Chattanooga Chamber Takes Top Honors

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is the 2009 recipient of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives’ (ACCE) coveted Best of Show Award for Communications Excellence (ACE). The organization won for its Volkswagen Brand Matching campaign. “The ACE Best of Show illustrates and embodies the essence of communications excellence,” said ACCE President Mick Fleming. “Only one entry from among this year’s three Grand Awards in communications was bestowed this honor.” This year's ACE competition drew more than 100 entries from chambers throughout the U.S. The ACE Best of Show Award was presented at the annual ACCE Convention on July 31, in Raleigh, NC. Membership Achievement Awards, the Chamber of the Year and other awards were presented during the occasion. “ACCE salutes the Chattanooga Chamber for its big win,” Fleming said. “Their clever and highly effective campaign represents the exceptional communications work being done in the chamber profession.” The Chamber received the top award for a booklet and PowerPoint presentation that played off a Volkswagen marketing initiative. It was used in the Chamber’s Volkswagen recruitment campaign.

J.Ed. Marston, Chamber vice president of marketing and communication, and Jeremy Henderson, Chamber graphic designer, accepted the top communications award during the Raleigh convention.

The booklet, Das book of what the company wants, was keyed to VW’s Das book of what the people want. The Chamber booklet was designed to demonstrate the synergies and values Chattanooga shared with Volkswagen. Echoing Volkswagen’s current advertising campaign featuring a wise-cracking, classic Volkswagen Beetle (Das Auto), Marston and Henderson invented “Derr Choo Choo,” an equally sharp-witted Chattanooga Choo Choo, to deliver the message of how Chattanooga and Volkswagen are similar.
The major comparisons between Volkswagen and Chattanooga included a focus on environmental stewardship, a commitment to 21st Century manufacturing, and a certain quirky charm.

“Volkswagen executives were so taken by the Derr Choo Choo presentation they requested it be repeated on return visits,” Marston said. “In explaining why they selected Chattanooga during the announcement press conference, Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO Stefan Jacoby said that during the selection process, ‘the intangibles became tangible…that Chattanooga’s values are compatible with Volkswagen.’ “This statement was a clear affirmation that the Chattanooga Team’s presentations and other efforts had succeeded in helping Volkswagen officials imagine themselves in the community and understand how wonderfully the company would fit in the area.” Tom Edd Wilson, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Chamber, said, “This award speaks to the quality of our staff. People often ask me who we hire to do our public relations materials. I tell them we do them in-house.”

Some 800 Chamber staffers from around the country attended the Raleigh convention, which featured a speech by Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. The Chamber’s entry was judged best in the Campaigns and Programs category, in addition to being named Grand Award winner in all three communications categories, including Member & community Communications and Special Publications. The Awards for Communication Excellence (ACE) is an annual competition that recognizes excellence in all areas of communications. Celebrating its 26th year, ACE continues to be the vehicle for the chamber community to promote effective chamber communications, as well as highlight initiatives, introduce events and inform members.

For more information about the ACE awards visit www.acce.org. Established in 1914, ACCE is the only national association uniquely serving the professional development needs of individuals managing chambers of commerce throughout the United States and Canada. Representing more than 7,000 chamber professionals, ACCE enhances the knowledge, leadership skills, and management effectiveness of chamber executives and their staffs through education, trend analysis, benchmarking, and best practices. ACCE promotes the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity within the chamber profession.