As they look to the future, many membership groups are looking for ways to either increase revenue of cut costs. To achieve this, they are introducing new membership models. Here are some of the successful models that associations are putting in place to replace the traditional one size fits all structure.

1. Emerging Association
Membership Models
Presented by
Tony Rossell

2. New Membership Models

3. Selecting a Growth Strategy
Status Quo Market
Expansion
Product
Expansion
Diversification
Markets
Products
Current New
New
Current

4. Product Line Extension
“Adding depth to an existing product line by
introducing new products in the same
product category; product line extensions
give customers greater choice and help to
protect the firm from a flanking attack by a
competitor.“
The Marketing Dictionary

5. Definitions
• Professional Society — represents individuals
with a common background in a subject or a
profession such as law, medicine, and
accounting.
• Trade Association —represents a group of
companies having a business or trade in
common. Companies work together to accomplish
goals that no single firm could reach by itself.
• Combination or Hybrid membership — serves
a combination of individuals and organizations
engaged in a cause, industry, or profession

6. Tiered Membership
Moving from a “Who You
Are” to a “What You Get”
Membership

8. Combination Organizational
and Individual Membership

9. Membership
Growth through
Product
Diversification
• Enterprise
• Organizational
• Group
• Tiered
• Multi-Year
Organizational Membership

10. Choice of Individual or
Organizational

11. MEMBERSHIP TYPE BY STUDY YEAR
2014
(n = 886)
2013
(n = 693)
2012
(n = 643)
2011
(n = 643)
2010
(n = 404)
Individual Member 44% 48% 54% 49% 54%
Trade 28% 30% 28% 36% 28%
Combination 26% 20% 15% 13% 17%
Other 2% 2% 3% 2% 1%
Shift to Combination Memberships

12. Online E-Membership OR
Freemium Membership
12

14. Over the past decade “freemium”—a
combination of “free” and “premium”—
has become the dominant business
model among internet start-ups and
smartphone app developers. Users get
basic features at no cost and can
access richer functionality for a
subscription fee. If you’ve networked
on LinkedIn . . . . you’ve experienced
the model firsthand.
Harvard Business Review, May 2014
Freemium Membership

15. Group Membership

16. Group Membership
Purchasing
membership
for a specific
number of
individuals
at once.

17. Questions and Answers