IEEE s Membership Strategy Ralph Ford, Vice President, Member & Geographic Activities 22 January 2014 IEEE Region 2 Meeting Galloway, NJ
Objectives and overview Impact of membership Member Engagement The MGA Strategy Playbook Discussion 2 3/2/2014
Impact of IEEE Members Financial: $115-130M/yr (30-35% of Revenues) - $67M in direct Membership dues and Periodical Revenue - $2.2M in direct sales of Member Digital Library - About 40-50% of the attendees of the $153M Conference business* Other value from members Primary source for volunteers ~50% of IEEE Authors Stewards and evangelists of the IEEE Brand around the world Source of leads for IEEE Xplore sales 3 3/2/2014 * Range discounted by 20% for conference discounts
Membership Principles Approved by the IEEE Board of Directors 17 June 2007 1. Membership is a core value of IEEE. 2. IEEE will provide products and services that members will find of value throughout their careers. 3. Some IEEE products/services will be accessible only to members and some will be provided preferentially to members. 4. Segmentations may be used to ensure that IEEE products and services will meet the needs of all its members, and member input will be solicited regularly. 5. Member benefits shall be clearly communicated and articulated to all members. 6. Growth in IEEE membership should be financially scalable, and should maintain the financial viability of IEEE. 7. IEEE will achieve balance among service to members, service to the profession, and service to the public good.
Ten Geographic Regions 5 3/2/2014
MGA Geo Unit Structure supports member interests at the local level Technical Activities Board IEEE Societies Member and Geographic Activities Board Regions Areas Sections Parents - WIE, Consultants, GOLD, LMC Chapters Affinity Groups Sub-Sections Student Branches Councils SB Chapters SB Affinity Groups
Membership Growth: Select Professional Associations, 1999-2012 7 3/2/2014
2013 IEEE Membership Total members: 431,191 (+2,106, 0.5% YOY) Higher grade: 310,802 (-2,059), -0.7% YOY) Graduate students: 45854 (+1,942, 4.4% YOY) Undergraduate students: 74,535 (+2223, 3.1%) Society memberships with affiliates: 35,496 (+5,365, 1.5% YOY) 8 3/2/2014
Region Membership (As of 31 January 2014) IEEE Membership - January 2014 REGION Higher-Grade w/o GSM Graduate Students Undergraduate Students TOTAL MEMBERS 2014 2013 Change 2014 2013 Change 2014 2013 Change 2014 2013 Change 1 2 3 4 5 6 R 1-6 7 8 9 10 R 7-10 TOTAL # % # % # % # % 29,910 30,588 (678) -2.2% 2,324 2,447 (123) -5.0% 2,534 2,418 116 4.8% 34,768 35,453 (685) -1.9% 25,939 26,959 (1,020) -3.8% 2,205 2,341 (136) -5.8% 2,161 2,326 (165) -7.1% 30,305 31,626 (1321) -4.2% 24,422 24,845 (423) -1.7% 2,733 2,951 (218) -7.4% 3,962 3,514 448 12.7% 31,117 31,310 (193) -0.6% 18,274 18,745 (471) -2.5% 2,192 2,242 (50) -2.2% 2,445 2,480 (35) -1.4% 22,911 23,467 (556) -2.4% 23,939 24,387 (448) -1.8% 2,121 2,206 (85) -3.9% 3,161 3,211 (50) -1.6% 29,221 29,804 (583) -2.0% 48,627 49,354 (727) -1.5% 3,636 3,826 (190) -5.0% 5,147 4,736 411 8.7% 57,410 57,916 (506) -0.9% 171,111 174,878 (3,767) -2.2% 15,211 16,013 (802) -5.0% 19,410 18,685 725 3.9% 205,732 209,576 (3844) -1.8% 13,735 13,647 88 0.6% 2,361 2,455 (94) -3.8% 2,185 2,041 144 7.1% 18,281 18,143 138 0.8% 55,851 56,040 (189) -0.3% 12,673 12,466 207 1.7% 11,515 10,845 670 6.2% 80,039 79,351 688 0.9% 10,670 10,433 237 2.3% 1,568 1,736 (168) -9.7% 7,078 7,595 (517) -6.8% 19,316 19,764 (448) -2.3% 60,797 59,623 1,174 2.0% 16,581 14,654 1,927 13.1% 37,959 37,135 824 2.2% 115,337 111,412 3925 3.5% 141,053 139,743 1,310 0.9% 33,183 31,311 1,872 6.0% 58,737 57,616 1,121 1.9% 232,973 228,670 4303 1.9% 312,164 314,621 (2,457) -0.8% 48,394 47,324 1,070 2.3% 78,147 76,301 1,846 2.4% 438,705 438,246 459 0.1% % R7-10 43% 43% 50% 47% 65% 64% 50% 49%
Region 2 Membership Region 2 is the sixth largest IEEE region. At the end of January 2014 the Region had 30,305 total members: Region 2 represents 6.9% of IEEE s total membership. The Region has 25,939 Higher Grade Members, 2,205 Graduate Student Members and 2,161 Student Members. Membership in the Region is down by 4.2% from January 2013, representing a loss of 1,321 members. Higher grade membership is down by 3.8% from January 2013, representing a loss of 1,020 members. Graduate Student Membership is down by 5.8% from January 2013, representing a loss of 136. Student membership is down by 7.1% from January 2013, representing a loss of 165 members.
