Fourth, send the story to the local media with a brief note explaining what membership means for your agency and how it’s different (and better) than being owned by a multinational.  It could generate a follow-up story or at least it will tell the reporters and editors that you're someone the international press feels worthy of quoting.

Fifth, post the article itself and/or a link to it [http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=142219] in the news section of your website. If you have a blog, incorporate it into your blog.

Sixth, send it to your local university's business and/or journalism school.  You want the professors to talk about you and invite you in to address their classes.  You also want the best students to know about you and apply for a job or internship at your agency.

Seventh, by participating in this international story you've demonstrated you're an important part of a worldwide organization.  

All this is good to raise your awareness in your marketplace in a positive way.  It helps make your business more successful, recruiting easier, staff happier, new business easier and it makes your competitors jealous.  That's always fun.  And, finally, this kind of publicity for the ICOM network helps me in recruiting good new members.

For the investment of half an hour or so at least seven good things can happen for your agency ... and you've spent no money.  Not many things offer so much for so little.

Gary Burandt
ICOM Executive Director
burandt@icomagencies.com