The Changing Chapter Member - Who They Are. What They Want.
How To Get Them….and Keep Them!
It All Starts With a Strategic Communications Plan…
Member Experience. Activated.
CMAA LLC
2012
Member Experience. Activated.
ABOUT ME: STEPHEN READY
President & CEO, VCT
Stephen Ready is President and CEO of VCT
(www.ExperienceVCT.com), the leading Member Experience
partner to distinguished private clubs nationwide. Stephen
speaks about the future of the private club industry extensively,
and provides insight, vision and best practices for long-term
Member Experience Management to audiences around the
world. For the past 12 years, he has helped empower VCT’s
private club clients to develop and manage more personalized
communications, services and benefits that continually
enhance the Member Experience—for this generation and the
next.
Member Experience. Activated.
The shift in needs and
expectations of today’s Chapter
Members
The ways in which technology is
changing how we engage
Chapter Members
Today’s discussion will cover…
How these changes will influence
the future of Chapters and their
ongoing success
How Chapter leaders can adapt to
meet the changing preferences
of current and future Members
Creating a personalized Chapter
Experience that delivers additional
value…for this generation and the
next
Member Experience. Activated.
 The Changing Chapter
Member in Review
 Profiling the Future Chapter
Member
Outline of presentation…
 Strategic Planning Your Way
To Success
 Executing Against Your
Strategic Communications Plan
 The Future Member
Experience, Enhanced
 Wrap Up
Member Experience. Activated.
ABOUT VCT: OUR MISSION
 VCT’s mission is to empower
Club and Chapter leadership to
develop and manage more
personalized communications,
services and benefits that
continually enhance the
Member Experience - for this
generation and the next.
Member Experience. Activated.
ABOUT VCT: 360⁰ INSIGHT APPROACH
 Club/Chapter Immersion
 Value Assessment
 Communications
Exchange
 Analyze, Activate, Adapt
Member Experience. Activated.
TODAY’S COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
Communications ARE the Lifeblood of Your
Chapter…
Have you checked your pulse lately?
Member Experience. Activated.
THE MEMBER EXPERIENCE: FINDING THAT SWEET SPOT
Education/
Programming
Service
Networking/
Relationships
Member Experience. Activated.
THE CHANGING CHAPTER MEMBER
Member Experience. Activated.
UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S CHAPTER MEMBERS: CHANGING PROFILES
Not just a Club Member issue…don’t forget about Club Management!
Member Experience. Activated.
UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S CHAPTER MEMBERS: TIME CONSTRAINTS
 Increased demands in the
workplace…challenges at the
office keeping Members from
engagement with the Chapter
 Growing, busy families
leading to an increased amount
of
activities outside of their job
 ROI questioning due to
economic challenges –
difficulty justifying the
expense of Chapter
Membership and required travel
for education/networking
Member Experience. Activated.
UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S CHAPTER MEMBERS:
FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS
 Individuals in general are more
conscious about how their
money is being spent
 Consumers in general are
more willing to look for deals
and opportunities to save
money - is your Chapter taking
this into consideration?
 Concurrently, corporate
support for Chapters has
decreased - is your Chapter
finding innovative ways to
increase Member participation
and growth?
Member Experience. Activated.
UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S CHAPTER MEMBERS:
SHIFT IN PREFERENCES
Member Experience. Activated.
UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S CHAPTER MEMBERS:
SHIFT IN PREFERENCES
Member Experience. Activated.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CHAPTERS:
THE FUTURE CHAPTER MEMBER PROFILE
 Club leaders that have “grown up” in
the industry connected, contentcentric, computerized, community–
oriented, and always clicking
 Progressive…looking to learn more,
do more, be more…and want it on
demand, personalized and
rewarding
 Due to rise in digital consumption –
Chapter value proposition will be
assessed (and “extracted”) online
in addition to offline
 Viral marketing and positive “peer”
reviews will define brand value
Member Experience. Activated.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CHAPTERS: A NEW SOCIAL CREATURE EMERGES
 “The average person in 2020 will live
within a web of 200-300 contacts,
maintained through a variety of channels” –
what does this mean for a Chapter?
 The need for physical proximity will be
reduced through increased digital
interaction – what does this mean for
Chapter conferences and events?
