The business issue:
A nonprofit organization that represents small specialty food companies was looking to increase member engagement. They needed to understand the basis for the value of membership, and how to maximize that value proposition.
The challenge:
The organization’s management needed projectable data from a representative sample of members, but also needed a nuanced understanding of the “why” behind the answers. Reaching these individuals is difficult and expensive, as they are extremely busy and hard to reach. Furthermore, they are geographically dispersed, and time was short.
The solution:
In order to meet the client’s needs given the constraining factors, we devised an integrated qualitative-quantitative approach. We conducted an online survey among members to gain their attitudes toward the organization, the value it provides, and the current challenges they face. This survey yielded a robust data set, out of which, based upon their responses, we selected a group of members to participate in a series of online focus groups.
The outcome:
The client was able to gain an entirely new level of insight into how their organization provides value to its membership. As a result of this new knowledge, the management was able to completely restructure a key member program that led to double-digit growth in member participation, as well as dramatically increased enthusiasm towards this program both within and outside the organization. According to the organization’s CMO, “this was a major win for us, and exactly when we needed it.”