost membership for two decades yet continues to be the foundation's largest contributor.  Historically its Zone Institutes, Governors-elect and multi-district Presidents-elect Training Seminars have been foundation show and tells.  Suppose Internal Marketing had translated and communicated existing information into promotional language and educational sessions that encouraged North American clubs to use foundation programs and grants to produce value in their communities?  Would its clubs have captured more value through increased retention, attraction, and growth rates?  Through more contributions to the foundation?

   A simple, unifying position/mission statement would make it much easier to create and sustain Internal, and External, Marketing initiatives centered on helping clubs produce and capture value i.e. create Rotarians.

Next is Marketing Rotary for Non-Professionals 106 - Producing and Capturing Value.