Download - Member Benefits Task Force

Member Benefits Task Force

Recommendations1-4-10

Contents

Project and Team Background 3

Top Recommendations 11

Satisfaction and Needs 19

Key Member Segments 26• International 28• QRCA Tenure – Newer and Longer-

Tenured 40• Tech-Forward Members 57• Home-Based Sole Practitioners 63

Communication 67Member Engagement 72Benefit Overview 76Insights and Opportunities by

Benefit Area 81

2

• Professional Development/ Knowledge/ Education 82

• Networking and Affiliation 87• Conference 89• Chapters 92• SIGs 96• Mentoring 98• Website 100• Forum 104• Information Vehicles (Publications)

108• Stature and Leadership 112• Credentialing 114• Social Networking 115• Discounts 116• Business Generation 119

QRCA Knowledge of Members 120

Project and Team Background

3

MBTF Overview

4

Special Attention* to:

- New/young- Long-tenured

- International

Timing•Initiated April 2009•Tri-weekly conference calls, supplemented with email, Forum, googledocs•Preliminary recommendations Q4 2009•Final recommendations Q1 2010

Mission

Identify gaps and

opportunities for QRCA Member

benefits in order to strengthen the value of

QRCA membership*

* Per the Strategic Plan

MBTF Members

9 Members hand-picked for their passion and diversity – Particularly in terms of tenure and geography

5

Name Role Tenure LocationJulie Medalis Chair 2006 US - MD

Susan Thornhill Board Advisor 1999 US - CA

Elaine Gingold Member 1993 US - MN

Frank-Thomas Naether Member 2008 Hamburg, Ger

Shannon Pfarr Thompson Executive Director, QRCA n/a US - MN

Philip Smith Member 1997 NSW Australia

Ben Smithee Member 2008 US - PA

Daniela Torok Member 2007 Vancouver, BC, CN

Bill Weylock Member 1982 US - CA

Scope of Work

– In-depth review of Current QRCA Benefits– Evaluations of other professional member

organizations’ (AMA, MRA, MRIA, etc.) relevant practices

– Review of 2008 Member Survey• Including additional in-depth analysis

– Additional Member input -- at Conference, in IDIs– In-depth review and discussion with leaders of

TechComm, VC– Mining of prior Forum postings– Ongoing brainstorming to identify key gaps and

opportunities in the roster of benefits• Among Members overall as well as key segments 6

Guiding Principles

7

Collective Wisdom

•MBTF is not “the expert”•The wisdom and history of others guides usoWhat’s been considered or tried before

Data Drives Decisions

•Extensive Member input•Critically evaluate Forum and other qual sources •Practices for other orgs

Retention Over

Acquisition

•Our focus: Improve relevance and value for current Members•This should drive prospect interest as well

Guiding Principles (p2)

8

Bang for the Buck

•Focus on areas that matter most•Impact the greatest number of Members

Segment Attention

Cater to a few key segments•Younger/ Newer•Longer-tenured•International

Brand Consistency

Affirm our brand niche with benefits that:•Pay off mission/ vision•You can’t get anywhere else

Guiding Principles: Key Topics

9

What are the advantages of being a Member?•Without QRCA in our lives, what would we lose?•What do we get vs. other professional organizations we belong to?

How are we engaged with the organization?•How are we enriched?•How are we supported?

What value do we get for the money we spend each year?•Does what we get exceed what we spend/ invest?

About This Document

A few things to note as you read this document:

– For pages with sourced data, specific references are included in the “Notes” area of each page

• Sources, Base sizes, Question Wording, etc.

– On some charts, asterisks (*) or letters (A/B/C) are used to denote statistically significant differences at the 95% confidence level

• * means the % is statistically higher than the other group in the comparison• A means the % is statistically higher than the first group in the comparison• B means the % is statistically higher than the second group in the comparison

– Importance vs. Satisfaction quadrant charts (for example, on p22) are used as a way to telegraphically represent how well QRCA delivers based on how important each dimension is.

• Top 2 box importance is plotted left to right• Top 2 box satisfaction is plotted top to bottom• The 4 quadrants are delineated based on the average top 2 box ratings across all

attributes for the group under consideration, and thus will vary chart to chart 10

Top Recommendations

11

Top Recommendations

Members may expect this Task Force to generate recommendations for lots of new things we need to offer

However, enhancing and communicating current benefits more effectively is a far bigger opportunity than adding new benefits to the QRCA roster– For the most part, we don’t need more stuff. We

don’t need to add new things to satisfy Members– We need to do a better job with the strong benefits

we already have 12

Top Recommendations

13

Have

Know

Use

Our recommendations cover 3 broad themes

Recommendations are prioritized:

High

Moderate

Low

Top Recommendations

Focusing on these improvements will have the biggest impact on Member value and satisfaction:

14

What Members

Have

Opportunity: Optimize

Current “Double

Whammy” (Knowledge and Affinity)

Benefits

What Members

Use

Opportunity:

Connect Members With Our Unique

Community

What Members

Know

Opportunity:

Communicate to

Everyone With

Relevance

Top Recommendations: The “Have”

15

Opportunity: Optimize

Current “Double Whammy”

(Knowledge and Affinity) Benefits

Why:Knowledge and Affinity are the top 2 benefit

areas Members want

Ways to Engage:

•Make Conferences “Can’t Miss”

Events •Improve the usability and usage of the

Forum•Make Chapters

and SIGs the focal point of Member

interaction

See details on pages:38-984-6889194-5105-7

Top Recommendations: The “Know”

16

Opportunity: Communicate to Everyone With

Relevance

Why:Member

benefits are hard to

connect with and offered

“one size fits all”

Ways to Engage:

•Organize the website more

intuitively•Segment

communication for key types of Members with different needs•Transform “My

QRCA”

See details on pages: 39515670-1102-3

Top Recommendations: The “Use”

17

Opportunity: Connect Members With Our Unique Community

Why:More involved Members value

the organization

more

Ways to Engage:

•Invite volunteering, sharing, and

personal connections

•Make organizational needs known

•Blatantly reward involvement in the

organization

See details on pages:5574-5

Recommendations: Making It Happen

This Task Force has made lots of recommendations. There’s lots to do!

