The Delta Media P.R. Clinic

Messages for the New Medium:
Why association executives need to tap into the power of the mobile Internet

By Bernard Gauthier, MA

Marshall McLuhan was right: The medium is the message. Though McLuhan was more interested in how different media transmit information to our senses (what they leave in, what they leave out), I also think his idea can be expanded to consider the audience’s impressions of a particular medium or channel. Some media and channels are considered current, leading-edge and engaging. Others are not.

That’s why association executives today need to consider the “meaning” of the media and channels they are using to communicate with members. This is especially true if you are trying to engage and recruit younger members, whose impressions and media habits can differ significantly from those of older members.

Young people graduating from our colleges and universities this spring have grown up with cell phones and, more recently, smartphones. They spend their waking hours connected to the mobile internet and using their devices to talk, text, surf and more. Every day, new apps are being released to let them play games, select wines, spot a planet in the night sky, donate to charity, pick a restaurant and read the news.

The question this begs, of course, is how will these future members react to that printed brochure or static web page on your association site? Quite apart from the actual content of the message, what will the channel and the medium itself say about the association? How relevant will the association and its programs seem if they’re delivered using channels that are irrelevant to the prospective member?

Some associations have taken the plunge and are now tapping into the power of the mobile internet to deliver communication and value to members. The Canadian Pharmacists Association, for example, offers a mobile version of its Therapeutic Choices tables. The application allows pharmacists to access detailed information on dose, adverse effects, drug interactions and relative cost all from their Palm or Pocket PC device. The Canadian Professional Sales Association offers a mobile version of its Travelsave website function – BTSidekick – that is built for the Blackberry. They give the app away and use it as a way to recruit members. Smart.

South of the border, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons will have a paperless annual conference, with members receiving an iPod Touch loaded with all conference papers and presentations. Meanwhile, the Movement Disorders Society offers a mobile version of its membership directory that users can download and use on their smartphones.

The potential for associations is significant: from mobile membership directories and handheld conference proceedings to useful applications they can use at work. Delivering information and services to your members using mobile internet devices can save money and position the association as modern and relevant. With Apple poised to launch the iPad in this country, your members and future members will have a whole new way to connect to the mobile internet. Will you be ready to engage them?

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