Reversing Declining Membership

Challenge/Issue: An association client was faced with declining membership numbers and no readily apparent explanation. They had also experienced a less than optimal response to some of their marketing campaigns. Our client was interested in getting an objective third-party assessment of member and non-member opinions of the association overall, including satisfaction with its benefits and services. They also wanted to know how their services compared to those of other similar professional associations.

Research Approach: A combination of mail, telephone and online surveys were conducted with members and non-members. The questions covered importance, usage, and satisfaction ratings of key benefits and services; awareness of the client’s association and similar associations; factors affecting loyalty, and preferred methods of communication. Once the data was in we applied our Member Predictor Quotient methodology to compare member results against the universe of prospects. From this our client was able to identify the most likely membership candidates.

Results: The client restructured its product and service portfolio; eliminating some services that were underutilized and less important to its members, and added or strengthened those that were of higher importance. They also modified the messaging and marketing vehicles used to reach their target audiences. Using our Member Predictor Quotient they were able to more accurately and effectively target their marketing efforts — reaching those individuals most likely to buy or renew with the most relevant messages. Response rates to their outreach efforts dramatically improved and declines in membership have been reversed.