Bringing these recommendations to life will require ongoing vigilance and effort from every team, committee, and chapter– MemComm will likely be the lynchpin that “owns”

many of the opportunity items

18

Satisfaction and Needs

19

Member Satisfaction by Subgroup

Members report high overall satisfaction, but levels are lower among:– International (non-

NA) (directional)– Office-based – Newer– Younger

(directional)– More tech savvy

20

**

*

C

*

*

Member Satisfaction by Subgroup

Engaged Members are more satisfied– True across multiple

measures of engagement

21

C

C

CC

CC

A

BB

CC

CBC

A

Benefit Importance

Knowledge and Affinity are the top 2 benefit areas Members seek from QRCA membership.

There’s a gap in how well some offerings are seen to fit their purposes.– Members don’t

necessarily see Chapters, SIGs, and Volunteering to be as important as affinity and knowledge in general 22

Benefit Importance vs. Satisfaction

23

Professional contact

Social contact

Improve qual knowledge

Learn from experts

Belonging/ Affinity

Referencing QRCA Credentials

Contributing to professionalism

Support as leading int’l

Chapter participation

SIGparticipation

Volunteering

QRCA resources appear to be well aligned to Member needs, given

the positive relationship between importance

and satisfaction

Yet several specific offerings

that drive knowledge and affinity are not seen to be as

important

Feature Importance

Knowledge-building and educational offerings top the list of important current features.

24

Feature Importance vs. Satisfaction

25

Website

Educational oppys

Views

Forum

Facilities & Svcs DirConference

QCasts

Online learning: SIGs

Connections

Online learning: VC

Board communs

Competencies doc

Membership Locator

NewsBites

Self-Evaluation

Joint AQR/QRCA Conference

Online learning is important, but all specific offerings

are seen to under-deliver

Key Member Segments

Key Member Segments

Based on the QRCA Strategic Plan, the MBTF was focused specifically on needs and opportunities among 3 Member segments:– International– Newer/ Younger– Longer-tenured

Two other areas of interest emerged during our work:– Level of technical savvy – Business type (work location and company size)

27

International Members

International Members make up a very small share of QRCA membership

Learning in this section reflects the feedback of a very small base of international Members

28

Europe 4

Latin/ S America/ Mexico

2

Australia/Pacific 1

Asia 1

Africa 1

Internationals: Member Satisfaction

International (non-NA) Members are directionally -- though not significantly -- less satisfied with QRCA membership– Because of this gap – and the relatively good impressions among

Canadian Members, we focus our efforts on Internationals (non-North America)

29

Internationals: Profile

Compared to US Members, Internationals are:– More male (41% vs. 32%)– Have different educational systems and levels– Office-based (44% vs. 26%)– Owner-partners with employees (56% vs. 27%)

30

Internationals: QRCA Experience

Compared to US Members, Internationals show some signs that they engage less with QRCA:– Less satisfied (as noted earlier)– Less likely to attend Conference (37% vs. 21% US say

“never”)– Less engaged as volunteers (26% vs. 40% in PY)

However, they do seem to make better use of some of the resources available to them:– More likely to attend AQR/QRCA conference (52% vs. 16%

ever)– Read more Connections (44% vs. 35% 10+ issues) and

NewsBites (48% vs. 39% open usually/always)

31

Internationals: QRCA Experience

There is a divide in Chapter participation– For perspective, 82% are Virtual Chapter Members (vs. 8%

in US)– Overall, fewer International Members attend Chapter

meetings (57% vs. 39% US say none in past year)– But a notable segment are Chapter loyalists (35% vs. 20%

attend most/all meetings)

32

Internationals: Benefit Importance(Key differences only)

Internationals place more importance on professionalism, affinity, and – not surprisingly -- international credibility.

33

Contributing to Professionalism

of QualProfessional

Contact with QRCsSocial Contact

with QRCsSupporting QRCA as the Intl Org for QRCs

*

*

*

*

*

*

Internationals: Benefit Importance vs. Satisfaction

34


Social contact


Learn from experts

Belonging/ Affinity





SIGparticipation

Volunteering

Knowledge and international support

are the key unmet needs among

International Members

Internationals: Feature Importance(Key differences only)Internationals respond to benefits that represent the more global aspects of the QRCA community, such asViews, VC learning opportunities, the AQR/QRCA Conference, and Professional competencies– Less importance on education overall and the Facilities and Services

Directory, which has limited relevance outside North America

35

Views

Online learning

from VC

Qual ed: courses, seminar

s

AQR/QRCA Conf

News Bites

Prof Compe- tencies

doc

Self-Eval for

Prof Competencies

Facilities & Svcs Director

y

*

*

**

**

*

*

Internationals: Feature Importance vs. Satisfaction

36

Website

Educational oppys

ViewsForum

Facilities & Svcs Dir

Conference

QCasts


Connections

Online learning: VC

Board communs

Competencies doc

Membership Locator

NewsBites

Self-EvaluationJoint AQR/QRCA Conference

The biggest feature

opportunities for

Internationals are

educational – particularly

online learning via SIGs and VC, as well as the

AQR/QRCA Conference

Internationals: Considerations

There are significant challenges to engaging international Members– Lack regular consistent connection– Time zone dispersion makes call/meeting participation difficult– Small numbers of Members in any one region/ country– Virtual Chapter and online learning should be the critical engagement

points – but don’t yet appear to deliver– Perception that QRCA is a US organization focused on US Members and

issues (anecdotal)– Some current benefits are less usable outside North America

• Facilities and Services Directory, Discounts

– International attendance at Conference is likely to remain limited• Issue of time more than money (anecdotal)

– Internationals have unique needs in how qual is conducted -- customs, religious practices, etc.

