Case Study:
New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJSCPA)
A Comprehensive Research Program to Help NJSCPA Understand What Drives Member Loyalty
CHALLENGE 
Like many professional societies, the New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJSCPA) was approaching a tipping point where it could see dramatic membership losses looming on the horizon due to an aging workforce. The society not only wanted to prepare for the effects of the pending retirement of a substantial percentage of their members – and the resulting membership turnover – but needed to understand key motivations for prospects to join and remain loyal to the organization. With about 14,000 members in a universe of more than 23,000 CPAs in New Jersey, membership growth was an attainable goal.
NJSCPA sought McKinley Marketing’s expertise to develop a comprehensive research program to:
- Measure the needs, interests, expectations and motivations of members, students and nonmembers who had never joined the organization;
- Pinpoint what drives member engagement and, most importantly, member loyalty;
- Understand how best to position the society to make it more attractive to students and younger professionals
APPROACH
McKinley’s research process included a series of qualitative and quantitative methods, including telephone surveys with several member and non-member segments and three separate electronic surveys targeting members, student members and lapsed members. The goal was to discover trends based on age, practice setting, gender, and other demographics. McKinley carefully analyzed NJSCPA’s database and appended certain data points once the results were available to avoid complicating the electronic surveys with unnecessary demographic questions. The high quality data in NJSCPA’s database enabled McKinley to conduct a comprehensive analysis, beyond the cross-tabulations available through a standard electronic survey. The detailed analysis enabled McKinley to draw conclusions about the most active and profitable member segments based on both survey responses and corresponding transactional data (for example, educational programs attended and chapter participation).
RESULTS
McKinley’s analysis led to a number of noteworthy findings, including new insight on several key questions, such as:
- What factors will drive younger members to engage in the society?
- How do member characteristics and participation impact purchasing decisions?
- How is NJSCPA perceived in the marketplace?
- What does the membership want, need and expect from the Society?
McKinley’s research prompted NJSCPA to rethink how it creates and markets it member engagement opportunities. The society’s planning committee is currently evaluating its main areas of focus and developing a comprehensive strategy based on this new information.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“The NJSCPA Member Long-Term Needs Assessment Research Project provided a wealth of information with which we can structure future programming to better meet member needs. Over the next years, the NJSCPA Planning Committee and staff will continue to analyze the data and look for alternative ways for members to engage with the Society. We will also continue to reach out to members on an ongoing basis to obtain input on programs and services in order to maximize membership value.”
Ellen McSherry,
Associate Executive Director
New Jersey Society of CPAs (NJSCPA)