The Counterintuitive Know Your Program Audience

The CounterintuitiveThe Counterintuitive Know Your Program Know Your Program AudienceAudience

Mark SchofieldMark SchofieldNFPANFPANovember 15, 2007November 15, 2007

The The CounterintuitivCounterintuitivee

NFPA: The Authority on Fire, NFPA: The Authority on Fire, Electrical, and Building Electrical, and Building Safety.Safety.

The mission of the nonprofit NFPA is to reduce The mission of the nonprofit NFPA is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.research, training and education.

NFPA serves as the leading advocate of fire NFPA serves as the leading advocate of fire prevention and is an authoritative source on prevention and is an authoritative source on public safety. NFPA's 300 codes and standards public safety. NFPA's 300 codes and standards influence every building in the U.S.influence every building in the U.S.


NFPA Educational NFPA Educational ProductsProducts Open Registration SeminarsOpen Registration Seminars Contract SeminarsContract Seminars World Safety ConferenceWorld Safety Conference VideoVideo On-line LearningOn-line Learning


Fire Alarm SeminarsFire Alarm Seminars

What a business, many What a business, many come back every third come back every third year!year!

The Counterintuitive?The Counterintuitive?


Project Manager Project Manager – Role - Manager of engineers, techniciansRole - Manager of engineers, technicians– Need - Understanding of major codes & how they Need - Understanding of major codes & how they

interact interact Domain ExpertDomain Expert

– Role – The Specialist, Resource to engineers, Internal Role – The Specialist, Resource to engineers, Internal ConsultantConsultant

– Need – “Competency”Need – “Competency” DesignerDesigner

– Role – Puts in on paper…accuratelyRole – Puts in on paper…accurately– Need – Ensure Compliance…quickly, Produce! Billable Need – Ensure Compliance…quickly, Produce! Billable

HoursHours ““Auditor “ (POSH)Auditor “ (POSH)

– Role – Confirms ComplianceRole – Confirms Compliance– Need – Confidence!Need – Confidence!


How Segment Needs How Segment Needs Influenced Influenced Open Registration SeminarsOpen Registration Seminars

Increased schedule for Increased schedule for Designer;Designer; more more deluxe for deluxe for Project ManagersProject Managers– Las Vegas and Omaha / Continental Las Vegas and Omaha / Continental

BreakfastBreakfast Added more checklists and job aids for Added more checklists and job aids for

Auditors Auditors (“Tools” to confirm (“Tools” to confirm compliance)compliance)

And, realized that the And, realized that the Domain Experts Domain Experts only went to the Conferenceonly went to the Conference

What a business, they have What a business, they have to come back every third to come back every third year!year!

The Counterintuitive…The Counterintuitive……”…”they” are “thems”they” are “thems”

……some will do much more some will do much more

What a business, they have What a business, they have to come back every third to come back every third year!year!

The Counterintuitive side note…The Counterintuitive side note………Seminar attendees do not attend Seminar attendees do not attend the conference and vice-versathe conference and vice-versa


Life Safety Code ProgramsLife Safety Code Programs

Plans ReviewPlans Review

Lower the price, they’ll Lower the price, they’ll come by the dozens!come by the dozens!



Low Price Seminar TestLow Price Seminar Test

Test: create a financially viable seminar model below the $200 per day threshold, to reach the segment of our audience that has “proven” to be price sensitive.

Background: When subsidized by a Grant, average attendance in the NFPA 1600 seminar was 65, without the subsidy it averaged 18


Low Price Seminar ModelLow Price Seminar Model

Non-code seminars Non-code seminars NFPA 1600 Emergency Evacuation Workshop Facility Safety

– 1-day of Management and Prevention– 1-day of Maintenance & Protection

Lower the price, they’ll Lower the price, they’ll come by the dozens!come by the dozens!

The Counterintuitive…The Counterintuitive………The “offer” and the “Sponsor” The “offer” and the “Sponsor” have far greater influence than have far greater influence than priceprice

Just my opinion, but you are Just my opinion, but you are wasting money on a 32 page wasting money on a 32 page brochure…brochure…The Counterintuitive?The Counterintuitive?