37

Internationals: Opportunities

Overcome the lack of face-to-face by making online venues work harder– Online learning and training (see Education section)

• Add resources for online 2-way follow-up/ Q&A after sessions

– Make QCasts and SIGs more accessible• Vary times to allow those in different time zones to participate• Hold special sessions for different regions• Include an online component for all SIG activities so International

Members can interact

Enhance in-person activities– More frequent, shorter VC meetings (under consideration)– Promote QRCA/AQR conference

38

Internationals: Opportunities

Communicate with relevance– Segmented messaging for International Members– Utilize new standards/checklist for all activities

• How do we make this more accessible to International Members?

• How do we make this more relevant to International Members?

Increase interaction and appreciation between US and International Members– US chapters adopt a country/ sister city

• Share respective chapter learning

– “Contact a friend” buddy system– Informal communication venues 39

Members by QRCA Tenure

– One in 4 Members is “newer” to QRCA (less than 2 years)

– More than 1 in 3 are long-tenured (9+ years)

40

Long-Tenured = 37%

Newer

Members by QRCA Tenure: Satisfaction

Satisfaction with QRCA increases with tenure– Not surprising, as satisfied members will self-select

over time

41

A A

C

Members by QRCA Tenure: Profile

On a few profile characteristics, newer and longer-tenured Members fall on a spectrum:

42

Newer Members

Longer-Tenured Members

Geography More outside US More US

Work setting More work for others

More sole practitioners

Education Lower Higher

Age Younger Older

Experience in MR and Qual

Lower Higher

Members by QRCA Tenure: Profile

Tenure and age are closely, though not perfectly, correlated

43

Members by QRCA Tenure: QRCA Experience

There are significant differences in the QRCA experiences of newer and longer-tenured Members– Newer Members, not surprisingly, are less engaged and

experienced with what QRCA has to offer

44

Newer Members

Longer-Tenured Members

Satisfaction Lower Higher

Awareness of SIGs Lower Higher

Conference attendance

Lower Higher

Volunteering Lower Higher

Awareness of offerings

Lower Higher

Readership (Views, Connections, NewsBites)

Lower Higher

Members by QRCA Tenure: Benefit Importance(Key differences only)

Newer Members are more focused on knowledge-building, and longer-tenured Members are more oriented to affinity-building

45

Improve Qual Knowledge

Learn From Industry Experts

Social Contact with QRCs

Sense of Belonging/

Affinity with a Prof Org

Volunteering with QRCA

*

*

*

* *

*

*

*

Newer Members: Benefit Importance vs. Satisfaction

46


Social contact


Learn from experts

Belonging/ Affinity





SIGparticipation

Volunteering

Newer Members have few clear gaps in

delivery. Opportunities are with knowledge,

social and professional contact, and

internationalism

Longer-Tenured Members: Benefit Importance vs. Satisfaction

47


Social contact


Learn from experts

Belonging/ Affinity





SIGparticipation

Volunteering

Longer-tenured Members show few gaps. Even with their experience, they still

want to learn! Professionalism and

internationalism matter too

Members by QRCA Tenure: Feature Importance(Key differences only)

– Newer Members place equal or less importance on many QRCA offerings – suggesting that they have yet to realize what is available to them. The one area they want more than Longer-Tenured Members do is online learning via the Virtual Chapter

– Longer-tenured Members place more importance on conferences, as well as several information resources

48

Annual Conference

Online learning :

VC Connections

Communication from Board

Membership Locator

AQR/QRCA Conference

*

* **

*

*

*

*

Newer Members:Feature Importance vs. Satisfaction

49

Website

Educational oppys

Views

Forum


Conference

QCasts


Connections

Online learning: VC

Board communs

Competencies doc

Membership Locator

NewsBites

Self-EvalJoint AQR/QRCA

Conference

Learning – particularly online vehicles –

represent the biggest feature opportunity for

newer Members

Longer-Tenured Members:Feature Importance vs. Satisfaction

50

Website

Educational oppys

Views

Forum


Conference

QCasts


Connections

Online learning: VC

Board communs

Competencies doc

Membership Locator

NewsBites

Self-Eval

Joint AQR/QRCA Conference

Learning overall and the Forum are the most notable

gaps for longer-tenured

Members

Newer Members: Opportunities

Strengthen the relevant bonds with these growth-mode Members

– More personal touch at enrollment (some already do)• Care call from Chapter chair• Solicit feedback and help guide them through welcome

packet• Identify most relevant benefits

– Communicate with relevance• Segmented messaging for younger Members• Utilize new standards/checklist for all activities

– How do we make this more accessible to younger Members?– How do we make this more relevant to younger Members? 51

Newer Members: Considerations

Although the TF is not tasked with increasing membership, we recognize that we need to have benefits that appeal to young/new Members in order to sustain relevance/value – the pipeline for the future– Education– Mentorship– Online/Tech orientation

52

Newer Members: Opportunities

– Enhancements• Ambassadorship with new Members (in the works)

– Extend beyond conference

• Forum improvements to help them “break in” (see Forum section)• Enhance existing social benefits that are relevant to younger segment

