Be like Netflix to inspire member loyalty
In this era of convenience, distilling how to serve our members can be a challenge. However, all the big companies we often talk about, like Netflix, Amazon and Spotify, seem to have already figured it out. At its inception, Netflix tuned into consumer demands and offered its first service of convenience by eliminating the few […]
The tricky business of understanding members’ needs
In preparation for my SURGE Co-creation session this past May, I posed this question to registered attendees about Netflix: “What keeps you coming back? Do you view your subscriptions as memberships?” One response from Elizabeth Graham caught my eye: “It’s a small price to pay for a service that makes me laugh, relax, reflect, and […]
The New Gold Standard in Employee Engagement is Fulfillment
What gives you a sense of fulfillment? For me, the question evokes a lot of little vignettes before any articulate answer. It’s the feeling of progress I get when I train for a big run. It’s cooking all day to share an elaborate Italian feast with friends. It’s the thrill of working on a high-performing […]
How-To: Simplify Your Approach To Brand
Early on, the first brands were used by ranchers to identify their cattle. Later, as packaged consumer goods entered the market in the 19th century, brands evolved into markers that companies like Kleenex and Coca-Cola used to differentiate themselves from competitors. It was simple. But branding isn’t so simple anymore. Brand is about more than […]
Using Personalization to Stop Choice Overload
The question of how to get the best out of a database has been plaguing associations for years. We see some organizations treating their data like precious storage, while others see it more as a playground. I think your database is like your garage. You wouldn’t want everything just thrown in there haphazardly that it […]
Don’t Make Paying You an Inconvenience
After all the work you put in to deliver value to your members, it should never be inconvenient to make membership payment. You need to have options, think about what might make the process easier, and sometimes have something automatic available. I used to be with the Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia and we […]
The Case for Human Connection in a Techie World
In today’s digital era, the world is changing to favor convenience. Technology and automation give us bots to answer our questions 24/7, personalized messaging, and curated recommendations for what products to buy or shows to watch based on our past interactions. This personalization makes life easier, but keeping the human connection is also important. One […]
Local Perspective: Brussels
No matter where you are in the world, associations are encountering similar challenges, and finding similar opportunities. Globalization presents us with opportunities to collaborate and flourish, but also has its own set of bottlenecks that aren’t necessarily seen locally. Differences can range from barely noticeable to rather remarkable from one geographical region to another, or […]
DATA: OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE
Much of the general conversation around data is about how it can be used to shape or shift the subject’s behavior. I would argue that we should be expending as much, if not more, effort in interpreting the data and using it to shift and shape our behavior to better meet the needs of our members and customers. We’re […]
THE THREE AREAS ENHANCED BY PARTNERSHIPS
Though the world may be big, even across oceans, the association community is small and powerful. Across the globe, associations tackle similar challenges and opportunities: how to grow membership, how to provide dynamic learning and meetings, what is good governance and how do we advocate on behalf of the industries we serve, to name a few. […]