ACP 2006 Strategic Plan Prepared by Advanced Insights

1. ACP2006 Strategic PlanPrepared by Advanced Insights March 13, 2006

2. Introduction and Background • This document serves as the strategic plan for the ACP and contains Advanced Insights’ Discovery Session findings, strategic recommendations as well as high-level action items for 2006/2007. • Key objectives for this document: • Examine ACP’s overall corporate identity and imagery • Articulate ACP’s brand attributes • Reveal pathways for member growth and increasing revenue • Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships and alliances • Identify next steps or action items for the organization

3. Introduction and Background:ACP: Observations • In our work session, board members revealed tremendous passion for the organization and emerging ACP brand, yet noted the existence of apathy among some ACP chapters and members. In order to foster a sense of organization, direction and future possibilities for the ACP, we must determine how you need to be perceived to be successful. • Based on your feedback and our internal audit, it appears that the ACP is uniquely positioned and there are no real direct competing organizations. • Who you are: • You are a community of industry experts, educators, practitioners, leaders, facilitators and advocates. Your members view you as connectors and as a vital networking source. • You are not (currently) an official training organization, certifiers, lobbyists, researchers, aggregators or employers. • However, the organization is somewhat decentralized and chapters are left to invent their collateral and communications as well as the structure of their meetings.

4. Introduction and Background:ACP: Observations • What you do • You are influencing, networking, identifying trends, and bridging experts and the BC/DR community. • You are not (currently) leading/hosting conferences, offering formal training, publishing a magazine/journal, wowing/influencing industry, maximizing revenue potential and visioning for the future. • To understand the essence of your business and its operations there are three key questions that you must ask to reveal your situation: • What’s working? • What’s not working? • What’s missing?

5. Introduction and Background:ACP: What’s Working? • The following were identified as elements that are currently working for ACP: • Chapter growth • Member growth • Leadership at board level • Commitment to chapters • Accountability to chapters • Openness to board meetings • Administratively functioning • In action - using vendors • More strategic • Making progress (things happening) • Following the bylaws • Increased value to membership (i.e. discounts) • Increased visibility • Revenue growth (50% increase) • Increased board access • Diversity of chapters

6. Introduction and Background:ACP: What’s Not Working? • As part of the strategic planning process, most organizations embarking upon the process discover they have more breakdowns and challenges than success stories, the discovery of which is essential to strengthening the company. • Member apathy • Chapters not invigorated on corporate side • Demonstrating corporate board value • Lack of professional awareness of ACP • Rely on word-of-mouth vs. active PR • Security/confidentiality of group • Chapters operate as silos • Past presidents not communicating to members • Chapter boards - not an earned position • Making leadership positions desirable/valuable • Value of membership • Actions vs. position • Solid understanding of member base • Training across board • Not the “go to” organization • Not being contacted by potential strategic partners • Identity not connected to image • Newsletter, Web site • Sense of community • Articulating value of offer

7. Introduction and Background:ACP: What’s Missing? • As part of the strategic planning process, you also revealed the following as currently missing in your organization: • Higher purpose/articulating message • Strategic plan • Clear communications and from board to members • Chapter connectivity • Lack of consistency • Sharing best practices • Modern logo, marketing literature/collateral; Web site content • Member voting/participation • Leveraging contacts of board contacts • Share purpose • Size of our universe • Benchmarks, professions • Of 80k, 3k are certified • Roadmap of organization • Accountability of board actions • Feedback from members/chapters • Budget process • Fundraising (99% of revenue from memberships) • Diversify revenue source • What members want • Formal systems for data mining and collection (synthesis) • Industry statistics • Competitor benchmarks

8. Brands and Attributes:ACP: Desired Brand Attributes (master list) • The following were identified as realistic, desirable brand characteristics for the organization: • Name recognition • Professionalism • Leadership • Authority (expertise) • Forward thinking • Continuous improvement • Strategic

9. Brands and Attributes:The Components of a Brand An organization’s brand consists of the distinguishing characteristics that differentiate the organization from another. The brand is ultimately defined and supported by an organization’s leadership, internal culture, programs, products and services, and by how it responds to member, partner and prospect needs. A visual identity that captures and graphically expresses the brand can offer essential clues as to what expectations the brand intends to meet or exceed, and provide a foundation for successful brand building. We often refer to the chart below as “The Brand Iceberg” because the tip is the part that is visible and there is great danger in ignoring the significance of the piece below the surface. Communication tools are just one important component of brand building and can only be useful when combined with solid communication, internal organization, culture and leadership. State promise, guide perceptions, set expectations, assure quality, provide orientation Signature Brand identification at its most basic (Name, logotype, symbol, color) Common elements used in communications (Typography, color palette, iconography, formats) System The visual and physical carriers of the messages (Web presence, print, collateral, PowerPoint presentations) Expressions Targeted communications specific to audiences (Members, partners, prospects, advertisers) Messages Embody and fulfill a perception and experience Products & Services The tangible delivery of ACP’s vision (TBD) To be successful, you must first fulfill these two fundamental levels How members interact with each other Behavior