– Social networking» Hub where Members can list where they are so meet and greets and happy

hour meetings can occur spontaneously– Online access

• Recognition/ scholarships– Rising Star at Conference (in place)

• Mentoring program

– New offerings• Roadmap of where to start with QRCA • SIG or group dedicated to new/young Members• New moderator training

53

Longer-Tenured Members: Considerations

– Long-tenured Members likely have real bonds to the organization and its people

– Their wisdom is a goldmine for other Members– Some (anecdotally) struggle to adapt in the

changing research environment• Junior clients, online methodologies, demand for

immediate reporting

54

Longer-Tenured Members: Opportunities

Taking it to the next level is key

– Deepen relationships• Encourage mentorship

– Tap long-tenured experience as resource for newer– Help long-tenured feel better connected to newer and give opportunity to serve

• Connect relevant groups socially and educationally, with different dynamics for different relationships– Longer-tenured with longer-tenured– Longer-tenured with newer

– Leverage their leadership capability• Show how QRCA is leading the industry and how people should think

about consumer research as it evolves

– More sophisticated content for experienced QRCs

55

Longer-Tenured Members: Opportunities

– Communicate with relevance• Segmented messaging for longer—tenured Members• Utilize new standards/checklist for all activities

– How do we make this more accessible to longer-tenured Members?– How do we make this more relevant to longer-tenured Members?

– Guidance on how to evolve in a changing marketplace• Embracing (not judging) new technologies• Cohort and audience trends and understanding• Addressing clients and colleagues who are younger than you

– How to interact and work with Gen Y– Panel discussions

• How to deliver reports in the form people want• Keeping up with slang and new forms of client communication (SMS)• Rejuvenation strategies to prevent burnout• Ways to reinvent your business

56

Tech-Forward Members

57

Lower = 42%

Higher= 58%

Tech-forward Members make up a slight majority of the QRCA membership

Tech-Forward Members: Satisfaction

Tech-Forward Members are less satisfied with QRCA membership

58

*

Tech-Forward Members: Profile

Compared to later adopters, tech-forward Members are more likely to:– Be young or old – rather than middle-age -- in

chronological age, time in MR, and time in Qual– Be male (37% vs. 26% among tech late adopters)– Have higher education levels (60% vs. 51% Master’s

degree+)– Work in an outside office (32% vs. 24%)– Have employees/partners (46% vs. 34%)– Have shorter QRCA tenure (30% vs. 39% 11+ years)

59

Tech-Forward Members: QRCA Experience

In keeping with their higher level of self-reported savvy, these tech-forward Members– Place more importance on, use, and are more satisfied with the

Forum – Visit the website and participate in QCasts and VC more– Are more comfortable conducting online research, webinars, and

learning sessions

Regarding QRCA, they:– Have attended more recent conferences (60% vs. 49% say 2007

was most recent), but report lower conference importance and satisfaction

– Are less concerned with social/affinity, more with professionalism– Have not taken as much advantage of courses/ seminars (28% vs.

42% aware and used)60

Tech-Forward Members: Considerations

Those who describe themselves as more sophisticated technologically are important to understand, given that:– Technology tools and applications have become integral to

QRCA – and Tech-Forward Members are somewhat less satisfied with Membership

– They are key influencers when it comes to industry leadership• Technology adoption is a competitive edge • These Members can lead others to more successful practices

– Meeting their needs can: • Enhance communication satisfaction• Strengthen bonds between all Members• “Shrink” geographic dispersion of our membership

61

Tech-Forward Members: Opportunities

– More technology-advanced programming/ content• Workshops for early adopters by early adopters with no

“dumbing down”• Topics

– How to maximize the roi of your personal website – How to maximize the SEO of your website and blog– How to implement advanced online and social media

technologies into your toolbox– Updates from Members who attend other tech conferences

(e.g., SXSWi)

• (Balanced with additional content for less sophisticated Members)

• Cross-discounts to other tech/service conferences

62

Home-Based Sole Practitioners

We are mainly sole practitioners working at home

Many of us would like QRCA to offer more training on developing/ improving a small business

• Top unmet need in Member Survey63

Home-Based Sole Practitioners: Satisfaction

64

*

*

Home-based Members are significantly more satisfied with QRCA than those who work in offices

Home-Based Sole Practitioners: Opportunities

Maintain the current membership cost structure– As opposed to a volume discount which would

penalize” the majority of Members

More training/ skills on how to run a successful business– Create a Professional Development SIG– Sales training

• How to sell yourself and feel good about it• How to engage clients, approach new end-clients

– Presentation skills training– Writing skills

65

Home-Based Sole Practitioners: Opportunities

Small business planning and health tools– How to assess your business health– Crisis planning– When to incorporate– How to find a lawyer– How to know if your business is healthy, and how to

fix it– Marketing your business on a budget– Small business resources and guidance– Legal advice and services

66

Communication

Communication

Communication is critical, but relevant benefits may not be communicated effectively– Anecdotally, what’s offered is “hard to get your head

around”• Members don’t know what’s available to them

– “A Member is a Member”• All Members are communicated with in the same way• No segmentation of messages by tenure, location,

interests, etc.• Some feel QRCA communications have not kept pace

with the proliferation of digital communication venues– Social networking in particular

68

Communication Mechanisms

Interactive

• Website• Views (quarterly)• NewsBites (bi-

weekly)• Connections (10/

year)• Facilities and

Services Directory• Ad hoc email

announcements

• Forum• Chapter Meetings• SIGs • Social Networking Sites

• LinkedIn• Facebook• Twitter

Member with Member

69

QRCA Outbound

QRCA with Member

• Conferences• Symposium• QCast• Ewald

Communication Opportunities

– Develop and implement an enhanced QRCA communication strategy with dedicated resources and clear goals/ tactics

