There has been a lot of talk at recent leadership gatherings about the fate of ‘membership’ in traditional terms. There was a significant discussion on Acronym about membership and what it will look like in two to three years. The main point of contention is whether or not social media is a game-changer and would-be-members no longer need an association because they can self-form using platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn as well as communicate using traditional web-based forums and other tools such as Twitter. I’d like to play the skeptic for a moment.
When Amazon.com launched we heard about the end of bookstores. When Travelocity and Expedia launched we heard about the end of travel agencies. While some bookstores have closed, others are as busy as ever and thriving. When I visit the Barnes and Noble in Bethesda, MD or Politics & Prose in Washington, DC, it appears they are doing very well. Although I have seen some travel agencies close their doors, a quick search listed the following in the Washington, DC area alone.
Remember the term, “disintermediation?” Supposedly, the Internet would allow services and products to be sold directly to the consumer and the intermediate (company, wholesaler, etc…) would no longer be needed. An online food distribution company, WebVan, tried to disintermediate grocery stores out of existence. As you know, that didn’t work out so well. What did work out well was combining the traditional grocery store with the online component – across many industries.
My thought is that this has worked in some cases but not others for the same reason all successful businesses stay in business, they have a competitive advantage and deliver high quality products and services. At Politics & Prose the staff members know what they are talking about and they know what is going on in the book community. Once they know you, they can make sound recommendations – something Amazon does too – but it’s based on an algorithm and you can feel that. Not to mention what happens when you let your kids use your Amazon account to order books – your recommendations start getting pretty muddy.
Also, the surviving travel agents have had something to offer the online travel sites cannot. They specialize in a particular region or type of trip such that they can give you particular advice that you can’t find online. If they specialize in Italy, they know the cities, towns, and villages you must see. They know which restaurants are for tourists booking on Expedia and which are for the locals. They can provide insight and guidance (read: value) that you can’t find on an online.
Every time I get into a conversation about whether or not membership is dead, I say “No, it’s not. Membership without value is dead. Membership that delivers value is alive and well.” Just like some travel agents and some small/large bookstores.
Maybe this seems clearer to me because of where I stand in the overall picture. For example, DelCor’s role in this conversation isn’t to redefine membership, DelCor’s role is to help organizations ensure their business processes, strategy, and objectives are met through the effective and innovative use of available technology platforms.
This could be the evolution of associations – a chance for organizations to strengthen their offerings and to weed out those no longer considered to be more valuable than the price of membership.