Are associations "glossing" over member truths?

What associations can learn from beauty brands.

I was listening to an HBR strategy podcast the other day that featured a case study on Glossier, the beauty giant. But it wasn’t the scaled growth that caught my attention, it was the reason why the brand started in the first place. The podcast outlined the story of its founder, Emily Weiss, who was a fashion assistant and the author of a popular blog, “In the Gloss” in the 2010s. Her audience, largely millennials, did not feel that products were made for them. They wanted to enhance natural beauty, not to cover up or alter appearance. Further, her followers shared that the beauty buying experience felt authoritative and lacked true connection among their peers. 

Sound familiar? 

Have you heard your members say that your organization is too formal, and the younger generations are not represented? Yes, and yes.  

Weiss did what any young and brilliant entrepreneur with an impressive following would do, she sought investors, and at 28, in 2014, she launched Glossier to meet the needs of her generation. The Glossier website further underscores this approach:  “we realized beauty shouldn’t be built in a boardroom, it should be built by you”

Also sounds familiar. Today’s consumers, particularly younger generations, want to be part of the solution. They crave community and the ability to share experiences. The association field is ripe with opportunity to do this for its respective fields. But are we?

Maybe, maybe not. You don’t want your association going the way of Revlon or Avon brands (both of which have filed for bankruptcy) and we know how important it is to stay relevant, especially during these times of ping-ponging policy change. Yes, it’s true that Weiss has since stepped down and Glossier faces criticism, and there are stark differences between associations and a beauty brand - but even so, we can learn from this. 

How does your organization listen, really listen to your members? Share in the comments what works to get “under the surface” and find out what is going on in your member’s minds. 

Here are my quick takes that can be used on a day-to-day basis:

1. Ask every chance you get. Questions like:  “What is a typical day like?” or “what was a high point or low point for your week?” can be enough to open the flood gates.  This can be a pulse survey or a conversation.

2. Go beyond your board, councils and committees. Use research to understand the general member. Present the findings to the volunteer leaders and help guide them to informed decisions. Or ask leaders to ask the questions in closed professional groups. Encourage them to be part of the process - just not the only part. 

3. Probe. It’s a bit of an art to know when to go deeper and when to let it go. Saying, “Tell me more about that.” or “when you said, X, what were you referring to?” can lead to deeper truths. Doing so in the boardroom, during open discussion, cna be particularly powerful, but this is where delicacy is needed. 

4. Meet with your front-line employees often. Ask them what they hear. Give them an opportunity to share in a small group setting. 

5. If you have a call center or chat feature, look for common questions. Mine your customer service data. 

6. Write down observations in the moment. You won’t remember later. Write it down. Use the platform of your choice. (I like Google Keep Notes because it is easy and available on my phone at the ready).  

Looking forward to hearing your great insights and ideas.