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Association Members Continue to Raise the Expectation Bar

(Updated from previous version)

By Heather Whyte, CEO and Founder of WHY Communicate Inc.

A lot has changed since COVID-19 rocked the world. Almost every aspect of our personal and professional lives has been impacted. One of the most dramatic changes is how society embraces digital technology in almost everything we do: working, shopping, communicating, and more.

In this new environment, organizations wanting to thrive need to meet, if not surpass, the high bar set by consumer expectations. This is true regardless of the type of organization, economic sector, or whether the objective is sales, fundraising, membership, education, or sharing information with the public.

The key to success in this new, highly competitive marketplace sounds familiar: knowing what your customer needs and providing it to them where and when they want it. The challenge is adapting that success formula to the evolving digital culture.

Corporations, governments, and large institutions spend thousands of dollars each year on research to understand and engage with people to achieve their goals. It is harder for small organizations, associations, and charities without the financial foundation to do the same. Thankfully, there are some great resources that can help them gain insights.

There are many excellent third-party research providers (too many to name in this piece) that publish information that helps smaller organizations build evidence-based business plans.

I really like one organization that publishes a global Association Engagement Survey, providing great insights into what members want in the post-COVID world. MCI Group develops the Association Engagement Index (AEI), which it describes as a global benchmark study that measures the performance, relationship strength, and outcome of engagement tactics as seen through the eyes of associations’ members and customers. MCI recently published its 2024 AEI results. (You can get the report here: https://www.mci-associationengagement.com/register.)

MCI began conducting the AEI research in 2022. Fifty-eight associations worldwide participated in the most recent survey in 2024. It rates how members evaluate the organization’s performance, its benefits, and overall value, and whether they prefer the association over other sources of knowledge and content.

The inaugural 2022 AEI score indicated moderate engagement. While associations generally earned high ratings for reputation and subject matter expertise, they did poorly in terms of providing value for money and ensuring that benefits, products, and services met member needs.

The 2024 AEI score of 88 was identical to the 2022 engagement score. However, the 2024 findings delve deeper into member expectations, showing a growing trend toward more proactive involvement in their respective associations.

MCI reports that the 2024 study reveals that “31% of members and customers from around the world (120 countries) are highly interested in contributing more actively to the development of content, programs, or the strategy of their association. But only 15% find it easy, and only 22% completely agree that their association encourages them to contribute to association activities and help advance its mission.”

In 2022, MCI concluded that associations would need to continue strengthening relationships and enhancing engagement by focusing on the 3Cs of Engagement: Choice, Omni-Channel, and Customization. In its 2024 report, MCI recommends that associations adopt what it calls “The Engagement Loop,” which adds member participation to the list of association priorities.

The Engagement Loop has four modes of engagement: consume, contribute, collaborate, and co-create. These modes create a continuum of interaction and involvement that fosters deeper and more engaging member experiences.

“Findings show that associations can enhance engagement and relationship strength with a more structured approach and deliberate focus, using the Engagement Loop to move members and customers from passive consumers to active brand ambassadors and promoters,” says Nikki Walker, MCI’s Global Vice President, Associations & Communities, in MCI’s 2024 AEI announcement.

It is interesting to compare the key AEI report findings, which provide a snapshot of the evolution of member expectations.

AEI 2022:

• Members are increasingly desiring online engagement for peer interaction, AGMs/meetings, and conferences.

• Members want the 3 Cs: Choice, Omni-Channel communications, and Customization. They want to choose the right channel and means of engagement, so associations need to build on the flexible ways of working and the multi-digital channel delivery introduced during COVID-19.

• Members expect benefits, products, and communications to be customized or personalized and adapted to their specific needs.

• Associations need to involve young professionals in strategic planning and governance.

• Leveraging technology, such as AI and other marketing platforms, will be critical to easing access and helping personalize content and programs to meet member expectations and needs.

AEI 2024:

• The 3Cs of engagement (from the 2022 AEI) still prevail—members and customers want to choose the right channel for the right activity, and customizing their journey to help them find relevant content remains critical.

• Advocacy, loyalty, and brand promotion vary greatly by age: those under 55 (who represent the core and the future of associations) are the least likely to recommend their association, requiring focused engagement tactics.

• About 53% of respondents’ time interacting with associations is spent consuming content—a passive, solo activity.

• They desire multiple opportunities for agile, flexible, multichannel, and short-term engagement.

• Members seek opportunities for contribution, collaboration, and co-creation.

The MCI AEI is a great tool to help associations align their member strategies with changing member expectations. To stay relevant and provide value to members, association leaders need to stay current. Reviewing third-party studies and conducting proprietary member research is essential for associations to sustain long-term health.

Staying on the leading edge of market trends and aligning with member expectations is the key to success.

Connect with me on my contact page for a free one-hour consultation to discuss how WHY Communicate can help your organization.