Dallas-Area Communicators Choose IABC First, Have No Shortage of Career Resources, Says Poll.

DALLAS -- Corporate communicators have a world of publications, organizations and information providers delivering career-building content, but more than 53 percent choose IABC and Dallas/IABC as their preferred information sources, according to a recent poll.

The Dallas chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators conducts a monthly online Quick Poll on its Web site, and invites communicators to respond to the poll.

"We asked about their preferred information sources for industry and career-related news, and then listed several of the top content providers, including our chapter site and the IABC site," said Don Klausmeyer, ABC, president of Dallas/IABC. "What we found is that most respondents use both sites as primary information sources."

The survey listed seven "preferred resources," which includes www.iabc.com, www.dallasiabc.com, Adweek, Communication World, www.marketingprofessionals.com, PRWeek and Ragan publications. The poll question was, "To learn more about your profession, what is your preferred resource?"

Highlights of the poll, which asks, include:

--53.4 percent of respondents say they use local or international IABC resources

--26.6 percent respondents said they tap external publications.

--20 percent of respondents said "none of the above resources" are their preferred resources.

"It's that '20 percent' that is intriguing," said Klausmeyer. "What resources do these communicators use, and does this mean they do not tap IABC and Dallas/IABC resources, or just aren't maximizing them? The survey format doesn't allow us to drill down, so we'll assume that we need to advance our efforts at demonstrating member value, locally and internationally."

Respondents favored the preferred resources in this order:

--Communication World, the IABC magazine distributed to members worldwide

--Dallas/IABC Web site

--IABC Web site

--PRWeek

--Ragan

--Adweek

--MarketingProfessionals.com

For one poll respondent who voted "none of the above," her choice was simple. "I just didn't see the communications vehicle most important to me as a professional communicator," said Adrienne Ciletti, senior editor at JCPenney in Plano, Texas. "E-mail newsletters weren't listed ... I wonder if they could be the preferred media since we spend so much time reading and dealing with them on any given day."

The chapter's monthly Quick Poll, available at www.dallasiabc.com, invites corporate communicators in the Dallas area, plus 14 other chapters throughout IABC's Southern region to participate. These chapters are in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

The Quick Poll is online and available at www.dallasiabc.com. It's an interactive Web site feature that provides a timely snapshot of what chapter members and other site visitors think about current issues and trends.

Dallas/IABC (www.dallasiabc.com) is the professional communicator's choice for practical education, information and professional development. The not-for-profit association serves 300 members in North Texas representing hundreds of corporations, agencies, entrepreneurs and not-for-profit organizations.

For more information, visit www.dallasiabc.com, or contact Roy Miller at 972-716-4070 x235, or via e-mail at [e-mail].