Founded in 1839 to facilitate the growth and ease of commerce, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce (www.cincinnatichamber.com) is a membership organization of approximately over 7,000 businesses and organizations in the region that surrounds Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Chamber's stated purpose is to serve its members and region toward economic prosperity, and its vision are simple:
• Our purpose: To grow the vibrancy and economic prosperity of our region.
• Our vision: We are the hottest city in America.
• Our core values: We are visionaries, collaborators, and makers of change. We lead inclusively with passion, integrity, and fun.
The Chamber delivers a diverse range of products and services, including
• New Business Attraction
• Business Retention
• Elections and Voting
• Government Advocacy
• Education and Training Services
• Networking Events
• Awards and Recognitions
• Networking Opportunities
• Festivals and Events
• "Business Connections" membership directory
• Chamber newsletter(s)
While technically a not-for-profit organization, many Chamber services are expected to generate an excess of revenues over expenses, which is required to support a variety of nonrevenue producing Chamber programs. The management group defined a vision for the organization as follows: Be the first place that businesses in the region go for solutions to the competitive challenges of growth. Their growth statement is:
The Cincinnati Chamber drives growth by providing business resources and accelerators, immersive engagement opportunities and company cost-saving programs.
We're equipped to help grow your talent pool, navigate the regional workforce ecosystem and expand your cultural thinking.
The Chamber is organized in a series of product-focused departments. These departments interact directly with customer segments to develop and deliver Chamber products and services.
Support groups assist these line departments in product and service delivery functions that include Information Services, Administration, Human Resources, Marketing/ Communications, and Finance. In addition, the Chamber's Membership/Member Relations department serves Chamber staff and members in providing information and access to Chamber products and services, including Chamber membership.
The Chamber has ongoing relationships with affiliate organizations that are housed within the Chamber's downtown Cincinnati office. Those affiliates include the Cincinnati Minority Supplier Development Council, the Cincinnati Minority Enterprise Business Mentoring Program, The Japan-America Society, and many more.
The Chamber developed the "Measurement Report Card" emphasizing measurement as the tool to drive effectiveness.
This Measurement Report Card links the Strategic Plan, Program of Work, departmental and work group measures into one unified system. This Report Card incorporates a broadened set of measures, coupling financial goals with penetration and satisfaction data through the quarterly operations report.

Case Questions for Discussion:
1. Characterize the customer benefit package that the Chamber offers. What other peripheral goods might the Chamber provide to complement its services? How might this affect their strategy?
2. What sources of competitive advantage do you feel the Chamber has? Who do they compete with?
3. Critique their mission and strategy. What operational processes must they excel at to accomplish their mission and vision?
4. Rank order their competitive priorities.
5. In many areas, a Chamber of Commerce is primarily in the travel and tourism business. How does the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce appear to differentiate itself from these types of organizations?