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Case Studies - Member Services and Marketing
| Problem | Solution | Result |
| A small association needed to start offering professional education to its members, but its small staff team was fully engaged in other pressing priorities. | We have assumed an ongoing advisory role to the executive director. In this capacity, we are providing input and advice on various approaches to meeting their members' needs and the related communications and positioning issues involved in doing so. we are offering a sounding board for a variety of professional and regulatory issues faced by the executive director. | The executive director is able to consult on strategic initiatives so that ideas are well-formed, plans are realistic, and operations are aligned to deliver on the professional education strategies currently being rolled out. |
| A large association was seeking to develop a comprehensive professional education program, related professional standards of qualification, and a new professional designation for a traditionally unstructured area of its members' practice. It wanted to collaborate with local and international partner bodies and major private sector organizations. It lacked the staff time and breadth of expertise in implementing a program of this scope, however. | We provided program director services, assuming overall responsibility for program and standards development, education program marketing and delivery, and all other aspects of the program. We worked closely with an international partner, several private sector organizations, academics and practitioner volunteers to develop and implement a curriculum, standards of qualification, program materials and related marketing materials, including a professionally developed brand strategy. | The program was successfully launched with the public support of several of the private sector organizations. The first offering of the professional education program was over-subscribed. The program was seen as sufficiently successful for the association to hire a full-time program director to continue its operation. The new professional designation is now in use in the market place. |
| An association sought to ensure that its member service offerings were comprehensive and member-focused, identifying any gaps in its offerings. It also wanted to review current delivery channel options with a view to appealing to a younger demographic with its offerings. | We conducted a brief Web-based market review, and summarized both offering and delivery options in a presentation to management. We presented a number of focused, cost-effective and practical r ecommendations. | We identified new offerings that could be quickly brought to market, and also identified new media delivery channels that should be used for delivering content to younger members. Had the client acted on these recommendations, they would have been among the first to market with this type of offering. |
| A large organization sought to work more effectively with one of its key markets. It did not understand how the market was organized, however, and what opportunities might exist to work in the field. | We advised the client on the market, providing concise explanations of how it operated, and who the key players were. On behalf of the client, we liaised with several key market representatives to identify opportunities, build relationships, and maintain dialogue in a market traditionally was not known for its effective relationships. | The client has an improved understanding of this key market and has a much stronger appreciation of the difficulties in working with the representatives in question. |
| Financial and operational reporting in a large association was not user focused and was not tied into strategies and plans, leaving Board members dissatisfied. | We significantly enhanced Board-level reporting, including implementing full quarterly financial reports and briefings, and annual report management discussion & analysis. | Board members reported a higher level of satisfaction with, and understanding of, reporting. Improved transparency and accountability to members was also achieved, exceeding the expectations brought about by emerging private-sector governance requirements. |
| Line staff in a large association believed that communicating with members was not their responsibility, instead relying on communications staff to tell their story. | We were instrumental in persuading staff to take ownership of information and timely communications with their customers. We enabled this culture change by implementing a comprehensive website content management system. | We saw significant organizational culture change in this multi-stakeholder environment. Line staff communicated more directly with members and became more responsive to their views and needs, all concurrent with a leading-edge website deployment. |
| The continuing education program of a large professional body was caught in a "death spiral" of increasing course fees and declining attendance. Several competitors moved into the market, further reducing attendance and critical mass. | We introduced a dramatically changed pricing model, significantly improved marketing, and implemented a lower cost-structure for course operations. | Program attendance increased four-fold in the following year, and by a further double-digit increase in the year after that. Once attendance had been stabilized, the program showed improved profitability, with no increase in staff head-count servicing the market. Several competitors left the marketplace. |
| A number of insurance-based member services in a large association, failed to offer innovative features that were appearing in the marketplace. Marketing and branding was so poor that many members did not even realize that the association was the source of these popular services. | We worked closely with the third-party service providers to develop a strategy of introducing program enhancements and innovations on a scheduled basis. We also worked to develop improved and unique marketing materials that closely tied the services to the association. | The high level of market penetration of these services was maintained, even as the market changed significantly. Members appreciated that the services were in fact offerings of their association, improving their perception of value for their membership fees. |
| An association's major new charitable and profile-raising initiative was mandated to achieve significant growth in participation, fundraising, and promotional goals. | We worked with communications staff, organizational suppliers and members to establish effective marketing and communications strategies and mutually rewarding sponsorship relationships for the event. We also worked in a hands-on logistical capacity to ensure the event was a high-quality experience for all participants. | The event increased its net charitable proceeds 25-fold, becoming a major near-six-figure fundraiser for children's' charities. |
| Sister associations across Canada ran similar continuing education programs without sharing information or content. Costs were duplicated and good ideas implemented inconsistently across the country. | We worked, through a new informal inter-association structure, to rebuild strained relations and create an environment of trust among participants. | The structure became a model for other pan-Canadian activities. Program costs for newly-shared activities declined by a factor of ten. Program quality increased and became consistent across the country. |
| An association found that maintaining a library facility for its members was increasingly difficult and expensive. | We worked with a university faculty library to develop and implement a strategic alliance and support arrangement, enhancing the university library's collection and resulting in the association's membership having preferred access to it. | Association costs were reduced, including reducing facilities space and staff head-count, concurrently with providing an expanded resource to its members. |