Celebrating Cooperative Month with Eight Great Communications Reminders for Member-Owned Organizations
October is Cooperative Month, and Paulsen is celebrating our member-owned clients of all shapes and sizes from farmer-led groups to electric cooperatives to Farm Credit professionals.
We know the value of ownership and shared purpose seems to be fading as farmers grow larger, the landscape becomes more competitive and consumers become more polarized about energy production. In our work with cooperatives, we’ve found alignment between leadership and members can be tough to create.
That’s why our Paulsen team – experts in serving ag, energy, and rural America – works with cooperatives to emphasize the importance of proactive, member-centered communication. As our gift to all the great cooperative communicators out there for Cooperative Month, we’ve searched our archives to put together our top eight tips (tied to a few of the Cooperative Principles) for listening to members, creating engaging content and building trust.
1. Listen Before You Launch
One of the Cooperative Principles is Democratic Member Control. While most “democracy” at cooperatives today happens in board elections, there are additional opportunities to include your members’ thoughts in your marketing campaigns without staging a vote.
Before launching any strategic plan or marketing campaign, it’s crucial to listen to your members. The worst thing a communications team can do is launch a creative message that doesn’t resonate with the audience.
Paulsen offers its FOCUS Platform to quickly and easily collect feedback. The online tool provides an interactive, anonymous feedback process that helps uncover member insights and concerns in real time.
In conducting hundreds of sessions with farmers and cooperative members and leaders, we’ve received great feedback on our session facilitation (we average more than 4 out of 5 stars). Recently, two cattle producers stated in their post-FOCUS session evaluations that “this was extremely smooth/easy and fun to do” and “I would do more of these.”
2. Create a Unique Message That Sets You Apart
We often joke that every farmer-owned cooperative in the U.S. could easily use the slogan “Your Partner in the Field” because, in a way, they all offer the same products and services. In an industry where cooperatives often rely on similar language around shared ownership and community support, it’s vital to differentiate your message.
Paulsen helps identify the unique qualities that make your cooperative stand out—whether it’s an innovative service or a specific member-focused resource. By honing in on these strengths, you can cut through the noise and attract attention in a crowded marketplace.
3. Focus on the Human Element
Cooperative members are not just looking for products or services—they want to trust their electricity provider, financier, or farmer retailer. Communicators should focus on the human element by sharing real stories that connect emotionally with their audience.
Testimonials, especially video ones, are a great way to quickly highlight the trust your members have in your organization so others can connect with you.
4. Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Proactive crisis communication starts long before a crisis hits, and trust is built over time through consistent, authentic messaging that aligns with your values.
For example, if you're an agricultural cooperative, you could regularly highlight your safety protocols, training initiatives and employee well-being efforts in public communications. This creates a foundation of trust.
When a crisis occurs, such as a safety incident, your prior messaging will reinforce the idea that you prioritize safety, making your response more credible. Without this preparation, any claims you make during a crisis will seem hollow, and you'll struggle to regain public trust.
This proactive approach is essential because trust isn't established in the heat of a crisis—it needs to be nurtured beforehand. If you wait until something goes wrong, you'll be scrambling to change perceptions, which is much harder once the public's opinion has already been set by negative events.
5. Emphasize the Value of Ownership
Member-owned cooperatives have a powerful story to tell—one rooted in shared ownership and local impact. Yet, this message can sometimes get lost. Remind your members of the tangible benefits of being an owner, such as voting rights and patronage dividends. (But, be prepared that fast customer response times in a power outage or short lines at harvest may be more important to a younger generation than that patronage check.)
6. Foster Long-Term Relationships with "Education, Training and Information"
Another of the Cooperative Principles is “Education, Training and Information.” We’ve heard time and time again that hosting meetings, field days and conferences may not be the most effective way for a cooperative to offer educational opportunities to its members. (Free lunch, however, always seems to draw a crowd!)
7. Strengthen Community Engagement
“Concern for Community” is another Cooperative Principle. We have yet to find a cooperative that doesn’t play a pivotal role in supporting its rural community.
Don’t be humble about the value you offer, especially when it comes to community involvement and philanthropic giving. While these donations are meant for the good of the community, you should ensure you’re marketing the ways you care.
And, if you feel like you’ve donated to every 4-H program and all the county fairs, but the whole donation program feels stale, it may be time to create your own program, rooted in something your cooperative feels strongly about. Maybe it's a summer camp for local kids about power generation or a local tour of agribusinesses that you host and promote.
Regardless of how you show your concern for the community, Paulsen can help your team find creative ways to share these messages beyond the cliché photo of two people holding a big donation check for a photo for the local paper.
8. Communicate Transparently and Consistently
Being transparent when things are going well seems easy. It gets really tough to tell the truth openly when financials look rough, you’re thinking of closing locations or you’ve had a leadership personnel issue.
Trust is the foundation of any successful cooperative, and it’s built through consistent and transparent communication. Whether sharing updates on financial health, governance decisions or strategic plans, regular communication ensures that members are informed and involved. Use town halls, newsletters and digital platforms to keep the conversation open. Transparency reinforces your credibility and helps members feel secure in their cooperative’s direction.
By focusing on proactive, authentic communication, cooperative leaders can foster strong relationships that weather both challenges and successes. These top eight tips are designed to help you strengthen your connection with members, highlight your unique value and ensure that when a crisis does arise, you’ve already laid the foundation of trust and loyalty.
Remember, communication is key to the longevity and success of any cooperative, and it starts with listening and delivering messages that truly resonate.
8. Communicate Transparently and Consistently
Being transparent when things are going well seems easy. It gets really tough to tell the truth openly when financials look rough, you’re thinking of closing locations or you’ve had a leadership personnel issue.
Trust is the foundation of any successful cooperative, and it’s built through consistent and transparent communication. Whether sharing updates on financial health, governance decisions or strategic plans, regular communication ensures that members are informed and involved. Use town halls, newsletters and digital platforms to keep the conversation open. Transparency reinforces your credibility and helps members feel secure in their cooperative’s direction.
By focusing on proactive, authentic communication, cooperative leaders can foster strong relationships that weather both challenges and successes. These top eight tips are designed to help you strengthen your connection with members, highlight your unique value and ensure that when a crisis does arise, you’ve already laid the foundation of trust and loyalty.
Remember, communication is key to the longevity and success of any cooperative, and it starts with listening and delivering messages that truly resonate.