Research Made Easy: How to Research Made Easy: How to collect and apply community datacollect and apply community data

June 21, 2008

• Early Research • Why Do It• Research Framework• Telling the Story • Types of Research • Research on a Budget• Member Sat. Study 2008

Agenda:

Early Research

The first “market research”: Simple, yet effective

In 218 BC, Hannibal of Carthage attacked Rome by crossing the Alps from Spain. He could have used the Carthaginian navy to ferry his troops and baggage across the Mediterranean, thereby attacking Rome directly and at great risk. But instead, Hannibal tested the market first.

He sent agents to communities between Spain and Rome. The agents talked with the inhabitants and learned that Rome was very unpopular and that people were fighting mad. Hannibal recognized an opportunity. Instead of attacking directly, he decided to provoke an insurrection that he and his army would lead.

Why do it

• Research is fundamental to understanding the needs of your membership – Research provides uncovered insights into

the community

• Research provides the roadmap to successful action planning

• Research can be done on a minimal budget

Framework

• 1. Affinity– reasons members join the organization

• Reputation• Professional benefits• Programs that are relevant • Knowledge resources• Connections through networks that would not

otherwise be available

Framework

• 2. Retention– Factors that prompt members to remain in the

community • Such as continuing-education credits• Education not available elsewhere• Timely communication on critical issues influencing

the industry• Opportunities to hold office or participate on

committees – professional growth • Networks that are essential for success

Framework

• 3. Disaffection– Issues that might cause members to

leave the organization• Such as:

– Cost – Community politics– Being out of touch with member needs and

concerns– Lack of ongoing relevance due to tenure– Change in careers

Framework

• 4. Disinterest– Reasons nonmembers don't join the

association• Such as:

– Perception that the association is unable to address the needs and interests of the nonmember

– Latent needs – Time convenience

Fundamental

• Compiling the results:– Develop a compelling picture – tell the story – Describe the importance of:

• Local member needs unique to your chapter’s geography

• Wants • Expectations• A picture of the ideal member experience

Results: The Story

Create the membership story of your chapter

– What attracts members to your chapter – What keeps members involved and

committed– What causes members to leave– What makes nonmembers uninterested in

joining

Types of Research

• Qualitative

• Groups of 6 to 12 people• Traditionally, in a live group setting with a

moderator• Chapters with large geographic footprints may

consider: – Online groups conducted via internet – Phone conference w/ web or video 

• Moderator must know how to engage in non-directive questioning…it is a conversation

 

Focus Groups

Given these characteristics, focus groups are best for:

• Exploration ("Fishing Expedition")• Investigation (Detective Work)• Identification of Present Practice• Understanding Motivations • New Idea Generation • Communication Refinement• Strategic Positioning• Word of Mouth Research

Depth Interviews

 Uses:• Long, in-depth interviews using open-ended

questioning• Usually one-on-one, however dyads (2) and

triads (3) may be used• A non-directive approach often useful to explore

how respondent thinks about category. • Traditionally, in live setting with moderator• Online conducted via internet either through chat

functions or though Skype• Phone conference w/ web or video 

Types of Research

• Quantitative

Telephone Surveys

• Best for mostly close-end questioning, when dimensions and ranges of issues are known

• Success depends highly on filtering sample to those consumer or business users who find topic or category relevant

• 10-12 average interview length is maximum target

• Optimum use is for top-of-mind awareness, branding and brand comparisons, and perception studies

• Response rate is critical, especially with growing privacy issues and phone screening among consumers and business executives alike

• Low relative cost 

• Generally, fast implementation• Skilled interviewer can extract more information than a self-administered

method (mail, online)

Personal Interviews

• In B2B research, personal interviews may be done by appointment where interviewer goes to respondent's office

• Used for complicated or sensitive issues, B2B environments, or where extensive physical or visual display requirements exist along with need for specialized interviewing skills (depth probing, time for evaluation and reaction.)

• High cost

• Can provide good hybrid method combining features of qualitative and quantitative research by asking quant-type questions first, followed by in-depth probing questions and projective techniques

Helpful Tools

• Online Survey Tools Bring You Closer to Your Customers

• Choose from a dozen or so low-cost Web-based offerings, with prices as low as $10 per monthly subscription

• Some of the more popular packages include the following:

– Prezza Technologies – PollDaddy (free)– QuestionPro– SurveyMethods– SurveyMonkey– WebSurveyor– Zoomerang

Online Surveys

Zoomerang Survey Templates

• Nonprofit Organization Section Templates– Individual Fundraising Survey– Chapter Fundraising Survey – Volunteer Recruitment – Volunteer Satisfaction Survey – Advocacy Survey – Membership Survey – Program Satisfaction

• Industry Specific Templates – Meeting Feedback A short five-question survey to determine the

effectiveness of a meeting  – Meeting Planning Survey A quick survey to gather input for a

smoother, more effective meeting

Participation

• Reduce the size of the survey.  – The longer the survey, the greater the abandonment

rate.  – If necessary, break a large survey into smaller

pieces.  – For example, members would rather complete three

one-minute surveys over the course of a year than one three minute survey. 

• You need not have the exact same members answer all three surveys depending on the design, the questions, and the representative demographics.

Participation

Offer a reward for participating in the survey 

–Education

–Hotel / Spa Packages

–Charity Donations

–Gift Certificates

Participation

• What level of response does your association typically receive to your surveys? 

• What methods have you used to make the association membership more likely to respond? 

