AFPPA – Membership

Situation
The Association of Family Practice Physician Assistants wanted to raise awareness of the organization as an indispensable resource within the PA profession. Membership and conference attendance had both been strong, but the AFPPA’s goal was to increase those numbers in 2009, an especially difficult task given the bleak economic conditions around the country.

Action
O’Neill Communications developed conference and membership materials and sent them to more than 20,000 potential members in an inviting package. Featuring AFPPA’s new video, Discover the AFPPA, the mailer also contained a membership application brochure and 12-page booklet on the upcoming Fall Conference, as well as a contest to win a free trip to an upcoming conference. The video, which was also produced by O’Neill Communications, invites viewers to see what actually happens during AFPPA’s hands-on workshops and training sessions, while the booklet provides a visually stunning showcase of the events, educational sessions, and accommodations that await in Phoenix. The Fall Conference booklet was also mailed to more than 50,000 PAs and NPs who practice in other specialties or live near the Phoenix, Arizona, conference location. Following the mailings, O’Neill Communications sent a series of email campaigns recapping AFPPA’s outstanding membership benefits, along with reminders about deadlines and upcoming opportunities.

Result
Six weeks after the initiation of the campaign, membership numbers were 21 percent higher than the same time the previous year and fall conference registration had already exceeded the previous year’s final numbers (with almost two months to go in the registration process).