There's a version of association marketing that looks like this: send an email, post on social, hope for the best. For a while, that was enough. It isn't anymore.
Laura Kocum, Director of Marketing Communications at Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin, puts it plainly: "If we're doing the same print ads today as we did 20 years ago, we're not going to be making any greater impact on our audience."
That kind of thinking is exactly why ABC Wisconsin started using Feathr's digital advertising platform roughly six years ago, well before most associations had even heard the word "retargeting." And the way they've built on it since says a lot about what's possible when a small marketing team commits to staying ahead.
One message, seven or eight times
ABC Wisconsin’s Creative Director Chrissy Long has been running campaigns in Feathr since she joined the chapter four years ago, inheriting a platform her predecessor had already put to work. She took it and ran.
For ABC Wisconsin's bigger events and education programs, Chrissy builds full omnichannel campaigns: a save-the-date postcard, then social posts, then email, then retargeting ads chasing website visitors across the web. It's not about volume for its own sake. It's about consistency.
"They're seeing it seven or eight times," she says. "They're seeing the same messaging. I do all the creative ads and make sure it's consistent throughout all of those channels."
The most recent example was SuperCon, ABC Wisconsin's signature industry event. The campaign kicked off with a postcard six months out, layered in social and email as the date approached, and closed with retargeting ads to anyone who'd visited the event page but hadn't registered – with the goal of bringing them back.
But the point isn't just clicks. It's what happens between them: that slow, consistent accumulation of brand impressions that makes someone feel like registering was obvious when they finally did it.
Reaching people who don’t know they need you
Not every campaign is about converting warm leads. Some are about finding entirely new audiences and meeting them where they are.
For workforce development, ABC Wisconsin has geofenced technical colleges and four-year universities, specifically during finals week. The timing is intentional. The message is direct: school's not working for everyone. Apprenticeship is another path.
"Finals week, school's not for you – we have another option," says Laura. "It's apprenticeship."
That kind of targeting used to require serious media buying infrastructure. Now it's something Chrissy can spin up in a few clicks.
And then there's the advocacy work, which is where things get genuinely interesting. When the Republican and Democratic National Conventions were held near Wisconsin, ABC Wisconsin geofenced both venues and served targeted ads to the people walking in and out. Not attack ads. Not partisan messaging. Just a clear, member-first reminder that the construction and contracting industry matters and that business-friendly policy makes a real difference in the communities these legislators represent.
They've done the same at the state legislature on days when new lawmakers were being sworn in. And in one case, they geofenced a fundraiser for a candidate known to oppose several of their policy priorities – not to stir controversy, but to quietly put their message in front of people who might not have seen it otherwise.
"It's a gentle way to advocate," Laura says, "and yet to do it in a targeted way where you know you can reach the audience that you really want to see your message. And you hope that that moves the needle on public opinion, or at least the conversations happening around specific legislation."
Giving sponsors something worth buying
About two years ago, ABC Wisconsin added Feathr's sponsored retargeting option to its major partner sponsorship packages. The idea was straightforward: sponsors want access to ABC’s audience, and now there's a clean, privacy-compliant way to give it to them.
Rather than selling sponsorship slots as a collection of event tables and logo placements, ABC Wisconsin can now offer something more: your brand, in front of our members, while they're browsing the web. No data shared. No lists handed over. Just relevant ads running through Feathr's platform to a qualified audience.
It also solved a practical problem. The chapter's events tend to sell out. By adding a digital component to the major partner package, they can hold back event spots for direct sales while still delivering real value to sponsors through the retargeting campaigns.
"We're offering our sponsors the same omni-channel idea," Laura says. "All these different ways you can reach our members. I think it adds value to say that that's part of the portfolio – rather than just saying, come to the next three events we have and we'll call you a sponsor."
Making the case for digital internally
Getting budget for a new digital marketing platform isn't always easy. For ABC Wisconsin, the data made it easier.
"I think it does help that you have analytics to show and prove: hey, these are working," says Chrissy. "Whereas a print ad, you can't get that."
That's a shift worth naming. Print advertising ran largely on faith. Digital advertising runs on evidence. And when leadership can see click-through rates, impression counts, and campaign comparisons side by side in a single dashboard, the conversation about budget becomes a different one.
Laura adds that staying competitive played a role, too. "You want to stay at the level of your competition or ahead of them. And having a tool like this helps you do that and helps you to be more well-rounded as a marketing department."
For other ABC chapters thinking about making a similar move, Laura has one piece of advice worth heeding: don't just turn it on and walk away. Meet regularly with your Feathr contact. Ask questions. Build creative strategies together.
"If you're going to do it," she says, "don't just set it and forget it."
What's next
ABC Wisconsin is still learning — they'd be the first to tell you that. There are integrations they haven't fully explored yet, and new campaign types on the horizon.
But after six-plus years on the platform, they've built something most chapters are still working toward: an omnichannel marketing engine that reaches members without overwhelming their inboxes, finds new audiences in places that used to be out of reach, and gives sponsors a reason to stay at the table.
"It's such an easy way to get more advertising in front of people," Chrissy says, "without sending out another email."