• Create a culture of WIIFM (what’s in it for me?)– Explicit thought process to make every communication

relevant to various Member types» Who is this most relevant for? » Why? » How do we make this relevant to key segments? » How do we leverage/engage Chapters and SIGs in

communication?– Check for every QRCA effort: How to involve Chapters/ SIGs/

Forum

70

Communication Opportunities

• Communication tailored to what each person wants– Segment communication for Members with different needs

» Location, tenure– Consider separate versions or sections by Member type

• Customized outbound communications– Benefit matching tools to easily determine what’s most relevant for you

based on your profile, needs, interests– Opt-out of receiving printed materials (Facilities and Services Directory)

• More effective use of email– More descriptive headlines– More single-topic emails– Segmented (by tenure, needs/interests, desired communication

frequency)

• Self-serve online experience (see web section)71

Member Engagement

72

Member Engagement

Engagement is critical -- and limited– Those who are more engaged are significantly more

satisfied with QRCA (see prior section)– Levels of engagement vary widely across the

membership– The power of one compelling Member can spur

“latent” Members to become more engaged (anecdotal)• Manuela Fletcher enticed several MBTF Members

73

Member Engagement: Opportunities

– Reward engagement in QRCA -- blatantly and relevantly• Incentives to the most engaged Chapters – attendance, diversity, use of

online, consistent participation– There are some current programs that reward participation (greatest % and #

increase in Members)– Chapter chairs and planners attend meetings for free

• Engagement points earned for various professional development activities (read an industry book, attend a QCast, etc.)

• Promote existing award winners more• Promote the perks of being involved

– Leader events at conference– More recognition to those who are long-tenured– Testimonials on why it’s great to be involved

• Create more perks for leaders and awards for excellence• “Inside scoop” communications to leaders• Highlight engagement with more specificity

– Conference badge ribbons that say which committee you’re on– Listings of who participates in what ways in presentations

74

Member Engagement: Opportunities

Invite volunteering, sharing, and personal connections

– Make organizational needs known• Identify the specific roles and types needed to move a team (committee,

chapter) forward• Give key roles titles• Clearly define what’s expected (responsibilities) and how to be

successful (goals)

– Increase engagement among “latent” Members• Leverage influential Members’ personal connections with less active

Members in order to activate them• Provide liaisons for key Member segments (international, newer/younger)

– we recognize you, are here to answer/ direct your questions• Increase Mentoring• Have Conference Ambassadors reconnect with first-timers a month or

two after conference75

Benefit Overview

76

Current QRCA Benefits

QRCA offers a wide range of tools, materials, and forums that work to deliver value in several ways.

– Professional Development/ Education/ Knowledge

– Affiliation/ Networking/ Social

– Professional Stature

– Education About QRCA

– Tools to Increase Business

– Discounts 77

Current QRCA Benefits:

“Double Whammy” Benefits Fall into More than 1 Category

78

= Professional

Devel/ Education

= Affiliation/ Networking/ Social

= Profl Stature

= Education about QRCA

= Increase Business

= Discounts

Members Only

Committees

SIGs

Online Forum

Chapters

Annual Conference

Mentoring Exchange

Connections

Facilities and Services Directory

Current QRCA Benefits:

“Double Whammy” Benefits Fall into More than 1 Category

79

= Professional

Devel/ Education


= Profl Stature


= Increase Business

= Discounts

Open to All (Members and Non-Members)

Bi-annual Symposium

Social networking sites

QCast webinars

Industry links

Breakthroughs site

Code of Member Ethics

Guide to Professional Research Practices

Professional competencies document

Views

Find a Researcher Directory

Current QRCA Benefits

80

MO = Members Only

= Professional Devel/ Education


= Profl Stature


= Increase Business

= Discounts

Other Professional Development/ Education Benefits

Reference bibliography (to come)

Research tools links to secondary resources

Views Podcasts

White papersMO

Other Professional Stature Benefits

QRCA logo for use in materials

Global Outreach Scholarship

Rising Star AwardMO

MO

MO

Other Increase Business Benefits

Job BankMO

Discount Benefits

Discounts (see p116)

MO

Insights and Opportunities by Benefit Area

81

Professional Development/ Knowledge/ Education

The majority of QRCA benefits today have an educational component

82

• Annual Conference• Bi-annual QRCA/AQR Conference

• Bi-annual Symposium

• Committees• Chapters• SIGs

• Social networking (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook)

• QCast webinars• Online Forum• Breakthroughs site• Mentoring Exchange• Facilities and Services Directory

• Connections monthly newsletter• Views quarterly magazine and

podcasts

• Code of Member Ethics• Guide to Professional Research Practices

• Professional competencies document

• Industry links to professional orgs• Reference bibliography• Research tools – links to secondary resources

• White papers

Professional Development/ Knowledge/ Education

This orientation toward education suits the high importance Members of all types place on expertise and knowledge building

Education and Professional Development are also key motivators to join other professional membership organizations *– Some of which offer a broader roster of learning/ development

opportunities

But several learning benefits show significant gaps for satisfaction vs. importance– Gaps for “Educational opportunities,” Forum, QCasts, online

learning via SIGs and Virtual Chapter (see prior chart)– As online qual methodologies increase, Members are challenged to

keep up (anecdotal) 83

* Based on anecdotal feedback from Best Practice evaluations)

Professional Development/ Knowledge/ Education: OpportunitiesIncrease the number, variety, and depth of In-Person Training/ Learning opportunities– More tracks/levels of topics at conference and other events– Chapter half-day trainings – in-depth on a topic– Ongoing or longer coursework – to enhance commitment level– 101 “fundamentals” content for newcomers– RIVA-like trainings sessions– Discounts on training (RIVA, CPSI, others)– Master classes– “Learn from the Masters/Dissect a Focus Group” sessions –

experienced moderators lead groups (on tape, online or in person) and class sees first hand. Educational for Newcomers, validating for longer-tenured

