palletcentral

10 PalletCentral • July-August 2022 palletcentral.com POLICY PLAY AT H ello all! My name is Hallie Fuchs (fewks), and I am the new-ish public affairs manager at the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA). I had the privilege of meeting many of you at the Annual Leadership Conference (ALC) in March. My background in public relations and marketing makes communication the perfect topic to introduce myself and annoyingly preach the importance of messaging. We have always known communication is critical, but the pandemic and later return to "normalcy" has reaffirmed the importance of excellent communication. In this new hybrid environment, using the full range of available communication has never been more critical to achieving your goal. Communication, the imparting or exchanging of information or news, comes in many forms and processes – verbal, written, non-written, and so on. And what we talk about, or messaging, is the content of the communication process. e power of communication will give us the edge. When we communicate well, we do better at work and in our personal lives. While there are plenty of distinct types of communication, it all boils down to understanding how people think and feel. What messaging do we choose to listen to? We are constantly inundated with messages: • e average American spends over seven hours looking at a screen each day. (Comparitech) • e average person speaks at least 7,000 words a day. (LinkedIn) • e average person has 27 conversations every day, lasting an average of 10 minutes each. (Inc) • Most Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day. (Forbes) As NWPCA staff, it is our job to convey messages on behalf of the wooden pallet industry and beat out other messages barraging our inboxes, the internet, or social media. To cut through the noise, we do our best to keep it simple stupid, or K.I.S.S. Our primary messages, "pallets move the world," and "wood is good," are the easiest to remember and convey. Wood is good has an amazing "stickiness factor," defined by Malcolm Gladwell in his book e Tipping Point as "the quality that compels people to pay close, sustained attention to a product, concept, or idea." "Wood is good" is the definition of sticky. It is absolute, short, clear, and concise. Our public affairs team brings the industry's most compelling and sticky messaging to DC. Most folks in DC have never given much thought to a wood pallet. Out of the dozens of people I have met at Hill functions, only one knew the difference between a block and a stringer pallet. He also works as a director of packaging for a Fortune 500 company. We are using the messages as catalysts to focus on the supply chain issue, sustainability, forestry, and related legislation. We have been boots-on- the-ground around the Hill, attending events to connect with leaders and heading into the halls of the Senate for meetings with congressional staffers. NWPCA is a key player in coalition building. NWPCA's participation, by signing on to letters (hey, another form of communication!) condoning or supporting measures, or co-hosting events such as the OSHA heat hazard inspections webinar, also promotes the association and our messages. With each interaction, the team continues to assess and evaluate its success. As in everything we do, we can only be successful with the support of the membership and the board. ey understand the importance of messaging and welcome us with open arms for plant tours, walking us through the latest innovations and challenges in their sawmills and manufacturing facilities. ese insights enabled NWPCA to meet with White House Senior Staff for the first time to discuss the vital role of wooden pallets in the supply chain. Other successful communication campaigns that engaged the members in grassroots communications to state and The Power of Communication Progress is made one message at a time. By Hallie Fuchs

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