Benchmarking other Professional Organizations: Common Challenges Difficulty meeting the needs of different segments of members Attracting and maintaining younger members Perceptions of the association and/or its culture (E.G. old boy s network ) Weak product and service offerings Changing demographics of industry Difficulty converting students to full members Integration between National and Chapters 11 3/2/2014 Source: Marketing General (www.marketinggeneral.com) 2012 Membership Benchmarking Survey
What is driving growth for other professional organizations? - Increases in graduates in their professions - Growing Student & Young Professional programs - Geographic strategy: modest growth outside base country - Successful marketing efforts (E.G. ASME s robust Member Referral Drive is generating 8,000 referrals; and 2,500+ new members per year) 12 3/2/2014
Benchmarking: What is unique at IEEE? Worldwide size of membership Scope of our global component network: Sections, Chapters, Student Branches, etc. Strength of our non-membership businesses Breadth of our technical Fields of Interest Size and engagement of volunteer base Typically we have more resources available than other associations E.G. Funding, Staffing, Volunteers, Skills, Research capabilities 13 3/2/2014
Member Engagement
Have pride in our current position Our current member experience is Good Overall Satisfaction Very Satisfying Products & Services Very satisfied, 24% Somewhat satisfied, 43% Very satisfied, 23% Somewhat satisfied, 44% 1. IEEE Spectrum 2. Online Publications 3. Printed Publications 4. Conferences 5. IEEE E-mail Alias 90,000+ New Members a Year Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 17% Somewhat dissatisfied, 11% Very dissatisfied, 5% Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, 16% Somewhat dissatisfied, 11% Very dissatisfied, 7% 65%! of Members join because someone else recommended IEEE to them Higher Grade without Graduate Students Students Including Graduate Students Higher Grade Retention is 82%+
But our opportunity is massive Satisfaction could be Very Satisfied (60%+) Important products where we need to improve satisfaction Professional Networking Discounts Online Career Tools Continuing Education Promoting the Profession We lose 85,000 members per year Somewhat Satisfied (30%+) We lose 85% of new members in their first 5 years More than 40% of members find IEEE difficult to navigate and use Student retention is only 28%
Market Penetration Country - G20 Tier 1 Engineering Occupations (# in 000s) IEEE HG Members 2012 Tier 1 Market Penetration United States 3,611 174,071 4.8% India 712 13,908 2.0% Canada 211 13,714 6.5% Japan 1,200 12,473 1.0% China 2,179 8,183 0.4% United Kingdom 352 7,472 2.1% Australia 98 6,492 6.6% Germany 261 6,007 2.3% Italy 496 3,909 0.8% France 219 3,430 1.6% South Korea 79 3,348 4.2% Brazil 77 2,661 3.5% Mexico 58 2,406 4.1% Turkey 183 1,230 0.7% Russia 295 999 0.3% South Africa 50 913 1.8% Saudi Arabia 48 894 1.8% Argentina 17 744 4.3% Indonesia 50 571 1.1% * These figures are approximations of the number of scientists and engineers in each country. Source : Plexus Consulting report 2009, and updated with 2011 OECD data. Tier 1 engineering occupations include: Aeronautical, Biomedical, Electrical, Electronic, Computer, Computer Science, Computer Software/Hardware, Information Technology, Mathematics, Physics, Telecommunication, Automotive and Biological Engineering.
