Our Six Part Plan to Ensure Your Trade Association is Successful

A successful trade association builds industry consensus, speaks with one voice to the government, and helps drives up industry standards. At Rud Pedersen, we have devised a six-part plan to ensure that an association is heard, while developing and executing strategies to manage opportunities and risks as they arise.

1. Speak with one voice and become the industry leader

The government, especially the new Labour Government in the UK, is grappling with multiple challenges and priorities. They will be far more willing to engage with a single voice from the sector, on whom they can rely to act as a bridge between the membership and key political decision makers. This also provides the association with the opportunity to be seen as the industry leader, meaning you will be invited to various roundtables on behalf of the sector. You can then act as a fearless champion of your sector, whatever regulatory or media challenges may come your way.

2. Ensure that every member is valued, big or small

Whilst many trade associations have a tiered structure to cater to the diverse needs of their membership, each member’s voice deserves to be heard, large or small. Many smaller organisations do not have their own corporate affairs function, so it is important to keep them informed on the issues that affect their sector. They will value information being shared that you think they may already know. Daily and weekly newsletters, as well as ongoing monitoring reports, can also help with this.

3. Take a proactive public affairs approach

Be on the front foot and highlight to your members the upcoming key challenges and opportunities facing the sector in a timely way. Plan not just for the next six months, but for the next two to five years so that your members can be aligned and tackle issues together, adding more weight to your arguments. Where there is agreed thinking, campaigns should be coordinated across the sector. There is no need for your members to have five separate campaigns on a similar topic; this will only ensure your campaign does not reach as many people and does not have the same weight.

4. Be the mouthpiece for your sector

Successful trade association ensure that their public affairs and communications are closely co-ordinated. You should celebrate success – where there is good practice within your industry, amplify it. Don’t just rely on words; build a bank of photography and video footage that journalists can call upon at short notice. In addition, you should be a master of statistics, having on file any and every number relating to your industry – particularly your economic contribution - that both political stakeholders and the media may want.

5. Set the industry standards and best practice

Any trade association should be seen to raise standards and drive best practice. This will not only benefit your members but also the broader communities in which they operate. A successful example of this was when the BGC, the trade association for the regulated betting and gaming sector in the UK, launched a new code handbook to coincide with their fifth anniversary. This handbook set out 20 voluntary codes covering 100 measures that all members have committed to as part of the industry’s continued drive to raise standards. By adopting this approach, you will not only enhance the reputation of the association, but also have a useful resource to reference as part of your advocacy offering, especially when challenged by journalists or those who disagree with you.

6. Have both a local and international reach

We live in an ever-connected world. Your members will be impacted by decisions taken not just domestically, but across Europe. It has never been more important to therefore collaborate and foster dialogue and cooperation across borders. Engage, partner, and join, if appropriate, with other European associations in your sector to enhance cross-jurisdictional communication and develop actionable solutions to address collective challenges.

The team at Rud Pedersen, both domestically in the UK and throughout our European offices, has great experience working with trade associations to amplify their voice and navigate policy changes for our clients. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with the team to find out more about how we can help you achieve your industry’s shared goals and objectives. Contact [email protected].