Research to enable a more personalised member journey

British Small Animal Veterinary Association

Requirement: A programme of member research to provide information and evidence that would enable BSAVA to deliver increased value and be more relevant for members.

With emphasis on investigating and understanding members’ experiences and professional needs as they move through career stages and thus move through their membership journey.  

Methodology: To obtain quantitative data, we carried out a full member survey that investigated attitudes to membership and established relative importance of key elements of membership to different member segments. The questionnaire included a focus on education and learning. Our Net Engagement Rating model identified those members less engaged with their membership, enabling selection of target subgroups for qualitative work. A qualitative stage of research investigated, in greater depth, the emotional drivers, behaviours and attitudes in member’s experiences and relationships with the organisation based on their career stage.

Outputs: Identification of three elements of membership that were significant to all member types for ensuring satisfaction, renewal and recommendation of membership, but which varied in terms of specific requirement depending on member type and career stage. A final report outlining member personas and requirements based on these three elements, and offering detailed recommendations for each member type/career stage to enable delivery of a more personalised member journey.

We have found the research carried out by Ashridge Communications of immense value to our marketing. We’ve used the insight it gave us to create a detailed Communications Plan for each membership category, which highlights the specific benefits and resources which most closely match the needs identified in the research for each particular group.

Liz Barnwell, Marketing Manager, BSAVA