10. Audience and Alliances: Strategic Alliances and Partnerships • As part of your mission to cultivate member growth and to maximize organizational efficiencies, it is vital to the future of the ACP to foster key alliances and partnerships with other organizations. • Future/Desired Relationships • Red Cross (lapsed) • Chambers of Commerce • Local • International • Continuity Forum (Australia) • FEMA/Homeland Security • NEMA • State emergency associations • AFCOM • NFPA • ASIS • Universities with BC/DR programs • University of Richmond • University of Houston • George Washington University • Community colleges & extensions Current/Active Relationships IBHS (renegotiating) DRJ CPM Continuity Insights (informal connection) CCEP IBCT DRII (negotiating) TelCoa BC Management (negotiating) ASFPM

11. Redefining the ACP: Core Values • You shared with us ACP’s history, culture, values and business objectives. Understanding where you are today and what you want to become is critical to your success. • You have defined your Core Values as: • Knowledge • We are experienced thought leaders • Integrity • We are professional and true to our word • Innovation • We are forward thinkers developing better ways to guide the industry • We are the vanguard for professionals and the industry • Support • We are committed to supporting our members

12. Redefining the ACP: Vision Statement • You have defined your Vision as: • Building the premier international organization for business continuity professionals

13. Redefining the ACP: Mission Statement • You have defined your Mission as: • Providing a powerful network for the advancement of the industry and the development of business continuity professionals

14. Redefining the ACP: Corporate Description • The length and depth of information that comprise the Description make it more suitable as a corporate description than a positioning statement. • You have defined your Description as: • The ACP is the premier, international organization for business continuity professionals that provides a powerful networking and learning environment for its members. Known for its progressive business continuity programs, the organization has become a unifying force in defining and leading the rapidly evolving fields of business continuity, disaster recovery and emergency response. The organization is strategically aligned with partners such as DRI, IBHS and The Red Cross to name a few. With a strong presence in the US, the ACP has xx chapters worldwide and over 2,000 members and welcomes all individuals with an interest in continuity planning.

15. Redefining the ACP: Positioning Statement • A positioning statement should be: believable; ownable; beneficial to your audiences; motivational to your members; and sustainable over time. • You have defined your Positioning as: • The recognized, international leader in developing business continuity professionals

16. The Game Plan: Action Items and Priorities • You have identified the following as action items for 2006/2007. As a team, we would like the ACP board members to identify solutions and priorities, as well as designate key individuals who will be responsible for their successful implementation. • The items are listed in order of priority • Member engagement/interaction (2006/ongoing) • Tangible delivery of ACP’s vision (2006/ongoing) • Improve brand awareness (2006/ongoing) • Identify elements/aspects that clearly distinguish ACP from others • Complete re-branding (2006) • Strategic plan (completed) • Resolve organization name (completed) • Evolve corporate identity/logo, Web site (in progress) • Examine ways to improve perceived value of membership (2006/ongoing) • Engage strategic partners and tout these alliances (2006) • Increase perceived value and meaning of leadership positions (2006) • Examine fundraising and possibilities for increasing revenues (2006-in progress)

17. The Game Plan: Action Items and Priorities continued • Develop roadmap/blueprint of organization (2006) • Establish International presence (2006) • Develop feedback mechanism for members/chapters (late 2006/2007) • Review budget process (late 2006/2007) • Create process to identify and share best practices (late 2006/2007) • Create SOP guide for board and chapters (2006/2007) • Create detailed job/role descriptions • Assess size of universe--benchmarking (2007) • Examine lobbying activities (2007)

18. Visual Design and Name Recommendation • Based on our analysis of the workshop results and our experience with organizations like ACP, we recommend the selection of a local design firm – either an individual or a small firm – to develop the final visual identity. Given the need for ongoing consultation and marketing communications, working with a local firm that is consistent, flexible, professional and responsive to your requests will help you be successful. • We do not recommend a student or novice organization for this stage of development. • Visual design is subjective, so establishing criteria for success at the outset that refer back to this document will help avoid going down the path of “I like green vs. red.” • We urge you to avoid falling into the familiar trap of voting on your favorites. Rather trust the design firm to speak about how their design suggestions fulfill the objectives of the strategic document and the creative brief in particular. Design by committee rarely produces and professional, meaningful or extensible identity system.

19. Visual Design and Name Recommendation: Creative Brief • With respect to how the organization will refer to itself from this point forward, we recommend “ACP” because it presents the fewest breakdowns with respect to changing industry distinctions (such as the shift from ‘contingency’ to ‘continuity’) and because it opens opportunities for the visual identity. • Your Core Values, Vision, Mission, Description and Positioning combined with your action steps and member engagement will create and assign meaning to the name. • Visual identities can take several forms: typographic (logotypes); symbols (abstract or metaphorical representations); and hybrids (logotypes with symbols). Given the need to promote the name – with increased clarity and meaning – we believe that emphasis should be given to logotype explorations, possibly with secondary explorations of hybrid combinations with symbols.

20. Visual Design and Name Recommendation: Creative Brief • We suggest a brand architecture the focuses the primary emphasis on ACP with a secondary emphasis on the chapter. For example: ACP Dallas Chapter ACP Southwest Region • This will also help build the identity of the parent organization and allow for an unlimited number of chapters to become members without trying to reinvent their identity each time. Taking time to show the chapters how this will benefit everyone – and how not doing so will have the opposite effect – is a key component in rolling out the new identity system. • The visual identity should be distinct, carry the organization forward with confidence, and remain relevant over time. It should also symbolize new energy, act as an internal and external motivator, and be recognizable and professional.