– Master class workshops at conference – user generated. Everyone does HW ahead. Prepared to share techniques in session 84

Professional Development/ Knowledge/ Education: OpportunitiesIncrease the range of online learning resources– More virtual access to in-person events Members

cannot attend– QCasts

• More interactivity • Forum areas for Q&A with speaker• More times available• Post recordings to be available after session

– Techniques database – user generated, searchable– Conference presentation archive of documents and

audio – searchable– Enhanced Find a Member search functionality – Improved book/resource lists

85

Professional Development/ Knowledge/ Education: OpportunitiesIncrease training/ education on online and emerging technology and tools– Social media– Online qual methodologies– Digital communication

Add new learning/ knowledge resources– Resident Experts: Designate Member “experts” on a topic

who are available by phone hotline or Forum for questions/ guidance.

– Presentation pipeline: Formal vetting and development process to identify good topics and presenters for presentations. Tap the latent abilities and expertise in the membership 86

Networking and Affiliation

QRCA’s network of like-minded peers is a chief appeal– Networking and affiliation are a top Member desire,

and a top reason for satisfaction (open-ended in Member Survey)• More important with older, longer-tenured

– Our key interaction “streams” -- chapters, SIGs, committees – are fairly independent of each other

– For the many Members who are sole proprietors, face-to-face events (Chapter meetings, conferences) are valued opportunities to share with colleagues (anecdotal)

87

Networking and Affiliation: Opportunities

Make Chapters and SIGs focal points of Member interaction (see later detail)

Build the affinity benefit in all areas– Organize and promote all networking venues (SIGs,

Chapters, Conferences, Mentoring, etc.) more prominently on the website

– “Speed Networking” -- All-Member personal introductions at every face-to-face event

– Enhanced online networking opportunities (see web section for specifics)

– Foster integration and cross-pollination among Committees, Chapters, and SIGs

– Designated reps at all face-to-face events who encourage new introductions and make sure everyone is engaged 88

Conference

The annual conference is a critical Member benefit– “Double Whammy” for learning and

networking/ affiliation– High importance, particularly for remote

Members– Top open-ended reason for satisfaction

But – Key satisfaction gap – Limited participation

• 24% attended the 2009 Palm Springs QRCA conference

• 11% attended the 2009 Chicago Symposium• 5% attended the 2008 Barcelona AQR/ QRCA

conference 89

Conference

Considerations– Conferences are a big investment of time and money

• Geography is likely to remain a barrier, keeping Conference largely North American and AQR/QRCA largely non-North American

– Reported barriers* include signs of low value, with some objections due to:• Schedule• Associated costs (travel and accommodation)• Location (time/distance to travel to destination)• Yet no signs that conference fees are seen as excessive

– Newcomers lack social connection*– Educational enhancements may increase interest*

• Tracks for seasoned moderators and hands-on workshops are key unmet desires 90

* Source: 2008 Member Survey

Conferences: Opportunities

Make Conferences “Can’t Miss” Events– Increase conference attendance among newcomers and long-

tenured• Content that’s relevant to them• Promote the most relevant offerings in communications to each

segment• Newcomer discount (in development)• “Bring a newbie” discount

– Formal, structured ways to link like-minded people• Meals with special tables by chapter, interest, tenure

– Affordability• Promote roommate finder• Long-distance international discount, given high costs/resources

required

– Make the social connections work harder• Spouse activities, incentives, and discounts at Conference 91

Chapters

Chapters represent an important, and perhaps undervalued, resource– “Double Whammy” for learning and networking/ affiliation– Moderate importance – less so that the desires for learning

and affiliation would indicate– Satisfaction gap– Wide range of engagement

• 41% of Members did not attend a meeting (Member Survey)• Participation down vs. 2004

– Limited use of Chapter areas of the Forum – Chapter leaders challenged

• Say they struggle to engage Members• Programming development a challenge, and much is repurposed • Chairs feel invisible

92

Chapters

Virtual Chapter– The largest chapter -- 14% of Members– Currently run 3-day bulletin board sessions each

quarter– More than half of participants are non-North

American – making this a key resource for networking/ affiliation among Internationals

– Finding convenient points of face-to-face interaction is challenging (anecdotal)

93

Chapters: Opportunities

Elevate the importance of Chapters– Increase chapter budgets and increase the quality of

content/ presenters– Add all Chapter meetings to the events listing– Make Chapters a more robust part of the website – own

section, one of the top buckets/tabs– Chapter ID badges at Conf

Increase Engagement in Individual Chapters– Remote access to chapter meetings (in the works)– Split some of the largest Chapters to make

geography/distance to attend more manageable– Use more tech (online sessions) to overcome access

issues 94

Chapters: OpportunitiesCulture shift– All teams to go through thought process of how to engage Chapters

Empower Chapter Chairs– Chapter chair best practice sharing sessions– Handbook and training on how to succeed (in development)– Less personal responsibility for success

• Get individual Members to lead warms-ups, choose topics/ speakers, moderate discussions

Foster Connections Chapter-to-Chapter and Chapter-to-SIG– Regional conferences (in the works)– Pan-Chapter sharing sessions– Let people attend meetings of other chapters virtually (in the works)– Committees and SIGs present at Chapter meetings– US chapters “adopt a country” to increase connections with

internationals95

SIGs

A nascent resource with strong opportunity to increase Member value– “Double Whammy” for learning and networking/

affiliation• Including global exposure

– Moderate importance – less so than the desires for learning and affiliation would indicate