Satisfaction vs. Importance 0.65 0.60 Providing email alias with virus protection Printed copies of transactions, journals, and magazines Conferences Online access to transactions, journals, and magazines Satisfaction (Mean = 43%) 0.55 0.50 0.45 0.40 0.35 Printed books Printed copies of conference proceedings Printed copies of standards Internet video programming of conference highlights, author interviews, and so on Awards and scholarships Having access to and obtaining responsive answers from the IEEE Contact Center Opportunities for leadership roles Insurance and other financial products and services Ability to participate in standards development Online meetings/webinars Forums, newsgroups, and other online collaboration tools Online career resources Online access to conference proceedings Local meetings with other professionals Discounts on professional products and services (for example, conferences, books, and related items) Interaction with other members Opportunities for professional networking Continuing education opportunities Online access to standards Promoting the appreciation of technology and our profession to the general public Representation on public policy issues related to the profession 0.30 Social networking (such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+) Contributing to the people of the world IEEE online communities through humanitarian efforts Printed career resources 0.25 0.25 0.35 0.45 0.55 0.65 0.75 Importance (Mean = 49%) 18 3/2/2014
Satisfaction drives a healthy business Improved Satisfaction Increased Retention Increased Referrals Economies of Scale Every 1% Increase in Higher Grade Retention = ~$200,000 in Dues Larger number of members to purchase societies, optional publications, and other services Currently 65% of recruitment is driven by referrals Great satisfaction will drive a higher percentage of referrals from a larger number of members Allows fixed costs of membership to be spread across a larger number of members
Satisfaction alone is not enough! It matters how, and how often, experiences occur Image from Bain & Company: http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/what-it-takes-to-win-with-customer-experience.aspx
Sum of the touch points is important New Join Discovery Communications Product Use Relevant welcome calls from IEEE my Section/Chapter -or- Elegant well designed interfaces across IEEE that save me time -or- Communications relevant to my needs, in the method & timing I want -or- Consistently relevant high quality products that I need -or- Satisfaction No order errors, and an e-mail welcome -or- I eventually get to what I need, but it is clunky or cluttered -or- I get some e- mails, but not too many, and sometimes they are relevant -or- Some products are good, others are not valuable -or- Memberships incorrect and difficulty finding help I can t even get help with what I m looking to find I feel like I m getting Spammed and I can t do anything about it Products are out of date or irrelevant, and waste of my time
Shouldn t the experience be...? New Join Discovery Communications Product Use Satisfaction Relevant welcome calls from IEEE & my Section Elegant well designed interfaces across IEEE that save me time Communications relevant to my needs, in the method & timing I want from my section, chapter, etc. Consistently relevant high quality products that I need
MGA Strategy Playbook
A Playbook for Strategy A simple framework that requires answering these five fundamental questions: 1. What is our winning aspiration? 2. Where will we play? 3. How will we win? 4. What capabilities must be in place? 5. What management systems are required? The framework need not be overly complex Strategy is about making difficult choices
1. What is our winning aspiration? To be the best in class association for technical professionals in the world by... 1. Delivering an exceptional membership experience (50% or more of members rating as IEEE membership top box or "very satisfied") 2. Expanding IEEE's global membership presence. 3. Developing and supporting a positive professional development experience for volunteers who deliver the IEEE experience. 25 3/2/2014
Where does IEEE Play? Geography Anywhere on earth relevant to the IEEE fields of interest Life Cycle Markets Pre-University Undergrads Graduate Students Young Professionals Academics Researchers Practitioners Tech Path Mgmt Path Women in Engineering Retirees Lines of Operation Membership Careers Networking Discounts Conferences Technology IEEE Societies Future Directions (New and Emerging Technologies) Continuing Education Periodicals Standards Disciplines of Established IEEE Societies
Where MGA Play? Geography Anywhere on earth relevant to the IEEE fields of interest Additional Focus placed on China USA India Japan Life Cycle Markets Pre-University Undergrads Graduate Students Young Professionals Academics Researchers Practitioners Tech Path Management Path Women in Engineering Retirees Lines of Operation Membership Careers Networking Discounts Conferences Technology IEEE Societies Future Directions (New and Emerging Technologies) Continuing Education Periodicals Standards 27 3/2/2014