Conventional wisdom

32 Page 8 Page

ASAE = 64 Pages in 2004Exhibitor Show = 52 Pages in 2004MacWorld = 28 Pages in 2005


Background InformationBackground Information

Potential Cost Savings (8 Page)– Printing $22,000– Postage $5,000– Design $3,000

Strong relationship with NFPA

Dedicated to the Industry

Networking with peers

Magazine, Web, Email…

Contingency plan if needed8 Page


The TestThe Test

32-page brochure mailed to 190K, 32-page brochure mailed to 190K, subsequent mailings sent to subsequent mailings sent to smaller targeted audiences within smaller targeted audiences within that list.that list.

8-page brochure – nth select of 10K 8-page brochure – nth select of 10K Consistent across all lists and mail Consistent across all lists and mail drops to insure integritydrops to insure integrity

The ResultsThe Results 32-Page * 8-PageList Name Response

Rates Response

Rates

In-House Names

1.64% 2.85%

Previous Attendees

2.39% 5.68%

Outside Lists

.36% .92%

Rental Tests

.16% .82%

Rental Continuations

.16% .43%

Average 1% 1.92%


Action Steps/ResultsAction Steps/Results

2006 & 2007 NFPA conference brochure was 12-pages (Pre-conference)

Website / Email / Advertisements / Calendar Listings / Etc…

Saved $30,000 Exceeded attendance target!Exceeded attendance target!

Just my opinion, but you are Just my opinion, but you are wasting money on a 32 page wasting money on a 32 page brochurebrochure

The Counterintuitive…The Counterintuitive…

……Don’t confuse me?Don’t confuse me?


DullDull FancyFancy39,9439,94

77272272 .68%.68% 39,9439,94

77212212 .53%.53%

I don’t want to share…I don’t want to share…



BackgroundBackground

Joint Commission on Hospital Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation (JCAHO) requires use Accreditation (JCAHO) requires use of NFPA’s “Life Safety Code”of NFPA’s “Life Safety Code”– NFPA decides to test a 3-day “Health NFPA decides to test a 3-day “Health

Care Life Safety Code” seminar, Care Life Safety Code” seminar, then…then…

– JCAHO approaches NFPA to jointly hold JCAHO approaches NFPA to jointly hold 3-day “Health Care Life Safety Code” 3-day “Health Care Life Safety Code” seminarseminar


NFPA’s Seminar ResultsNFPA’s Seminar Results

BostonBoston 13 Attendees13 Attendees

BaltimoreBaltimore 16 Attendees16 Attendees

OrlandoOrlando 22 Attendees22 Attendees


Shared Seminar ResultsShared Seminar Results


BaltimoreBaltimore 16 Attendees16 Attendees



ChicagoChicago 76 Attendees76 Attendees


I don’t want to share…I don’t want to share…

The Counterintuitive…The Counterintuitive…

……The sum is greater than the The sum is greater than the partsparts

An Amazing Selection of An Amazing Selection of Unbelievably Priced Unbelievably Priced Seminars!Seminars!



Earn valuable CEUs Interact with

nationally recognized instructors

Protect lives and property

Stay up-to-date with evolving fire protection and safety standards


Brand StatementsBrand Statements

““There are 300 Fire Codes. And one There are 300 Fire Codes. And one reliable source to help you sort through reliable source to help you sort through them.”them.”

““Fire protection and safety standards are Fire protection and safety standards are constantly evolving. NFPA gives you the constantly evolving. NFPA gives you the most up-to-date information.”most up-to-date information.”

““Fire protection and Safety requires Fire protection and Safety requires extensive knowledge in hundreds of extensive knowledge in hundreds of areas. NFPA brings you experts in all of areas. NFPA brings you experts in all of them.”them.”

An Amazing Selection of An Amazing Selection of Unbelievably Priced Unbelievably Priced Seminars!Seminars!

The Counterintuitive!The Counterintuitive!

……not our spin, but their not our spin, but their perceptionsperceptions


More Counterintuitive?More Counterintuitive?

List Description Mailed Response Attendees %buyers of 70E 4,028 1.76% 71 40%

healthcare section 436 1.15% 5 3%

buyer of NEC $200+ 996 0.90% 9 5%

electrical section 604 0.66% 4 2%buyers of LSC

101 5,967 0.52% 31 18%industrial section 421 0.24% 1 1%

Total Lists 12,452 0.97% 121 68%

The Counterintuitive Know Your Program Audience

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