– Satisfaction gap– Limited engagement

• More than 1/3 are unaware of each SIG• At most, 10% have participated in any SIG’s online

meeting

96

SIGs: Opportunities

Make SIGs a focal point of Member interaction

– Promote at all face-to-face meetings, conferences– Promote on website– Create brief (one-page) overviews/ information

sheets

– Culture shift• All teams to go through thought process of how to

engage SIGs

97

Mentoring

An under-utilized “niche” benefit– “Double Whammy” for learning and networking/

affiliation– Niche position

• One third of Members – Particularly long-tenured (46%) -- are uninterested

• More relevant to newer Members

– Nearly half (in 2008 Member Survey) unaware– Low utilization: Most who are aware visit the

Exchange once a year or less

98

Mentoring

Opportunity– Extend usage (in the works with new database

system)– Engage longer-tenured Members to serve as

mentors– Improve matching services (geography, interests,

etc.) (in the works)– Mechanism for mentor and mentee to graciously

assess mutual comfort before full commitment– Share success stories via a “mentor spotlight” in

Connections/ NewsBites

99

Website

The website is a critical area for improvement– “Double Whammy” for learning and networking/ affiliation

• The “mouthpiece” for QRCA info/ benefits and key resource connecting Members to the organization

• Highest importance of all features tested (90% top 2 box)

– Reasons to visit are static and occasional• Majority of info is not refreshed regularly• Conference, Forum, and Calendar – more dynamic topics – are

used most (self-reported)

– Not relied on as heavily as it should be• Only a small segment have never used (6% or 10%, depending on

the question) • Frequency up since 2004, but most Members visit once a month or

less

– Satisfaction up vs. 2004, but still with large gap vs. importance 100

Website

Considerations– Recent upgrade has improved the site, but there are

still some communication gaps• Not organized intuitively and clearly

– Hard for Members to see what they “pay for”• Members-only areas listed, but not hyperlinked• Some benefits (e.g., Mentoring) very hard to find

– Hard for Members to get what’s relevant to them• No customization/ tailoring of messages/ pages based on

who you are and what you want• Calendar hard to digest -- organized by date rather than

event type• Chapter info limited and not geared to driving participation

101

Website: Opportunities

– Drive Member relevance• Stronger highlighting and organization of Members-only benefits • More customized content/ pages/ links for what’s relevant by

segment (young, longer-tenured, international, etc.)• Transform “My QRCA” to a more individualized page, with

segmented messages/ content/ offerings

– Organize the website more intuitively• Organize info to align with key benefit buckets (Knowledge,

Affinity, etc.)• Take a fresh look at site structure, links, and language• More prominent, powerful, comprehensive Calendar • Materials easier to find• Discounts better branded (provider pages look tacky)• Better utilization and click-through data

102

Website: Opportunities

– Self-serve online experience• Website as centralized hub for info• Better emphasis/ highlighting of what is “Members only”• - This area for Members only• Starbursts or colors• Show people how to use various benefits• Organize the website more intuitively

– Increase online networking/ affiliation• Chat/ Instant messaging to know who’s on and who you can talk

to (not just “Who’s on” on Forum homepage)– Education on how to use other IM platforms when on the site/Forum

– More use of current media• Videos, interactive tutorials, etc.

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Forum

The Member Forum is a key opportunity area– “Double Whammy” for learning and networking/ affiliation– Fairly high importance, but satisfaction lags

• Particular opportunity for International and remote Members

– Most Members (2 in 3) have used (self-reported)• Frequency up vs. 2004• Anecdotally, lots of non-active viewers (“lurkers”)• Key barrier – not top of mind

– Overwhelming amount of information• Hard to find the “new news”• Hard to search/ find the info that’s relevant in the history

– Intimidating• Handful of active, vocal posters

– Have to log in twice

TechComm has initiated many steps to improve the Forum over the past year or so, based on Member feedback– Most geared to increasing the quantity (not necessarily quality) of usage

104

Forum: Opportunities

Improve the usability and usage of the Forum– Forge ahead with the many improvements that are

underway• Opt-in to get daily digest summary• Subscribe to topics and threads• Delete old, unused threads• Education on how to use

– “Get started” conference calls promoted in NewsBites– Newcomer primer

• Scavenger Hunt• Code of conduct

105


Promote existing functionality– Promote adding pictures to personalize– Promote ability to rate threads– Private messaging

New enhancements– Better use by Chapters– Better usage data (views among lurkers, RSS use, posting

frequency/volume, etc.)– Stronger newcomer introductions – buddy system,

insiders’ guide– Explore additional ways to limit intimidation by “howlers”– More “community-like” look and feel

106


Use the Forum (and LinkedIn) as a behind the scenes “pulse” of the organization– Hot Forum topics can become relevant content for

website, chapters, conference

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Information Vehicles (Publications)

4 main information vehicles, apart from website

108

NewsBitesConnectio

ns Views

Facilities and

Services Directory

Type of Content

Information, News

Affinity, Knowledge

Knowledge, Industry

leadership

Business operations

Format Email EmailHard Copy

SubscriptionHard copy +

website

Frequency

Bi-weekly10 issues per

yearQuarterly Annually

Audience Members only Members onlyMembers and non-Members

Members only

Archive No Website WebsiteUpdated on

Website

Information Vehicles (Periodicals)

By and large, the 3 periodicals are working well– Awareness is high– Views and Connections – in particular – are strong ways to convey

the knowledge/ professional development Members want– All deliver well relative to importance– Readership is moderate

• Most open, and skim Connections regularly• Most read and like the industry focus of Views• Most read NewsBites, but only half of them regularly

