The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance’s marketing team has received an award for excellence from a nationwide association of chambers of commerce.
The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a nationwide organization based in Virginia, granted the GRCA one of its 12 Awards for Communications Excellence, the GRCA said in a release.
The annual awards showcase the top communications and marketing work of chambers of commerce and similar organizations.
“This year’s winners have creatively celebrated their communities, strengthened local identity and showcased their commitment to inspiring progress and building vibrant, thriving regions,” Sheree Anne Kelly, ACCE president and chief executive officer, said in the release.
To create the award-winning “Member Storytelling Campaign,” Leah Fassnacht, GRCA senior director of communications and marketing; and Audrey Krupiak, assistant director of communications and marketing, collaborated with two GRCA members — marketing agency Bell Media Group and photographer Lauren Little.
The team visited GRCA member businesses such as Helping Harvest, Go Fish! Seafood Market & Sushi Bar, Shuman Development Group, Bobcat of Reading, Fromm, Santander Arena and The Standard Group to interview staff and take video and photos.
The stories were shared via email, promoted with Facebook campaigns and posted to GRCA’s social media channels.
The campaign achieved over 344,000 impressions and more than 10,000 link clicks. The videos in the campaign have been viewed more than 200,000 times, resulting in new sponsorship dollars, member retention and opportunities for revenue, the GRCA said.
“This campaign would not have been possible without our GRCA members welcoming us into their businesses, giving us the unscripted, behind-the-scenes look, while being vulnerable and honest about their obstacles and overcoming them,” Fassnacht said.
Krya Delinger, co-founder and chief executive officer of Bell Media Group, said the group was honored to play a part in the initiative.
“Not only did we deepen relationships with fellow business owners and operators, but also we had the opportunity to witness and amplify some of the incredible things our business community has accomplished,” Denlinger said. “We commend GRCA’s efforts to dig deep into their members’ stories and create campaigns that are truly memorable and meaningful.”
This is the third ACE award for Fassnacht and Krupiak, who previously won for their “Rebuild Berks” marketing campaign in 2021 and their GRCA website redesign in 2022.
As one of the 12 winning entries, the GRCA team will go on to compete for the Best in Show title within their annual revenue range category.
The three winning entries will be revealed at ACCE’s annual convention in Philadelphia during the July 23 awards show presented by Comcast Business.
