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Staying Member RelevantStaying Member RelevantWhat You Can ControlWhat You Can Control

andandWhat You Can’t!What You Can’t!

CESSEJuly 2007

Wendy Cowan, CAECarol Vargas, CAE

American Society of Civil Engineers

Susanne Connors BowmanThe Haefer Group, Ltd.

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Relevance (according to Wikipedia)

Pertinent Applicable Germane Related Appropriate

Connected Important Significant

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Survey Said: What Keeps You Up At Night?

42

9

20

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Not attracting newmembersRetention rate

Board/ staff conflict re:offerValue propostion

Other

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Survey Said:What’s the biggest obstacle to overcome to stay relevant?

7

13

6

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Money/ resources

Staff talent

Board knowledge re:environmentExternal environment

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Survey Said:Identify member segment you are most concerned about.

4 3

6

2 20

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Students

Members <1 year

Members 2-5 years

Members >5 years

Members nearingretirement

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Factors AffectingMembership Recruitment & Retention

Market segments Positioning Value Communication

Awareness Member Non member

Diversity (gender, cultural, lifestyle) Generational considerations

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Positioning & Associations

What Makes You Different?

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The Art of Acquisition

The OfferThe Offer Can you answer the WIFM question? Benefits & features

Intangible & tangible How’s your offer communicated?How’s your offer communicated? Value equationValue equation

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The Art of Retention

Retention’s relationship to acquisition Renewal process versus retention Root causes for a lack of retention:

friction stress apathy value judgment

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How do Associations Deliver Value?

Charge a lower price

Help the member reduce other costs

Add features/benefits that make the offer more attractive

Help the member be smarter

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Eight Super Trends¹ASAE & The Center

Copyright © 2005-2006.Used with permission

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Super Trend¹ Association Challenge

Demassification Craft increasingly focused & targeted appeals

UnbundlingDetermine what member needs can be met through new, imaginative value packages

ScrimpingHelp members rediscover personal & social payoffs of belonging

Knowledge, not information, is the competitive advantage

Move beyond information products offering enrichment & learning through the application of knowledge

Super Trends

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Super Trend¹ Association Challenge

VirtualizationContinue to offer the “personal touch” while building & strengthening virtual communities.

Cyber-MobbingHarness the power of the web & integrate it with more traditional advocacy methods.

ScrutinyClosely track legal & regulatory requirements. Develop a policy framework for ensuring compliance.

Counter Americanism

Partner with others to develop localized models for association culture, governance & operations.Develop diverse value packages for non-US members.

Super Trends

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Super Trend¹ Association Challenge

DemassificationCraft increasingly focused & targeted appeals

Unbundling

Determine what member needs can be met through new, imaginative value packages

ScrimpingHelp members rediscover personal & social payoffs of belonging

Knowledge, not information, is the competitive advantage

Move beyond information products offering enrichment & learning through the application of knowledge

Impact Acquisition?

Impact Renewal?

X X

X X

X

X X

Super Trends

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Super Trend¹ Association Challenge

Virtualization

Continue to offer the “personal touch” while building & strengthening virtual communities.

Cyber-MobbingHarness the power of the web & integrate it with more traditional advocacy methods.

Scrutiny

Closely track legal & regulatory requirements. Develop a policy framework for ensuring compliance.

Counter Americanism

Partner with others to develop localized models for association culture, governance & operations.Develop diverse value packages for non-US members.

Impact Acquisition?

Impact Renewal?

X

X

X

X

Super Trends

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Super Trends & Value Proposition

Current trends dictate changes in your offer

Current trends dictate how members (potential & existing) view your value proposition

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Today’s Environment

Affects your…Targeting Existing offerings key features &

benefits What does your target need/want? Group’s cultural tendencies

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Today’s Environment

Affects your… Messaging Speak the language of the

generation you’re targeting! Applies to core messages Applies to specific offers

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Today’s Environment

Affects your… Media Think beyond “traditional” outlets Select appropriate communication

channels Leveraging the web, blogs, etc. Peer networking Sponsoring

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From Theory to Real Life

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2004 Bureau of Labor General Profile of Civil

Engineering

Civil Engineers in Government,

78,210

Construction I ndustry, 47,400

Architectural engineering and related

fields, 111,390

2004-ASCE Membership, 133K

Approximately 56% of the 237K total profession

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A Timeline of Several Relevant ASCE Milestones

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Demassification—Increasingly focused & targeted appealsASCE Institutes, collaborative marketing

Knowledge—The competitive advantageNew Database System, knowledge focused

Unbundling—Value PackagingPartner Programs, customized service

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DemassificationDevelopment of ASCE Institutes

Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI)

Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI)

Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI)

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2007

Engineering Mechanics Institutes (EMI)

Transportation & Development Institute (T&DI)

Structural Engineering Institute (SEI)

Construction Institute (CI)

GEO Institute (GEO)

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DemassificationCollaborative Marketing, A New Strategy

Goals To develop a branding strategy for all

ASCE To deliver targeted marketing efforts

that reach across all facets of the society

To build trust, understanding and support throughout ASCE

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KnowledgeThe Competitive Advantage

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Government Relations launched first Pod cast

Moving toward new data management system

ASAE Peer review of Conferences and Publications

ASAE Peer review of Continuing Ed., Membership and Gen. Mgt

Collaborative Marketing Strategy

New Division-ISSStart website study

Data Mgt. Contract Signed

ASCE's Partner Programs

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Unbundling-creating imaginative value packages

Retention

New Database

Partner Programs

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Questions to consider….. Does your organization need a change?

How committed is your organization? What does your association’s name

convey? Is it relevant to the products and services your

offer? What product or service do you think is the

best that your association offers? Will your members come up with the same

answer?

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And…

Can one person make a difference?

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Questions?

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Other Trends

Counter Americanism

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Other Trends

Virtualization

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Thank you! For more information:

The Haefer Group, Ltd. Susanne Connors Bowman

sbowman@thehaefergroup.com 703-620-9316 (v), 703-201-7048 (cell) www.thehaefergroup.com

ASCE Carol Anne Vargas, CAE

cvargas@asce.org 703-295-6046 www.asce.org/orgresources