Down to the Wire: A Relationship-Driven Success Story

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the way associations are communicating to their audiences, the YGS content team has taken on several time-critical challenges with its clients to help deliver the most pertinent, informative messaging possible.

One of the platforms through which we are helping to drive these messages is publications, and a perfect example of adjusting content in a compact timeframe came in the final days of producing the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association’s May issue of Compoundings magazine.

Compoundings is ILMA’s member magazine that covers developments in the lubricants manufacturing industry, such as market trends, scientific breakthroughs, regulatory and legislative affairs, and one area that’s affected nearly every industry during this time: transportation and logistics.

In the early stages of the content cycle for the May issue, YGS and ILMA aimed to dive deeply into the top disruptors of transportation—including the driver shortage, new hours-of-service regulations, and shifting freight rates—as the cover feature. Within weeks, the COVID-19 situation began to take hold globally, and as we neared the end of our cycle—just four days until the issue was released for digital publishing—significant revisions to the piece had to be made.

After a quick phone call between YGS and ILMA, we reached out to the freelance writer who wrote the original piece and asked if she could revise it to cover several top-of-mind issues that could not be ignored. That meant re-interviewing all subject-matter experts, getting their quotes approved, completely reworking the copy, and delivering it to the YGS content team for editing and to ILMA for approval. The writer thankfully agreed to give it a shot.

Through a bevy of coordination and communication—and a bit of luck with reaching the article’s sources—we pulled it off. In just two business days, we had a completely rewritten piece, complete with fresh approved quotes and a new angle that is sure to be much more relevant and valuable to ILMA’s members than the original.

Although YGS does not suggest this type of down-to-the-wire rework, we knew it was crucial to ILMA and its members that this article be germane to the evolving global situation. It’s not every day or every issue that we are equipped to completely rewrite a huge feature story, but in this time of crisis, we hunkered down and got it done, delivering an engaging piece of content for ILMA. 

Keeping your association’s content relevant is more important than ever in today’s environment. It’s a collaborative effort that requires the team players and communication know-how fit for hitting last-minute deadlines. The driving force behind this success story was the relationship we’ve built over years through producing quality content to ILMA’s audiences—a true differentiator.

This is just one story of how YGS has worked hand-in-hand with a client to create compelling, engaging content for its audience. Connect with us to learn how we could shape your messaging to help members navigate this challenging time.