How medical associations should write their value proposition.

According to Deepak Chopra in his bestselling book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, “How can I help?” is the only question that truly matters. “It coaxes and expands your awareness out toward the service and care of others.”

Many medical associations struggle with articulating an effective value proposition that helps their members expand awareness and services. Establishing this in clear and compelling manner is an essential step if you want to communicate how your organization can provide the keys to your members’ success.

There are some important steps you must take before embarking upon creating your medical association’s value proposition. It all begins and ends with research.

So where do you start? Here’s a brief 3-step plan.

1. Refine your target audience

First and foremost, you need to determine who your “key” target audience is. You can’t be “all things” to “all people.” Many have tried, and failed. But by clearly defining and refining your true core audience, you can be all the right things to the right people.

It’d be easy for a medical association to assume that their target audience is “anyone in a certain specialty and/or those who use those particular services.” But having such a wide audience would make it nearly impossible to tailor its strategy to specific types of individuals for specific purposes. The key to success here is knowing who to target, and why. The increased focus and definition will result in a much more effective strategy.

2. Be the go-to organization for the value you provide in the industry you serve

When thinking about the opportunity you provide to that core audience, start by asking, “How can we help?”

The number one reason that people don’t join, or renew their memberships in professional organizations, is because of cost and perceived lack of value from their membership.

• What is it that your medical association provides to your members that they can’t get anywhere else?
• What is the problem you solve for them, and why are you distinctly better than the alternatives?

It is imperative that association’s position themselves as the number one resource for education, support, advocacy, information, or whatever it is that your members want and need from your organization.

3. Translate the value proposition to key benefits of membership

Members pay dues and join an organization because of the perceived value and benefits that come with the membership.

• What benefit do you provide to them and how do you do it uniquely well?
• What can you do better, or what services or resources can you provide to meet the needs that aren’t already being met?

You must be the first place your members think of when they are looking for help…their “go-to” source for what they need to be successful.

If you do your homework up front, coming up with 2 or 3 potential value propositions for consideration will be much easier. Using the information you uncover during your research, you can use the following template as a starting point to begin crafting your statement.

For   ___________________________          (target audience)

who ___________________________         (statement of the need or opportunity)

_______________________________         (Association name)

is the   ______” Go to” _____________

that ____________________________        (benefit/solution)

Once you have an option or two, it’s a good idea to go back to the beginning, and test them with your target audience.

Developing your value proposition can be a tricky endeavor, but if you start with “How can we help?” it can be an easier endeavor. Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy is here if you need help.

After all, what good are the best programs you have to offer, if no one knows they exist? But that’s a subject for another blog. Stay tuned!

Medical Association Branding: How do you gauge success?

Medical associations support their members through educational opportunities, networking forums, mentoring programs, public awareness activities, leadership activities and advocacy efforts, among others. But how do they determine how successful they are?

• Membership growth?
• Member retention?
• Member engagement?
• Member satisfaction?
• Seminar attendance?
• Revenue?
• Visitors to websites?
• Facebook likes?
• Patient interactions?
• Advocacy wins?

The answer is – all of the above and more. So how do you measure your success? For associations, it begins and ends with the members.

Membership growth is a hot topic. Most, if not all, associations strive for membership growth.  More members = more revenue = successful association, right?

So how do you market to and attract new members? Start with your existing membership, and how well they know your brand, what you stand for, and your perceived value to them as medical professionals.

Understanding your most dedicated membership can help you learn more about how to deepen their relationship with your association. Determining your brand values and promise is the first step into finding new ways to communicate with your members and potential members.

Springboard has worked with multiple medical association clients to define their brands, and help develop value propositions and programs to meet member needs. Member marketing toolkits, eNewsletters, landing pages and microsites, testimonial videos, marketing videos, among others, are all within your reach. Again, starting with member needs is that first step.

Many member businesses do not have the resources to develop marketing materials on their own, so providing templated marketing materials to your members can help improve their volumes, and will demonstrate a real value in their membership, resulting in greater member satisfaction, retention and recruitment.

This is just one example of how Springboard can help brand your association –

1. Learn what your members, and potential members value and need.
2. Develop a program to communicate that value and address member needs.
3. Implement that program.
4. Measure the results.

Contact us at Springboard to learn more about how we can help your association succeed!

Written by:  Cori Albrecht, Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy

7 Success Factors for Branding your Medical Association

Medical associations used have gone from “behind the scenes” to “front and center” in terms of implementing branding and marketing strategies.  This has evolved from the shifting goals of associations as they move from merely providing member education and networking opportunities to creating a unique niche in the marketplace and seeking to drive consumer behavior in the direction of members.

Seems members want more from their dues and have high expectations in terms of the value their membership should bring to their association and respective practice of medicine.   Dermatologic surgeons, radiologists, plastic surgeons, orthopedists, to name only a few, have all realized significant value-add from their membership as their organization’s have invested in developing unique stories and strategies to help build their patient volume and overall reputation.  Even hospital-based central service professionals have used branding and marketing to encourage member certification and tie their story to a quality patient experience.  

Chances are, your medical association is considering some form of branding rejuvenation.  If that’s the case, here are seven success factors for your consideration:

1.    Gain input from your members – Most likely, there’s a group of members who have been influencing you to launch a brand campaign.  These are the perfect group to include in some sort of “marketing and/or public relations” committee.  Learn what’s important to them and, more importantly, what differentiates the strategy from other organizations.

2.    Balance with customer research – Regardless of whether your customers are consumers, professionals, or another audience, it is imperative that you discover what’s important to them, and balance this with the internal impression of your organization as gleened from the aforementioned work group.

3.    Create a strong brand message/story unique to your members – Based on your objectives and findings from both internal and external research, now is the time to develop your brand story and strategy.  While there are several criteria and approaches to developing a strategy, make sure it’s unique to your organization and is supported by many “reasons to believe.”

4.    Include your members as organic messengers - Your primary channel for telling your story is your membership.  Each and every member of your association should understand the thinking behind the strategy and have access to materials to help share it with their customers.  Toolkits comprised of campaign materials are an excellent way to disseminate the information and achieve consistency in the marketplace.  Of course, in today’s digital world, these materials should be available online via a campaign landing page or microsite.

5.    Never stop educating members about the campaign – You might get tired of telling members about the campaign and how they can contribute and benefit.  You might think you’ve saturated them with reminders.  Chances are, when you’ve reached this point – they are only beginning to “hear” you.  You can’t do enough to keep your members apprised and engaged in the program and gaining their support to carry it through in their marketplace or practice.  Your website and publications are excellent vehicles to keep the message front and center with your members.

6.    Quarterly reviews/meetings/analytics – Use the workgroup, not only for their input up-front, but throughout the course of the campaign to review its progress and make any necessary adjustments.  You should be evaluating the success of the campaign on a quarterly basis and factoring in analytics from your digital efforts in the overall initiative.

7.    Brand reinforcement throughout all marketing activities – Once your brand strategy is determined, and your story is being told to the marketplace, think “consistency.”  Let the brand strategy guide your other marketing communications efforts such as social media, publications, and your annual meetings.  The beauty of a brand strategy is your organization now has a platform from which it can drive and orchestrate all other marketing messages and channels.  Take advantage of your hard work!

For more information on branding and marketing your medical association, please contact Rob Rosenberg, President - Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy at rob@springboardbrand.com or visit us at  Springboard Brand   847.398.4920