 However, Members will desire more
personal connection and will value their
personal time more than ever before
 Personal and business activities will
mingle...this is a good thing for Chapters!
 Chapters must find balance between
being “present” in the digital world and being
a private oasis in the physical sense
*Source: How to Prepare for the Connected Generation’s Transformation of the
Consumer and Business Landscape, Tomorrow Today Blog, February 25, 2012.
Member Experience. Activated.
UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S CHAPTERS: RESOURCE LIMITATIONS
 Increased competition for the
time and money of your
Chapter members has not been
met with increased resources at
the Chapter – thus the “battle” for
mindshare and wallet share is
being lost
 The “clubbyness” of the Chapter
still exists, however, unlike in the
past it can no longer solely
sustain the Chapter and grow
its Membership
 Chapters are in need of a
“marketing mindset” and a
dedicated effort to communicate
effectively…
NNING
Member Experience. Activated.
STRATEGIC MEMBER EXPERIENCE & COMMUNICATIONS
Member Experience. Activated.
THE STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLAN –THE NEXT STEP
 Chapters need to act more like Clubs…
 What separates you and your fellow Chapter Members from the Members of your
Clubs?
 Haven’t your needs and preference also evolved?
 Aren’t you deserving of an enriching, personalized Member experience?
Member Experience. Activated.
STRATEGIC PLANNING: PLANNING AND ADAPTING TO CHANGE
• Value &
Competitive
Analysis
Assessment
• Personalization
of services and
benefits
• Communication
s Assessment
Satisfaction
Communications
Retention
Engagement
• Personalization
of
communications
• Activation &
Feedback Loops
Member Experience. Activated.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING:
A NEW WAY OF THINKING:
“Communication as a Service”
Reliability
Convenience
Value
Education/Entertainment
Member Experience. Activated.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING:
THE HIGH-LEVEL PROCESS
Conduct a Communications / Member Satisfaction Assessment
•Member surveys
•Understand needs & preferences
Conduct an Internal Staff Communications Assessment
•Roles & responsibilities
•Existing communications inventory
Determine Goals & Objectives
•Understand benchmark data
•Understand the implications of effective communication for long and short-term goals
Create a SWOT Analysis to Share with Your Board
•Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats?
Develop a Plan and Timeline of Action
•Identify required mechanisms & prepare an actionable timeline
Member Experience. Activated.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING:
DEFINING SUCCESS FACTORS
 The communications vision is aligned with the Chapter’s overall mission.
 Goals and objectives are well defined, measurable, and help guide a defined series
of action plans.
 Audiences are specific and targeted.
 Messages are specific, clear, persuasive, and reflect audience values; reinforce
Chapter mission and values; and include specific calls to action to encourage
activation.
 Messages are consistent in the frequency of their delivery and branding, and are
attractive and accessible in varied formats for maximum exposure.
 Target audiences perceive messengers as credible.
 Tools to deliver messages are chosen for their access, availability, and convenience
to target audiences.
 Activities and outcomes are regularly monitored and evaluated for purposes of
accountability and continuous improvement.
 Management understands and supports communications as an integral part of
Chapter viability and success.
 Sufficient resources are dedicated to managing and improving communications
practices.
Member Experience. Activated.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING:
EVALUATING YOUR TOUCHPOINTS
WEBSITE
• Brand identity
• Houses valuable
information
• Make “transactions”
(RSVP, contact
staff/other
members, etc.)
EMAIL
• Eliminates the
“need factor”/builds
relationships
• “Newsworthy”
content/timely
• Creates
convenience
centers
• Drives actionable
conversions
• Generates metrics
PRINT
• Mailed Newsletter:
Still an option?
• Provide the choice?
