QuinnThomas Public Affairs

ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, PACIFIC NORTHWEST CHAPTER, Increasing News Coverage and Awareness, [Public Relations], CHALLENGE: The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors were rarely seen or heard from in major news publications, particularly those covering Oregon’s construction industry. As a result, awareness of the organization in the region’s constantly changing construction marketplace was limited. SOLUTION: With hundreds of members in a wide rage of trades and a strong commitment to workforce and apprenticeship training, a foundation existed for ABC to tell an impressive story. We focused the chapter’s communications through several news stories to show the value of membership and to establish ABC as a dominant player in the Oregon and Southwest Washington construction market. We also promoted their innovative collaboration with the Northwest College of Construction (NWCC), successful apprenticeship programs, helped them launch their annual “Charity of Choice” giving program, and re-establish a monthly column in the market’s daily newspaper covering construction issues. SUCCESS: Our partnership with ABC produced a 500% increase in media coverage in the first year. We successfully secured stories that increased awareness of their workforce development and apprenticeship programs, value-added services, charitable giving, and helped leverage coverage to support ABC’s government relations and lobbying efforts at the state and federal level.