Alexandria-based Marketing General, Inc., announced an economic stimulus package to give associations adequate capital to maintain an aggressive stance for their marketing efforts in the recession economy. The program is designed to help associations continue sales efforts for both dues and non-dues programs, including membership, conferences and publications.

This is our economic stimulus package for the industry, said MGI president Rick Whelan. Associations are under pressure to conserve cash by slashing expenses in this economy. However, our 30-year experience tells us that this is not the time to cut marketing programs. If anything, it is a time to take a long-term look at membership development and retention. We have been in business through three economic recessions and have consistently seen our clients who marketed their way through the downturn emerge with a stronger market presence when it was over. Studies in the Harvard Business Review, American Business Press, Fortune, and McGraw-Hill Research have reached the same conclusion, Whelan added.

Whelan emphasized that the effort is not a loan, but working capital where MGI covers the initial costs associated with promoting an associations marketing initiative (including mail, telephone, and web outreach) and, in return, is reimbursed from the income generated by the sale of memberships, registrations and the like. The program is designed to eliminate the short-term financial-recovery concerns that association executives face with recession marketing efforts.

There are more than 1,000 associations based in Alexandria