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SVIA PR Initiative Produces Articles

SVIA's Message: Stable Value can be the proverbial 'port in the storm' in retirement investing to weather these market storms in the near term, where recent equity market volatility has reminded investors that stocks have downside risk, and for the long term horizon of retirement savings and investing.

SVIA hit the ground running this millennium, launching a public relations initiative that has generated news stories in respected industry publications, as well as in Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

The idea for a public relations initiative was hatched in SVIA's Committee on Communications and Education. In order to fill the void in complimentary coverage of Stable Value, the Committee set the following goals for their campaign:

1. Increase Stable Value's name recognition by generating favorable, informative stories on Stable Value
2. Build relationships with key industry reporters
3. Educate plan sponsors and individual investors on the benefits of Stable Value.

To start the ball rolling, SVIA President Gina Mitchell worked with the Committee to develop a press kit. These materials provided reporters with a comprehensive overview of the recent stock market volatility that has many reminded investors of the downside volatility associated with equities. Distributed towards the end of March, the materials generated much interest, and resulted in several worthwhile exchanges between SVIA and members of the media; thereby taking SVIA one step closer to establishing on-going relationships with key press contacts.

The SVIA media push has already produced results. In April, educational stories about Stable Value appeared in the Wall Street Journal Sunday, a supplement published in ten regional newspapers whose circulation total more than five million readers. SVIA's efforts also produced favorable stories in Defined Contribution News and Employee Benefit News.

In addition to SVIA's direct efforts with the media, the association is undertaking extensive promotional campaign to recruit new members and increase attendance at the national forum. By now, SVIA members and associates should have received the first in a series of postcards promoting this year's National Forum: "Retirement Security In The New Millennium," on October 10-12 at the Monarch Hotel in Washington, D.C. Through direct mail efforts and wide distribution of the newly redesigned Stable Times, SVIA will continue to keep the facts about Stable Value before relevant industry and investment groups, as well as the media. And we're not finished yet. SVIA intends to take advantage of ongoing market volatility to further educate investors and plan sponsors about the benefits of Stable Value. If you would like to make yourself available as a spokesperson for SVIA, please contact Gina Mitchell or Scott Matirne at 202-261-6530.

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