Report of the MCAA Marketing Committee

MCAA Quarterly Video Committee and News Reports

To share with MCAA and industry members the progress being made by its committees, including substantive news from the MCAA, quarterly video reports will be produced and distributed by the MCAA to its digital database. Through research and experience, the Marketing Committee (MC) determined that the opportunities available and success rate (open rate) of video messages will far exceed that of traditional print reports.

The power of video:

Videos increase a person’s level of understanding by 75%.
65% of an audience will take action after watching video.
55% of video viewers will share the message/content with others.
Seeing and hearing real people increases credulity and gains trust.
80% of online users will remember a video ad for up to a month.
Human brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

Initially the video reports will be created in-house at the MCAA headquarters for the first 3 reports to assess costs and impact. When proven successful, the MC and Board will evaluate the option of increasing the program’s budget for additional [hired] talent and resources.

To generate the content and produce the videos, the MC will create an editorial calendar for each year that ultimately gives each committee the chance to convey its message to the audience. The MC will select 2 to 3 committees for each report to ensure its chairman and members have ample time to submit content. The reports will be written and forwarded to Tim O’Toole, who will produce the videos using the association’s existing equipment. When possible, some reports will include video of committee chairs presenting their report.

The reports will be short and concise to keep the total video message between 3 to 4 minutes. The intent is to deliver an engaging, informative communications vehicle that benefits the masonry industry and promotes the value of the MCAA.

“Careers in Masonry” Brochure

The masonry industry is in the middle of perhaps one of its greatest periods of need for a skilled workforce, especially jobsite personnel; masons and laborers. Industry reports the growth of new jobs for masons will increase by 34 percent from 2012 to 2022. Adding to this challenge is the retirement rate of our existing mason workforce, estimated to be at about 25% for this same time period. Our industry, led by the MCAA, will need to recruit, train, and retain somewhere between 10,000 to 30,000 new masons in the next half decade.

During the Midyear Meeting in Key West, the Marketing and Workforce Development (WFD) Committees capitalized on a roundtable discussion on the tools needed to create an interest, awareness and call to action for individuals looking to establish a career in masonry. Even though the strongest recruiting tool is word of mouth advertising, the roundtable group agreed that a print and digitally formatted brochure would best create “the script” everyone in the masonry industry (contractors and their labor, producers, suppliers, and training programs) could use to promote the trade to prospects.

The committees agreed the target audience for this tool is males in the 16 to 25 age group. And considering the fact that visual information makes up 90% of what people absorb in their brains, the optimal format for this marketing piece is an infographic illustrating the Top 10 Reasons a career in masonry makes sense. To keep costs at a minimum the infographic will be created in-house (MCAA/Tim O’Toole) and will deliver an attractive, compelling representation of the following key selling points:

Economics (low cost of entry/no debt, “earn while you learn”)
High demand occupation–endless opportunity
Career path with upward mobility/latitude (be your own boss)
Good compensation that’s skill based
Education and training available
Pride in your craft–build your legacy (I built that!)
Freedom to travel, work outdoors, be part of a team

The intent is to produce a piece for print and digital circulation. Cost estimates indicate the print piece will require between $0.10 to $0.20 based on quantities and page count. This resource would be made available through the MCAA and offered to all members of the masonry industry. The same holds true for the digital file; however, this format would include additional multimedia information (i.e. in PDFs, video, testimonials, images) that gives greater depth to the message.

Advantages of Masonry Campaign

With the Board’s approval, the Marketing Committee is considering the need for a comprehensive marketing campaign complete with brochures, video, structured presentation that promote the benefits of masonry construction to the building owners, the design community, GCs, CMs, PMs and universities. The campaign will focus on masonry’s competitive advantages starting with, but not limited to the following:

Structural integrity and flexibility
Energy savings
Scheduling and project delivery
Cost and value comparisons
Budgeting

Given all the latest innovations positively impacting the masonry industry and construction; engineered wall systems, information technology (BIM-M), equipment, products, and safety measures, the Marketing Committee proposes the idea of partnering MCAA regional/state associations and its affiliate organizations to gather existing ideas, methods and information to support the campaign.

The program will be a MCAA produced and marketed resource available to the masonry industry that can be pushed by all players–contractors, manufacturers, consultants, training programs, etc. The end goal is to develop a concise message and support tools that all members of our industry can use to drive this initiative and educate our target markets.

Prospective campaign marketing and support tools:

Print & digital literature pieces

Direct mail
Magazine poly bag inserts, wraps
Infographics

Print & digital ads
e-blasts
Webinar / PowerPoint presentations

Report of the MCAA Marketing Committee

MCAA Quarterly Video Committee and News Reports

“Careers in Masonry” Brochure

Advantages of Masonry Campaign

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