Participation

Participation

Newsletter Announcement

• Winner of the Needs Assessment Survey Drawing Announced

• Congratulations to Lillie West, Sales Manager at Dallas Fan Fares, Inc. for being the winner of the 2008 Member Needs Assessment drawing. Lillie wins a complimentary registration to MPI WEC in fabulous Las Vegas. Thank you to everyone who took the survey. Your input is invaluable as we plan the upcoming 2008-2009 year.

• AMA Demographics Service - Access to U.S. Census with summary and comparison - AMA Members Only.

• Geographic Data - Sources for geocoding and geographically based data. • Panel Data - Some sources of consumer panel data including online panels.• General Sources of Secondary Data• Direct Marketing Educational Foundation - Four direct marketing data sets for use in

research. • Harvard Business School Links - http://www.library.hbs.edu/all_databases.html • Jim Vileta's Business Research Launch Pad - Note the Key Databases category in

the middle column. • PollingReport.com - An independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American

public opinion. • SecondaryData.com - Marketing Resources Links, provided by Decision Analyst, Inc. • Statistical Resources on the WEB, University of Michigan -http://

www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stecon.html, comprehensive list of data sources and links

Sources of Secondary Data

• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Survey of Current Business - http://www.bea.doc.gov

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://www.stats.bls.gov, good data source and excellent links.

• U.S. Census Bureau- http://www.census.gov • U.S. CIA - World Fact Book - http://www.ntis.gov/search/product.asp?

ABBR=ADA385307&starDB=GRAHIST • U.S. CIA - Handbook of International Economics -

http://www.cia.gov/cia/di/products/hies/ • US. Department of Commerce - Links to National and International Governmental

Databases - http://www.fedworld.gov • U.S. Economic Census - http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/ • U.S. Federal Reserve - http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred/ • U.S. Government Materials - http://www.fedstats.gov • U.S. Office of Trade and Economic Development - http://www.ita.doc.gov/tradestats • U.S. Statistical Data International and National Stat-USA - http://www.stat-

usa.gov/, excellent links and information. • U.S. White House Economic Briefing Room -

http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html

Sources of Secondary Data

Look at Your Trends

•

Even if your chapter has only basic information about your members, you can begin to look for trends that may help you identify other membership candidates.

– For example, does your association have a strong level of membership - disproportionate to the level of population - in particular geographic areas?

– Can you theorize why that may be true and use that information to gain more members in similar areas?

Look at Your Trends

• If your association has more member information available, can you see trends in that data? – Do your members tend to focus on particular

specialties? – Why might that be? – If there is special appeal to that specialty, can you find

others in that specialty who are not members? – Or can you provide greater emphasis on that specialty

in your marketing materials?

Look at Your Trends

In many associations, the problem is not the lack of data, but the lack of regularly reviewing the data in search of trends that can assist in developing new member benefits and recruiting members.

Is your association database full of useful information or rather sparse? Do you regularly review the data for trends and changes in your membership?

• MPI FOUNDATION FUNDING– CHAPTER GRANT PROGRAM

APPLICATION• Recognizing the important role of MPI chapters in

meeting member needs, educating members, the MPI Foundation Board of Trustees created the Chapter Grant Program

– Research Projects –for the development of members survey or develop of an impact assessment of the local meetings market

• MPI will be using MeetingMetrics to conduct our overall conference and individual education session evaluations/surveys for all of our live events going forward.  Although the survey questions are completely customizable, the MeetingMetrics survey questions are organized using Jack Phillips’ ROI methodology.  MeetingMetrics has proposed giving all of our chapters huge discounts if they would like to try out their tools to conduct marketing surveys, measure the impacts and value of your chapter conferences or to address any other survey needs your chapter may have.   And, if our Strategic Partnership folks can find a sponsor, the use of the MeetingMetrics survey tools would be free.   Our thinking is that if our Chapters and MPI headquarters can use the same tools to measure the effectiveness of our respective speakers, we can then share the

same database of speakers evaluations.

• Question:  By a show of raised hands, how many of you think that your chapter would be interested in participating in a webinar to learn more about the MeetingMetrics tools and services?  (Count the # of raised hands)

• Question:  By a show of raised hands, how many of your think that your chapter would be interested in using the MeetingMetrics tools if we can guarantee significant discounts? (Count the # of raised hands)

• HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2008 INTERNATIONAL MEMERSHIP SURVEY

Introduction

• In April 2008, MPI contracted Association Insights, an independent research and consulting company, to conduct the MPI 2008 Membership Survey, and to analyze and report the results.

• There were a total of 140 questions in the survey.• A total of 2,578 members took part in the survey, which

represents 12.21% of the 21,113 invited members.• Association Insights has determined the responses

provided in the survey were given independently, and are statistically representative of MPI’s membership.

• The value of MPI to its members most heavily depends upon four offerings, regardless of member satisfaction levels, type, demographics, or culture. MPI must excel in:– Education

• From remedial to advanced

• Live and/or on-line

– Networking• Quality and quantity

• Professional and personal communities

– Local Chapter Performance• Programs, attitude, organization, management, communications

– Return on Investment (ROI)• The combined price/value of membership and events

The MPI Value Proposition

MPI Strengths

• Aligning MPI’s stated initiatives with member priorities– Facilitating access to knowledge and ideas– Helping build relationships– Providing access to marketplaces– Providing relevant education

• The cumulative MPI offering appeals to a broad range of very diverse members

• Conference Education• Annual World Education Conference• Certification in Meeting Management Program• Industry Research• Regional Meetings and Events Conferences• Career Connections (Job Bank)

Most Valuable MPI Priorities

• Chapter experiences can be more consistent with best practices, by region, and globally.

• Educational curricula should to address the needs of planners and suppliers at various levels of industry experience, and within their own very specific disciplines.