How a Full-Service Advertising Agency Landed an $84K Contract with a National Education Association
| Client Type | Full-Service Advertising Agency |
| Win | $84K Contract, National Association for the Education of Young Children |
| Verticals Served | Education, Associations, Non-Profit, Financial Services, Restaurant |
The Challenge: Real Sector Depth, but No Consistent Engine for New Business
This Maryland-based advertising agency had thirty years of building campaigns for financial institutions, trade associations, educational organizations, and non-profits.
It gave them something tough to replicate: a genuine understanding of what it takes to reach audiences in sectors where trust, mission, and member value drive every marketing decision.
They knew, for example, that association marketing isn’t just about awareness, it’s about retention, membership development, event attendance, and demonstrating value to members who have a choice about where to put their professional loyalty.
What they didn’t have was a systematic way to get that expertise in front of new prospects.
New business had come through referrals and repeat work.
Getting in front of the right decision-makers at national associations and education organizations required the kind of sustained, disciplined outreach that’s difficult to maintain alongside full client workloads.
Why Outsourced New Business Made Sense
Associations and non-profit organizations don’t move quickly.
The people who make marketing decisions at national membership organizations are balancing internal stakeholders, board priorities, limited budgets, and multi-year strategic plans.
Getting a conversation started requires patience and consistency, not just a strong email.
RSW/US assigned a dedicated New Business Director to work on the agency’s behalf, reaching marketing, communications, and membership directors at target organizations through phone, email, LinkedIn, and direct mail.
The messaging was built around the specific challenges those teams face in serving members effectively and making every marketing dollar count in mission-driven organizations where budgets are scrutinized closely.
How RSW/US Built the Program
The kick-off process focused on surfacing what made this agency genuinely valuable to associations and education organizations: a full-service capability that covered everything from brand development and advertising to PR, digital, and social, combined with three decades of hands-on experience understanding how membership-driven organizations think about marketing differently than commercial brands.
RSW/US built a targeted prospect list of national associations, education organizations, and non-profits where the agency’s depth of experience was a real differentiator.
Outreach was tailored to speak to the challenges those organizations faced, whether it was growing and retaining membership, building brand authority in a crowded professional landscape, or stretching limited marketing budgets further than they’d gone before.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children first came onto the radar in 2022.
Initial outreach opened a conversation, and RSW/US kept the relationship active and the agency visible over the following two years through consistent, thoughtful follow-up.
When NAEYC was ready to move, the agency was already known to them, already trusted, and ready to respond. The deal came together quickly once the timing was right.
The Result: An $84K Contract with NAEYC
The agency won an $84K contract with the National Association for the Education of Young Children, one of the most recognized organizations in early childhood education in the country.
NAEYC advocates for high-quality early learning environments for children from birth through age eight, and its membership spans educators, administrators, and program leaders nationwide.
It was a win that took a bit longer to close, but closed fast when the moment arrived.
That’s what persistent, professional outreach produces when it’s done right.
Not every opportunity moves on your timeline, but the ones that are worth winning are usually the ones that require someone to stay in the game long enough to be there when the door opens.
Learn more about NAEYC.
Is Your Agency Leaving Long-Term Opportunities on the Table?
Some of the best wins take time. RSW/US builds the program, keeps the relationships moving, and makes sure your agency is in the right place when the right prospects are ready to act.
Want to see exactly what’s included in a full program? Explore Our Offerings
