Is That All There Is?
Bruce Butterfield's question and Peggy's earlier post on the comparison of associations to newspapers begs a fundamental question…
”Is that all there is?”
If associations define themselves simply as purveyors of information (filtered or not), I would respectfully suggest they’re doomed. We may be able to “microprice” our information products to better compete with other sources, but I suspect the real problem lies in our consistent inability to place a compelling, visible value on the elements of the benefit package for which associations often have a significant competitive advantage (peer-to-peer networking, professional recognition, legislative/regulatory representation, etc.).
Micropricing will succeed in a “customer-oriented” business model. Associations will only succeed in a “citizen-oriented model” where members recognize that their participation is essential to the value they receive from their membership.
P.S. Perhaps some newspapers have successfully re-engineered themselves (see Dana Milbanks’ The state of The Post: Not too bad as apocalypses go) and, in doing so, present a news model associations might emulate.
Always in search of ideas.
Peggy-
Great food for thought.
We talk with our clients all the time about "good enough" information on the Internet. You're right, the purveying of information as your sole member benefit won't sustain much longer it seems. Healthcare organizations consistently tell us that their doctor members don't visit their site. Yet, statistics show doctors use the Internet a lot:
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/01/04/bisc0104.htm
Creating a new value proposition seems to be the challenge.
Why do you think associations are doomed? I haven't seen any evidence of that.
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