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Membership Strategy
The environment shaping engagement decisions is rapidly changing and associations are struggling to adapt to the anticipated needs of the millennial generation. Without understanding the market and developing customized strategic value propositions – and corresponding engagement model benefit and price tiers – sustained success in this area will be difficult.
Association Laboratory is a nationally recognized leader in the identification and creation of strategic engagement and membership models.
The unprecedented knowledge of the company is evidenced by years of industry research into the environment shaping engagement and membership decisions, and state-of-the-art, proprietary methods of developing market-oriented engagement and membership models.
In-depth knowledge supported by state-of-the-art research means your association develops market-driven, sustainable membership strategy designed to successfully serve the needs of your market.
Proprietary Services

Strategic Value Proposition Analysis (SVP)
This member-driven process identifies the programs, services, and initiatives central to the decision to join and retain membership in the association.
The SVP Analysis provides a comprehensive picture of the motivations for engagement and membership and how these motivations are reflected in the choice of association programs and services. The SVP analysis also highlights programs for potential improvement, reduction, or elimination.
Market Reach Analysis
The Market Reach Analysis identifies which association programs increase your association’s reach into a target audience.
Association Laboratory uses a sophisticated TURF analysis to identify how the addition of association programs improves the association’s ability to successfully expand into a critical market and, in addition, identifies the point at which additional association programs no longer contribute to building market penetration.
Member-Build-a-Membership
The Member-Build-a- Membership process provides you with a membership model created by your members to specifically meet their needs and perceived value.
This market driven approach represents a process through which your members design their own membership. You understand the benefits they seek and the combination of programs, services and initiatives that are critical to their decision to join. By collecting data on your members’ choices, the final membership model represents what your market believes will most meet their needs at a price point that matches their perceived value.
Membership Needs Assessment
The Membership Needs Assessment is an entrepreneurial process designed to identify challenges faced by members that could be addressed by the association through new or modified programs, services, or other initiatives.
Association Laboratory conducts a comprehensive analysis including environmental scanning, market identification/segmentation, competitive assessment, and the role of the association in members’ lives. We then lead a discussion of key association stakeholder groups through a methodical process to prioritize needs and determine the ability of the association to address these needs through business strategy.
Member Model Optimizer
The Member Model Optimizer identifies the combination of benefits and price points that results in the best membership model and price tiers to maximize acquisition and retention.
Association Laboratory identifies the combination of membership benefits and the corresponding price point with the highest acceptance in the market. We create an interactive simulator providing predictive “what if” analysis identifying how changes in membership benefits or price will impact acquisition and retention.
For more information and examples of Association Laboratory’s work in Membership Strategy, please visit our Knowledge Center.