Developing a tailored membership offer
Our research in 2014 and 2015 with the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) enabled the marketing team to understand its customer base more clearly. It provided an opportunity to test ideas for new products and services as well as understand which products were suited best to which audience segments. Our interviews with doctors uncovered the very different needs of those at different stages of their career. We advised RSM that their customers should not be treated universally and that they form different audience segments within the market, based on their training grade and qualification type.
We were able to recommend the key messages, products and services for each audience segment that would help to recruit new members and retain existing ones, so they build a positive relationship with the RSM throughout their entire medical career. For example, trainee doctors wanted greater support for exams, gain CPD points for supplementary skills and career guidance while consultants were more interested in enhancing their CPD portfolio, networking opportunities and wider skills such as staff management.
The research recommended that the membership packages were tailored to appeal to doctors at different stages with options for them to ‘bolt-on’ other elements such as use of specific resources depending on their needs and circumstances. The research evidence provided validated support for the marketing team when they met with more senior decision makers to discuss future products and services offered by RSM..
