Hazen selected top CEO communicator
Says innovation and ".coop" can compensate for tight budget
By Dan Campbell, editor
S ince his first day on the job as CEO of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), Paul Hazen has been an ardent practitioner of the art of communications and has supported and expanded the association’s communications and education programs.
Whether providing support to produce NCBA’s award-winning video, “The Spirit of Cooperation,” making a speech about the advantages of cooperatives before a major conference, or leading the charge to establish the new “.coop” Internet domain, Hazen has been a tireless champion of effective cooperative communications. In recognition of this commitment, Hazen has been selected as the CEO Communicator of the Year for 2001 by the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA).
In announcing his selection, outgoing CCA President Lani Jordan of CENEX Harvest States saluted Hazen for “providing leadership to integrate communications into the planning and management process of NCBA, for supporting its communications staff and conveying cooperative ideas with skill and enthusiasm.”
Accepting the award before an audience of more than 150 at the annual communications institute of the Cooperative Communicators Association in Orlando, Fla., Hazen said that cooperatives rarely have the kind of big budgets for advertising and public affairs programs that are common among large, investor-owned companies. So they must compensate with creativity and innovation to make sure they get their messages across to the public, Hazen said.
He also noted that cooperatives are often so focused on internal [member/ employee] communications that they overlook the importance of external communications.
“If we talk only to each other, we are doomed as a sector,” said Hazen. “We must go beyond our own sector of the economy to reach the media, the public and lawmakers with messages about the breadth and economic strength of cooperatives, he said, noting that surveys have shown that the majority of American consumers have a favorable impression of cooperatives.
Hazen urged cooperatives to emphasize their cooperative status and principles when communicating with the public. “We tend to apologize for being co-ops, as though we’ve grown successful businesses in spite of our cooperative status, not because of it. That’s wrong, and it will get us nowhere.” When talking to the media, Hazen said co-ops should talk about why cooperatives are better than other types of business.
“Only through strong, clear communications will more people come to recognize and embrace the cooperative business structure.”
Sees huge potential for “.coop”
One major communications feat which helped Hazen win the CCA honor —creation of the “.coop” Internet domain—can also help cooperatives differentiate themselves in a “crowded but extremely important marketplace.” He noted that the Internet has the power to someday “eclipse television in popularity,” at a fraction of the cost of TV advertising. The new, .coop Web address is thus a powerful marketing and branding tool for the 400 million people worldwide with Internet access (of which 167 million live in the United States).
“Cooperatives now own a monopoly on the Internet, which is a strange position for cooperatives. I have never liked monopolies, but now that we own one, I guess they are OK,” Hazen joked.
“In four letters, you can tell consumers who you are, how you do business and what you value. In a world where consumers seem to have shorter and shorter attention spans, you can’t find a communications message more efficient than that.”
Hazen said .coop will create a “fresh, modern image” for co-ops, especially with young consumers, many of whom would “rather give up their TV than their Internet connection.” He envisions students in classrooms raising their hands to ask teachers what “.coop” stands for, triggering a discussion about what a cooperative is.
“I believe .coop will do more to promote cooperatives than any other single initiative could have,” Hazen said. He concluded by challenging each of the communicators present to “go back to your CEOs and IT people and get them thinking about what new names your cooperative needs for its new, .coop web address...it’s your job to encourage them to make use of this powerful medium." [end]