• Unique/tactile
reading experience
• More costly to
produce
• Impact on
environment
SOCIAL
MEDIA
• Initiates networking
in a “virtual chapter
environment”
• Additional access
point for delivering
valuable content
• Access point to
deliver relevant
information in a less
invasive
atmosphere
MOBILE
• More timely
Communication
• Preference based
• Transactional
• Convenient
Member Experience. Activated.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING: SWOT ANALYSIS
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTING ON YOUR STRATEGIC
COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTION: PHASE 1 EXAMPLE – FOUNDATION BUILDING
PHASE 1 [Communications Foundation: Months 1 – 6]
Focus on laying the foundation for communication success
•
Create Communications & Social Media Policies
•
• Define guidelines for all communication channels, including intra-departmental, Chapter-to-Member and Region-toMember efforts
• Establish guidelines for use of social media by Chapter, Regions and Members
Design Communications Style Guide
•
• Create a uniform visual identity for Chapter’s brand
• Identify priority and upgrade all Chapter communications using style guide standards
• Create Communications Calendar
• Rank events by hierarchy of importance
• Provide Members with valuable and timely event information and educational content
• Streamline communication creation and organization process
• Determine appropriate frequency and reminder scheduling for Chapter events
Add Website Content and Functionality
•
• Determine additional content and functionality to enhance and activate online Member experience
• Implement new functionality to facilitate usage of website and increased attendance of events
• Develop and add site map or search capability to decrease time needed to locate items or areas of interest
• Create and launch campaign to collect Member profile photos for online directory
• Create and launch informational/publicity campaign to coincide with improved website functionality
• Implement mobile version of site for enhanced convenience and member participation
Chapter leadership training on implementation and use of Style Guide and Communications Calendar
•
Define/Implement desired distribution schedule for Chapter-to-Member communications
•
Evaluate Phase 1 execution and adjust strategy as necessary; Begin Phase 2 planning
•
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTION: CREATING A STYLE GUIDE
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTION: BUILDING YOUR DATABASE
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTION: ACTIVATING YOUR DATABASE- RIGHT MESSAGE, RIGHT
MEMBER
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTION: CREATING AN EVENT MARKETING ACTION PLAN
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTION: CREATING AN EDITORIAL CALENDAR/ROLES
Member Experience. Activated.
EXECUTION: INSTITUTING A PRODUCTION PROCESS
Having an organized plan will lead
to more effective communications
Member Experience. Activated.
COMMUNICATION AS A SERVICE: EDUCATION INTERESTS = VALUE
 Technology
 Health/Fitness
 Dining
 Wine
 Events
 Board Dynamics
 Family Fun
Member Experience. Activated.
COMMUNICATION AS A SERVICE: ENTERTAINMENT = VALUE
 Videos
 Photos
 Podcasts
 Polls
 Contests
 Lifestyle Content
Member Experience. Activated.
COMMUNICATION AS A SERVICE: CREATING CONVENIENCE
Member Experience. Activated.
COMMUNICATION AS A SERVICE:
PROVIDING A MULTI-CHANNEL APPROACH
eMagazine Content
Member Experience. Activated.
COMMUNICATION AS A SERVICE: MAKING IT RELEVANT/TARGETED
Member Experience. Activated.
THE FUTURE MEMBER EXPERIENCE…ENHANCED
Member Experience. Activated.
ACTIVATION & FEEDBACK LOOPS: ANALYZE, ACTIVATE, ADAPT
Members
to Chapter
•eCommunications
•Website/ePublications
•Social Media
•Polls
•Surveys
•Transaction modules
•Targeted Messaging
•Improved Programming
Chapter
to Members
•Memorable Moments
•Analytics
•Preferences
•Direct Feedback
•Spending
•Conversions
Member Experience. Activated.
ACTIVATION & FEEDBACK LOOPS: THE ULTIMATE END RESULT
CHAPTER
Member Experience. Activated.
In order to keep Chapter Members engaged,
your programs and education (including your
communications!) must be relevant,
personalized and targeted – and delivered
through the Member’s preferred communications
channel(s).
Final Thoughts…
The new Chapter Member is a “Connected”
Member and he/she will make up the bulk of your
Chapter moving forward.
Chapters must start planning now in order to
accommodate the needs and expectations of
today’s Members and the next generation to
come…
Strategic communications planning is
essential for introducing new programs and
services that will continuously engage your
Member Experience. Activated.
INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP & EDUCATION: TAKE THE STAGE
Member Experience. Activated.
The Floor is Yours…
Thank You!
Stephen Ready
617-566-7055 x212
sready@TeamVCT.com