Operation Limelight

The force that drives the International Police Association is our membership. IPA members like you and me are the ones putting in the time, energy, and funding necessary for the association to exist. It is through the work of its members, that our non-profit association’s mission is carried out. IPA members are truly the heart of the organisation. That said, many organisations like ours struggle with membership growth and retention. That’s why over the next few months I will be spearheading a global IPA digital marketing initiative.

There are many definitions of marketing, with most referring to the promotion and sales of products or services. However, promotion is only accomplished when you communicate the offerings that bring value to your customers. IPA have a great brand, and by creating great social media and digital content we can increase our brand loyalty. As Walt Disney said, “do what you do well, and they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”

Undoubtedly IPA provides a great service to its members … a service through friendship. Our new digital marketing initiative aims to examine how we can best promote the value of IPA and boost engagement, all in an effort to recruit and retain membership. Successful marketing is much more of a process than an immediate solution, and it begins by understanding our current membership. It’s important we gather information about our demographics including aspects such as age, education, professional experience, geographic location, and professional development interests. Only then can we meet our members’ specific wants and needs through segmentation and targeting.

We will be using the SOSTAC marketing model, which explores the fundamental facets of marketing: Situation, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action and Control. Given the increasingly omnichannel nature of marketing today, leading to increased digital touchpoints and experiences for our membership, applying an effective, data-driven approach to our marketing strategy is more important than ever.

Implementing this model into the IPA will be a global journey requiring the support of innovative members who share the same passion in promoting the IPA brand. As this is a digital marketing initiative, we will utilise the expertise of IBZ Gimborn who will host several online workshops. Dates, times, and further information will be circulated to all sections in the coming weeks. I hope you can all join me. Click here.

Bill Gates is credited with the quote “The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” Global Digital Marketing will take us on a journey where ingenuity and creativity can always win, and where we can inspire the future generations of IPA by creating brand loyalty. 

Mick Walsh, Treasurer Finances