ARSA Positive Publicity Campaign Plan

The following is a description of the phases of ARSA’s Positive Publicity Campaign (PPC), a multi-year, "Inside the Beltway" public relations (PR) initiative to improve the legal, regulatory, and business climate for contract aviation maintenance companies. Each step in the campaign is dependent upon the information gathered and the money raised during previous steps.

While it is imperative that all steps be completed, each step has been designed to create information that can be incorporated into strategies whether or not the following steps are achieved.

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Phase One, Step One: Public Opinion Research

The purpose of Phase One, Step One was to gather data to benchmark public opinion about aviation maintenance to help the industry understand the scale of the PR challenge it faces and to guide the development of messages during later phases of the campaign. The results of the research will be used to develop and support a comprehensive strategic PR campaign for the MRO industry (See Phase Two, Step Two).

In late 2008, ARSA engaged the Washington, D.C.-based PR firm Stratacomm to conduct the research. The results were released at the ARSA Symposium in March 2009 and are available here. Among other things, the research determined that although key audiences (i.e., voters and "inside the Beltway" opinion leaders) do not currently hold strong opinions about our industry (favorable or unfavorable), the more they learned about contract maintenance, the more likely they were to oppose legislation hostile to repair stations. Thus, the research confirmed that a PR campaign could be effective and underscored the need to develop economic data to support key messages.

Phase One, Step Two: Economic Research

The purpose of Phase One, Step Two, which is currently underway, is to conduct research to demonstrate the economic impact of the aviation maintenance industry, nationally and internationally. ARSA retained the services of AeroStrategy, a well-known aviation industry economic research firm to conduct the studies.

The first phase of the research, completed in August 2009, confirmed for the first time the significant positive U.S. balance of trade in the market for aviation maintenance services and the industry’s enormous contribution to the U.S. economy. The report is available here. The data is already being used to support ARSA’s lobbying and media outreach.

Subject to funding from ARSA members, AeroStrategy will conduct additional economic research into the impact of the bilateral aviation safety agreement (BASA) between the United States and European Union, and on the aviation maintenance industry’s economic footprint in each of the 50 states.

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Phase Two, Step One: Fundraising

The purpose of Step One is to gather the resources necessary for ARSA to undertake a comprehensive, multi-year PR campaign. ARSA will use the results of the research conducted during Phase One, Steps One and Two to obtain financial commitments from aviation industry leaders to support subsequent phases.

The fundraising objective is to secure commitments totaling $1 million annually for three years (see Phase Two, Step One below).

Phase Two, Step Two: Strategic Public Relations Campaign Design

The purpose of Phase Two, Step One is to identify a PR firm to work with ARSA to design and conduct a multi-year PR campaign. ARSA will issue a request for proposal (RFP) and accept bids from PR firms with experience managing industry image campaigns.

Once an appropriate firm is identified and proposal accepted, ARSA staff will work with the firm to develop positive messages about the maintenance industry and create a tactical plan to deliver those messages to key publics (i.e., policymakers, MRO customers, etc.).

Phase Two, Step Three: Strategic Communications

The purpose of Phase Two, Step Three is to communicate positive messages about the aviation maintenance industry to policymakers and other key publics to improve the legal, regulatory, and business climate for repair stations.

ARSA will work with the industry’s PR firm to initiate the plan designed during Phase One, Step Three. The communication phase of the campaign will last at least three years and may include advertising (television, newspaper, and magazine); media outreach (including generating positive stories and Op-Ed pieces, conducting media training for industry executives, cultivating local media in politically-significant congressional districts, etc.); identifying and promoting third-party spokespeople for the industry (e.g., former senior government transportation officials); Web site development; and other tactics as recommended by our PR firm. Phase Two will likely be divided into multiple steps based upon the recommendations from the PR firm retained by ARSA.

The estimated cost of Phase Two is $1 million per year for three years.

Phase Two, Step Two: Research Redux

The purpose of Phase Two, Step Two is to evaluate the success of the PPC. ARSA will retain a research firm to evaluate the success of Phase Two, Step One. Based upon the results of the second round of research, ARSA will either initiate a new, refocused PR effort or reduce the level of PR activity to the point necessary to sustain gains made thus far in the PPC.

The estimated cost of Phase Two, Step Two is $100,000.

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Phase Three, Step One: Refocusing or Sustaining

The purpose of Phase Three, Step One is to sustain and build on the gains made during Phase Two. The structure, activities, and cost will depend on the results the research conducted during Phase Two, Step Two. The target initiation date is Jan. 1, 2013.

For questions regarding ARSA’s PPC, please contact ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein at 703 739 9543 or caklein@arsa.org.