2008 Annual Meeting & Exposition:

Using Market Research as a Catalyst for Major Change

Scott Steen, Executive Director, The American Ceramic SocietyJodie Slaughter, President & Founding Partner, McKinley MarketingAugust 19, 2008

Connecting Great Ideas and Great People

Imagine…

What you’ll learn1. How market research can help you address

the core issues facing your organization.2. How to stop reacting to the loudest members

and start framing change around braodmember needs and perceptions.

3. Different options and techniques for gathering member & market feedback.

4. How to move from research findings to transformational change.

GettingStarted

case study: the american ceramic

society

What the board saw• Finances in the black.• Growing reserves.• New partnerships and collaborations.• Operational issues being addressed.• Active and engaged board leadership.

Board: “We’re on the right track.”

• Significant membership declines• Underserved and underrepresented

market segments• Selling off, downsizing, outsourcing• Aging products & limited ROI• Weak strategy

scott

What I saw

THE FUTURE

us

Scott: “Time for a course correction.”

But how to convince the

board?

Deep research is a perfect catalyst for

major course changes.

By their nature, boards are NEVER representative of the rank and file

membership.

KNOW WHAT YOU

NEED TO KNOW

ACerS desperately needed:• A deeper understand of who our

members and potential members are today.

• A clearer understanding of broader market trends.

• Clear indications of what our members want and expect from us moving forward.

Question Conventional

Wisdom

For ACerS:• The three legged stool.• Our membership is aging (and there is

nothing we can do about it). • Our members don’t want us to compete

with our international sister organizations.• Members will freak if we change our

divisional structure.

A big part of leadership is the continual questioning of conventional wisdom.

YOUR TURN:Identify one piece of conventional wisdom in your organization that needs to be tested.

Research & Analysis

1250

A powerful tool in the wrong hands…

Step One: Decide where you’re going

Going Beyond Report Card

Research

Associations need to move from measuring satisfaction to achieving understanding.

Who has your ear?

YOUR TURN: Who does your association listen to when making big decisions? How do you arrive at new directions?

Diagnosis:Survey Fatigue

When is it time to call in a professional?

Qualitative Research+Quantitative Research

=Sound Research

Research Tactics

telephoneresearch

Research Tactics

focusgroups

Research Tactics

one-on-onein-person interviews

Research Tactics

electronic surveys

Research Tactics

other tactics

CHEAP & EASY:•Customer service questions of the week• Homepage survey questions• “Man on the street” interviews/survey• Town Hall meetings (with caveats)• Exhibitor canvassing • “Touch Two”• Institutionalized Feedback Loop

Value Rankings From Decision to Join

Providing standards or guidelines that support quality 3.85

Gathering, analyzing and publishing data on trends in the field 3.77

Maintaining a code of ethics for practice 3.74

Promoting greater appreciation of value to other practitioners 3.70

Conducting research on significant issues affecting the field 3.70

Promoting greater public awareness of contributions in the field 3.67

Influencing legislation and regulations that affect the field 3.64

Supporting student education and entry into the field 3.58

Attracting competent people into the field 3.53

Certifying those who meet critical competency standards 3.52

The association's role in defining critical competencies 3.44

Providing awards or recognition for excellence in the field 3.07

Research Tactics

• Departure from scale-based methods• Effective when contemplating BIG

decisions• Must be informed by qualitative phase• Seeks a measure of “practical significance”• Allows for segment-specific solutions

Forced Choice Method

Use force choice questions to obtain clear feedback around major shifts in direction.

Envision & Enact

115

“We shouldn’t give more weight to the opinions of five of our

friends than to five thousand of our members.”

From Data to Destiny

• Corporate sector members are significantly underrepresented and underserved

• Young professionals need to be actively recruited, cultivated and nurtured

• International expansion represents a major opportunity for us

1. Obtain agreement on what was learned. “Given the data, what do we agree is our current reality?”

From Data to Destiny

• Which groups are likely to be affected by potential changes?

• Which groups or individuals might contribute most positively to change?

• Which might hinder adoption of change?• Which individuals might best aid the

creative process?

2. Engage the whole system…or at least representatives

From Data to Destiny3. Go Big

The research results will likely give you license to make significant changes. Don’t squander the opportunity with small, incremental tweaks.

From Data to Destiny

• Identify and take action on changes that do not need the approval of others to enact.

• Don’t worry about all having everything perfect or figured out. Pilot test, experiment, move!

4. Act quickly.“What can we do right now to begin realizing the change we envision?

QUESTIONS?

LESSONS LEARNED• Leaders question conventional wisdom.

• Boards are NEVER representative of the rank & file.

• Associations need to move from measuring satisfaction to achieving understanding.

• Cheap and easy can be very effective. Sometimes you need to bring in a pro.

• Use force choice questions to obtain clear feedback around major shifts in direction.

• To move from data to destiny, obtain agreement on what was learned, engage the whole system, go big, and act quickly.

THANKS FOR COMING!