However– Anecdotally, Members lack clarity about what each vehicle is

uniquely designed to offer them– Newer Members are weaker readers– Utilization and impact data are limited

109

Information Vehicles (Periodicals): Opportunities

Stay the course, with some tweaks– Clarify mission of each vehicle

• Share grid on p105 in each vehicle and on website

– Measure the readership and value of these vehicles every time they go out

– Customize the communication stream: Ask Members at renewal what they want to receive

– Abandon the print paradigm with Connections and NewsBites• Smaller, easier to digest• Pictures• Invitations and ways to respond built in• Interactivity 110

Information Vehicles: Facilities and Services Directory

Overall, the F&SD delivers well based on its importance– Less relevant to International Members

However, its scope is a bit outdated– Focused on face-to-face facilities– Static listings only

Opportunity: Increase the F&SD’s relevance for Members – Online access– Opt-out of receiving printed version– All suppliers available for all services (in process with online SIG)

• Facilities, online platforms, transcription, web conferencing, etc.• Include online user ratings – “trip advisor for QRCs”

– Need to circumvent liability issues

• Offerings beyond what’s available elsewhere (Impulse Survey, Greenbook, etc.) 111

Stature and Leadership

Being part of a recognized professional organization is a leveragable benefit for some Members – Adds credibility

But QRCA is not currently seen as a strong industry leader (in 2008 survey)– Half of Members feel we need a higher industry profile– Not seen to take a strong role in leading the industry– Anecdotally, seen as lacking vs. other professional

Membership organizations

Major rebranding efforts have occurred since the survey

112

Stature and Leadership: Opportunities

Bolster branding and PR efforts with some additional enhancements– Qualitative Research Industry Award (in the works)– Speakers Bureau (pilot in the works)– Guidance on how to use QRCA logo/ branding– Promote and support the online "Find a Researcher"

tool to the public via web search– Clarify and reinforce the role of QCasts as client

relationship- and credibility-builders– Include QRC representatives from each targeted

Member group

113

Credentialing

Accreditation and credentialing have been controversial within QCRA– Most recent explorations opted to not pursue

However, anecdotally, there is some continued interest– Some in Canada are concerned, given the active role of MRIA– May also matter more internationally, where governments

and/or buyers pay attention– Yet credentialing ranks well below other priorities (7th overall)

– with even lower interest in Canada and internationally

Opportunity: Reevaluate the credentialing opportunity in the future

114

Social Networking

QRCA’s presence on social networking sites (SNS) has not been fully leveraged– Presences on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

• Not all of these have official “owners”

– Links from QRCA site to SNS not prominent– Likely a key appeal for younger Members, who are more

attuned to online social networking– Provides Members a safe way of dipping their toes in the

SNS water without fear of “screwing up”• Should be encouraging to non-users

Opportunity: Explore additional venues and opportunities (in the works with Tech Comm)

115

Discounts

QRCA currently offers discounts on a number of products and services, some of which are only available in North America:

116

• Insurance -- Health, Life, Dental, Disability, Travel

• Teleconferencing, Web conferencing, Video conferencing, Web streaming

• Health and wellness center

• Member Mall

• Aflac

• Debt collection

• Office supplies

• Flower delivery

• Car rental

Discounts

Discounts appear to be a low-priority benefit– Anecdotally, discounts are the top thing people mention

when asked “what else could QRCA do” – but not the reason people join and stay

– Telecom, shipping, and car rental are the most valued (self-reported)

– Utilization appears low• Although data are limited

– Not promoted well – have to dig on website– Anecdotally, not differentiated vs. other organizations

• “Everyone offers this stuff”

– May be less relevant to:• Younger/newer Members who may work for others/companies• International Members who do not have access

117

Discounts: Opportunities

Stay the course with offerings– Adding discounts is, overall, a low priority– When opportunities occur, consider business-

relevant Member discounts • Recruiting, facilities, online platforms, book publishers

– Improve look and feel of current offerings • Make them easier to find online• Improve look and feel of provider web pages

118

Business Generation

Unlike other professional organizations, QRCA is not a business generator today. But this dynamic is worth considering/expanding– Currently we offer a Job Posting section online

• Limited promotion and use• End user-generated

– Anecdotally, having a robust tool to connect with job opportunities would be enticing

Opportunities: Enhance Job Bank– Promote current functionality in more places, including

public via web search– Opt-in notification system

119

QRCA Knowledge of Members

120

QRCA Knowledge of Members

There is some concern about the representativeness of the Member Survey data, given low response– 37% vs. 58% in 2004 and 53% in 1999– However, a comparison of 2008 responders to the

Member base overall shows that – at least on what we know – the sample is a good mirror of the Membership as a whole• Gender, age, country, QRCA Tenure

We don’t have great utilization data for various benefits and offerings– Rely largely on self-reports from Member Survey 121

QRCA Knowledge of Members: Opportunities

Get better data on our Members (what they look like, and how they change over time)– Capture more track-able profile info in all applications and

surveys• Location, business size/ environment, tenure, etc.

– Assess representativeness of survey data for each wave– Revamp Member survey to be more relevant and

actionable• More frequent (annual or bi-annual)• Comprehensive, aligned feature and benefit lists• More discriminating satisfaction scale (more points at positive

end)• More true open-ends, not predetermined lists

– Ask for and analyze more robust profile info on QRCA social networking sites and Forum 122

QRCA Knowledge of Members: Opportunities

Improve other data (beyond Member Survey)– Vendor reporting on service utilization– Feedback loops built into all vehicles and offerings

• Surveys in Connections and NewsBites on readership and value (caveat – among a limited segment of users)

– Exit surveys/interviews with Members who do not renew • MemComm and Chapter Chairs to lead, develop topic

guide

123