“Positioning for Growth” (PFG), a new campaign launched by the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), is off to a promising start, PFG National Steering Committee Chairman James H. Terry, NCE announced. The campaign, supporting industry research, advocacy and thought leadership, was officially launched at the NAMA OneShowSM in Las Vegas and is designed to fund an effort to re-energize the industry and to assure continued growth in the unattended retail and refreshment services industry.
In making the announcement Terry said in a prepared statement, “Our leadership developed a multi-year strategy designed to further shape and promote the image of the automatic merchandising and refreshment services industry with consumer, government and industry stakeholders, and to position it for a new era of growth. The plan focuses on the three pillars that will help NAMA achieve its vision: research, advocacy and thought leadership. We were thrilled with the response we received from members at the NAMA OneShow, and now, thanks to the support of our early funders, we have great momentum to make bold moves toward positioning the unattended retail and refreshment services industry for growth. We are also confident that under the leadership of NAMA’s new president and CEO Carla Balakgie, the campaign will be a phenomenal success and deliver great dividends to our industry.”
According to Terry, the 2012 PFG campaign will harness the collective resources of NAMA members to generate the financial resources required to execute the organization’s strategic vision and address issues that present the greatest challenges and opportunity. Terry added that because the industry is consumer-driven, technology enabled, and expansion-ready, NAMA is in a unique position today to lead the renaissance.
When asked about the campaign, NAMA President and CEO Carla Balakgie, CAE said, “Our members face challenges including consolidation of companies through mergers and acquisitions as well as difficult macro-economic conditions and increased regulation from federal, state and local governments. Like all business sectors, the automatic merchandising and refreshment services industry must grow in order to survive and thrive. The stakes are high and meaningful action is required.”
According to Balakgie, key deliverables within the three research, advocacy and Thought leadership campaign pillars include:
NAMA will establish itself as the independent and authoritative resource and voice on significant business metrics and trends affecting the industry. NAMA will achieve this distinction by implementing a multi-faceted research agenda focused on consumer, general business and industry-specific research. The research and reputation will be used to establish NAMA as the authority to drive the organization’s advocacy agenda.
Advocacy: Fueled by its robust advocacy agenda, NAMA will amplify the collective voice of the industry and advance its influence with legislators, industry stakeholders, and the general public. It will also create a dedicated fund to fuel state efforts to deepen its ability to respond quickly to opportunities and threats. The organization plans to take a much more pro-active approach by engaging in efforts that align operators and shared-interest organizations with NAMA’s government affairs agenda and inspire action. NAMA will also create training tools and a support system to help members conduct advocacy work with their public officials, mobilizing them on major issues through grassroots to grasstops campaigns.
Thought Leadership: Leveraging its influence and reach to facilitate growth for the industry, NAMA will establish itself as a thought leader by providing enhanced education, forums, and resources to develop and enrich businesses and leaders throughout the industry. NAMA will also showcase its collective knowledge assets with members, the media, public officials and other key audiences using web-based features such as a resource library enabling access to a comprehensive collection of on-demand education, training and information ranging from white papers to peer presentations, articles, briefs and research data.
NAMA will also continue to refine the body of knowledge in vending and distinguish core competencies in the coffee, tea and water sector by building on offerings and specialty certifications including the Quality Coffee Certificate Program (QCCP). The plan calls for integrating technology as a domain into the industry body of knowledge and developing associated strategy, business planning, and best practice guides as a means to navigate this ever-evolving landscape.
Concluded Terry, “It’s a new era both for NAMA and for our industry at large. With the support and engagement of all industry stakeholders, we look forward to identifying these channels of growth and helping our members maximize the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.”
For more information about the campaign, visit www.vending.org/Campaign.
