Why You Might Want a Yearbook > > >
Communicating the success of your trail organization is a critical part of the feedback loop for funders, decision-makers, and the public. Such communication demonstrates the trail organization’s ability to fulfill its promises, highlights its stakeholders, and when needed, enhances the chances of securing further support. For these reasons and more, let’s dive into Bike Cochrane’s innovative communication approach: the yearbook.
Founded in 2018, Bike Cochrane is the dedicated cycling advocate for the community of Cochrane, Alberta and has played a pivotal role in sanctioning many rogue trails, designing and constructing new trails, and advocating for active transportation within the city. Recently, they proudly announced a significant achievement in trail sanctioning, having expanded from 0 KM of legally sanctioned trails to completing 2023 with a remarkable 24 KM of sanctioned trails. They’ve also just wrapped up the season with almost 900 members, another incredible milestone.
The organization enjoys a robust relationship with the local community, trail users, land managers, funders, and elected officials. Recently, they took a commendable step to strengthen these ties even further by introducing yearbooks.
Paul Perrault, the Director of Operations for Bike Cochrane, shared that producing yearbooks or photo books has been a familiar practice for him, be it for their kids, family trips, or to honour loved ones. He estimated that he has designed and printed around 100 books over the years. When the time came to say “thanks” to Bike Cochrane’s corporate sponsors, the idea of a yearbook seemed fitting. This decision proved to be a big success.
Perrault emphasized the positive impact of the books, noting their visibility at various locations, including the office of Garmin Canada in Cochrane and a local chiropractor’s clinic, where they are displayed as coffee table books for clients to flip through.
Furthermore, during an early 2023 City of Cochrane Council meeting, Bike Cochrane presented Mayor and Council with individual copies of the book. This gesture not only expressed appreciation for the Council’s previous support but also provided a comprehensive overview of Bike Cochrane’s achievements from the preceding year, setting a positive tone for their trail proposal presentation that followed.
The yearbook predominantly uses captivating photos depicting community members utilizing the trails, participating in races and social events, engaging in trail-building and maintenance activities along with outlining future plans, mentions Bike Cochrane received in local media, and various insights into the organization’s initiatives.
Sample pages from Bike Cochrane’s 2022 Year in Review yearbook.
According to Perrault, the yearbooks also serve as valuable tools during discussions with potential sponsors and grant organizations. They effectively communicate significant information about the trail organization and its stakeholders in a lively and engaging manner. Additionally, treating the yearbook as a coffee table book in office waiting rooms allows sponsors to showcase their community support and enables the public to gain deeper insights into Bike Cochrane’s work. It is possible that the next individual to flip through the yearbook in an office waiting room could become their next major corporate sponsor.
With the help of a dedicated board member or volunteer, the layout and design process for such books can be easily completed online. Perrault says they have printed with Shutterfly for approximately $50/book but are working with Picaboo for their 2023 yearbook at a lower cost (and slightly smaller book) at $25/book. Despite the cost, creating such a tangible expression of gratitude toward corporate sponsors and as a means to communicate with and to secure the support of decision-makers makes the idea of a yearbook a no-brainer investment.
The stories portrayed through this yearbook are not only compelling, but easy to understand and incredibly effective. Download a PDF copy of Bike Cochrane’s entire 2022 yearbook here.
Congratulations to Bike Cochrane for this remarkable storytelling initiative and the recent milestones achieved. We hope your success with yearbooks will inspire the adoption of similar yearbooks within the trails community!
For further inquiries or comments on this innovative approach, comment below or feel free to contact Single Track Communications or reach out to Paul Perrault at Bike Cochrane.
Thanks for reading and keep advocating. I’m with you.
🏞️ — Dave Ternier