How will we win? By delivering high quality IEEE branded products and service to meet gaps in member satisfaction By having volunteer and geo units participating with the winning aspiration and associated objectives Through locally authentic strategies and experiences By exploring and implementing innovative and experimental models for member engagement 28 3/2/2014
2014 MGA Priority Projects 29 Professional Productivity & Collaboration Tools Google Apps @IEEE Sections Congress 2014 Careers develop a comprehensive plan to improve career offerings in the IEEE Young Professionals - transition from GOLD 2014 IEEE WIE - International Leadership Conference (ILC) GeoUnit Vitality Dashboard VOLT Volunteer Leadership Training Implementing Regional Geographic Strategies MAWs, Region 1-6 Focus, global growth (China, 3/2/2014 India, Japan)
Introducing What: Transition from GOLD to IEEE Young Professionals Why: Improve member awareness and recognition Other changes coming for 2015: (August 2014) Young Professionals will become a Membership Members within 15 years of first degree will be included by default
Students & Young Professional New Web Pages Launched - More engaging - Social Media Integration - Improved focus & relevance for audience - Much easier navigation
2014 IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference Objective To elevate, educate and inspire technology professionals, by providing leadership development opportunities necessary for elevation in their careers Theme Lead Beyond. Developing Inspirational Women Who Change the World Location: Westin San Francisco, CA, USA Market Street Date: May 1-3, 2014 (pre-reception May 1 st ) Prominent industry leaders confirmed as Keynotes and Speakers For more information visit http://ieee-wie-ilc.org/ - website under development -
IEEE ResumeLab ieee.org/resumelab Launched 31 January New member benefit Create resumes and cover letters using customized templates Built-in training & tool tips Build video resumes and work portfolios Take mock interviews with 900+ practice interview questions All publishable to sharable website 33 3/2/2014 Contact: Rory McCorkle : r.mccorkle@ieee.org
Expanding Global Outreach International partnerships inspire innovation for those who develop and deliver technology solutions. New Markets Local Programs Product Innovation Global doesn t means doing mean doing what is the needed same thing everywhere. locally, everywhere. 34 3/2/2014
How will we win? (More detailed example) Securing IEEE s future - We need to satisfy these key segments Segment 2 - Young members - Connected to IEEE s vision - Want to be more involved - Career services, networking, continuing education are very important - Use Social Media HOW? Identify them, find them via YP/GOLD queries in SAMIEEE Ask them to get involved? Hint: They like to volunteer as a group Connect with them via social media Segment 4 - Younger members - Want to be more involved - Do not know how - Don t feel invited - Feel products difficult to use - Lowest satisfaction Give them a chance to look good and add something to their resume Spend conference time on professional networking and career development & advertise it that way!
4. What capabilities must be in place? The virtuous cycle of recruitment & retention that is our engine for growth: Recruitment, Satisfaction, Retention, Referral Sales and marketing of membership, using the most modern techniques Ability to connect with industry, get feedback, and to track the relationships Ability to integrate between 'headquarters' and local units Deep consumer understanding Focused/relevant data collection and analysis at proper frequency with the proper questions 36 3/2/2014
4. What capabilities must be in place? - continued - Effective and rewarding volunteer development & experiences Ability to communicate right message to right audience at the right time in the right way Ensure consistent basic level of member experience A lowest common denominator' if Section/Chapter is not delivering Shared services model for: Good programming/best practices Region 10/7 Model with more guidance vs. administration The capability to innovate 37 3/2/2014
What is our winning aspiration? Where will we play? To be the best in class association for technical professionals in the world Geography China India USA Japan Life Cycle Undergrads Grad Students Young Professionals Practitioners Women in Engineering Lines of Operation Membership Careers Networking Discounts Conferences Technology Future Directions How will we win? High Quality Products, Services, and Opportunities for Members Well Trained and Engaged Volunteer Leaders Locally Authentic Experiences for Members Nimble Experimentation What capabilities must be in place? What management systems are required?
Discussion 39 3/2/2014