Advice from...America's Next Top Model?

Some of you may know that I am addicted to "America's Next Top Model." I get a lot of makeup ideas and love cheering on the nicer models that will probably never win, but this season, I got marketing advice: To be successful, you need to be a brand that is recognizable by anyone. On the show, the models are encouraged to embrace their personality, their strengths, and their signature looks. Tweaked a bit, this can work for marketing organizations.

To "brand" Alpha Phi Omega, make every service project visible- before, during and after the fact. Make it so people don't ask,"What's APO?" but "What service project is APO going to do next?" Before every project, especially if extra volunteers are needed, make posters and Facebook events. On the day of, be sure to wear your letters. This way, even if there are people who don't know what APO is, the first association they will make is service. This can also be done with fellowship events but service should still be the first association, of course. It's as simple as that to garner more positive attention for Alpha Phi Omega. Just make everything that is happening even more visible so when people see APO letter shirts or hear the name, they instantly get a picture in their head rather than not thinking anything of what they saw or heard. Take a cue from models (or wannabe models) and help APO make a bigger mark on the campuses, communities, and the nation.

I started this blog post over a month ago and kept stopping because I wanted this to be more than just "Make APO known all over your campus!!" Then, I went to Region V's conference and was inspired by President Mark Stratton's goal of having 500 chapters by 2025. If APO brands itself and paints a clear picture of what being a brother is all about, chartering new chapters (and rechartering dormant chapters) will bring a strength to the movement and gain interest a lot quicker than just a title and the back story- as beautiful as it is. Branding APO will bring the brotherhood that much closer to the goal of 500 chapters.

YiLFS,

Martha