Acers option 3 960

Case Study: Member and Market Needs Assessment

How a phased market research study enabled one association to develop data-driven strategies for future growth.

Challenge

As the hub of the global ceramics community—and one of the most trusted sources of ceramic materials and applications knowledge—the American Ceramic Society (ACerS) serves over 11,000 scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, students, and marketing/sales professionals.

In preparation for their strategic planning process, ACerS identified that they needed to address several key questions to help strengthen their value proposition as well as provide a roadmap to guide the Society’s priorities and maintain its organizational vitality.

Process

ACerS partnered with Association Management Center (AMC) Consultants to engage members and prospects in a phased market research study. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were incorporated to gather feedback that would inform the strategic planning process. Focus groups were conducted with key stakeholders and members at-large within the academic, research, and industry sectors.

Feedback gained from these sessions provided the basis for a member/nonmember, incentivized survey to further explore and validate professional need, perceived value, and reasons for members to engage with a professional society. To ascertain member satisfaction and professional need, the survey queried respondents on a variety of topics that emerged during the focus group sessions. Key demographic questions were also added to the survey to allow for analysis of trends among segmented respondents.

Results

Upon completion of all phases of the market research study, ACerS was prepared to make important and critical data-driven decisions to map organizational strategies to advance the future of the Society. Equipped with the data needed to begin work on their strategic plan, the Society gained an in-depth understanding of the key differentiators, most valuable products and resources, and potential gaps that might affect engagement and loyalty.

“Working with the AMC team on our Member Needs Assessment Survey has been a pleasure. They led valuable focus groups, learned our industry, and developed and implemented a comprehensive survey that will provide valuable information for our strategic planning and future programs. All deadlines were met, communications were clear, and all desired outcomes were met. It was a great, all-around team effort.”
—Mark Mecklenborg, Executive Director, The American Ceramic Society