Paper or pixels? Conduct an information needs assessment to discover the publications mix that members want most.FINDING THE BEST MIX OF PUBLICATION CONTENT, FORMAT, FREQUENCY, AND delivery methods to meet members' diverse needs is similar to creating the perfect souffle--one wrong ingredient and everything falls flat. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you feel that your association is dabbling in both print and electronic publications but lacks a clear recipe for ensuring the right mix, you are not alone. Most association executives have no easy answer to the information age's version of the eternal question: What do members really want from us--electronic publications, print ones, or some mix of both? "We had made some adjustments [across] the years and added more electronic versions of our print publications, but we questioned whether we were really hitting the mark," says Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the American Water Works Association American Water Works Association (AWWA) is an international nonprofit professional organization dedicated to the improvement of drinking water quality and supply. It was founded in 1881 and, as of 2007, there are approximately 60,000 AWWA members world-wide. (AWWA AWWA American Water Works Association AWWA Army Wives Welfare Association (India) AWWA Australian Water and Wastewater Association ), Denver Denver, city (1990 pop. 467,610), alt. 5,280 ft (1,609 m), state capital, coextensive with Denver co., N central Colo., on a plateau at the foot of the Front Range of the Rocky Mts., along the South Platte River where Cherry Creek meets it; inc. 1861. . "As a technical organization, we were especially concerned that some of our technical materials would be hard to read online." The American Association American Association refers to one of the following professional baseball leagues:
Washington, town (1991 pop. 48,856), Sunderland metropolitan district, NE England. Washington was designated one of the new towns in 1964 to alleviate overpopulation in the Tyneside-Wearside area. , D.C., experienced the same uncertainty. "We had lots of opinions from our board and elected leaders on what we should and shouldn't should·n't Contraction of should not. shouldn't should not shouldn't should do with our publications, but we had no data [from] which to make those decisions," says Nancy Sasavage, editor of Clinical Laboratory News at AACC AACC American Association of Community Colleges (formerly American Association of Junior Colleges) AACC American Association for Clinical Chemistry AACC American Association of Cereal Chemists AACC Anne Arundel Community College . "[Across] the years, we had been converting more and more of our publications to electronic format to speed communication and reduce printing and postage POSTAGE. The money charged by law for carrying letters, packets and documents by mail. By act of congress of March 3, 1851, Minot's Statute at Large, U. S. 587, it is enacted as follows: 2.-Sec. 1. costs, but we never really asked members what they preferred or whether they read all that we sent." There's only one way to know what your members really want: Ask them. AWWA and AACC are among the associations that are developing a recipe for communication success with the help of an information needs assessment. By collecting statistically valid data from members about publication offerings, analyzing the feedback carefully, and making refinements, these association leaders have grown more confident about how well they're delivering value to members. They've also gotten much more effective at balancing the speed and accessibility of the Internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the with the credibility and tangible appeal of print. Understanding what an assessment can do Today's readers are tough customers. Accustomed to a 24/7 news cycle of fast-breaking, quickly delivered, and specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. information, they expect much the same from member communication. And when it comes to service, they want the breadth, depth, and personalization Custom tailoring information to the individual. On the Web, personalization means returning a page that has been customized for the user, taking into consideration that person's habits and preferences. that they get routinely from Amazon.com and other online merchants. To respond to expectations, some associations go heavily electronic. Others stay primarily with print. Increasingly, still others are adapting a mix based on member or audience demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. , member needs, the type of information being communicated, and how that information is best delivered. Information needs assessment research can uncover a wealth of information from which you can better assess both what you're sending out now and what you should be sending out (and in what format). An assessment can provide you with answers to these key questions: * How much print, Web-posted, and e-mailed information do members want? When AACC conducted its assessment of its publication mix in 2004, "the study allowed us to really stand back and determine whether we had the right tools to communicate and whether we were sending out too much electronic, too much print, or had voids," says Sasavage. It also helped resolve a thorny thorn·y adj. thorn·i·er, thorn·i·est 1. Full of or covered with thorns. 2. Spiny. 3. Painfully controversial; vexatious: a thorny situation; thorny issues. political issue by identifying an alternative electronic approach for a subscription-based newsletter, Strategies, which was highly regarded but operating at a loss. (For details on the many ways AACC has realigned its communication efforts, see "Case Study One" on page 35.) * Is the association sending out too much electronically? "We were particularly concerned that with technical publications, pushing too much online could be a negative, especially since we heard from some members who [said] they still [wanted] to retain print," says Monica Joda Baruth, AWWA's director of publishing. Another related consideration: "Because we carry so much advertising in our Journal AWWA, we knew we needed to retain strong readership read·er·ship n. 1. The readers of a publication considered as a group. 2. Chiefly British The office of a reader at a university. in the print product." * What are members' current needs, and what prospective needs should the association anticipate? AWWA publishes an association and industry news tabloid tab·loid n. A newspaper of small format giving the news in condensed form, usually with illustrated, often sensational material. adj. 1. In summary form; condensed. 2. Lurid or sensational. , MainStream, for which the staff has slowly reduced the number of print editions and added more electronic ones as the members' comfort level with technology has increased. But AWWA wanted to test the current mix of four print and 22 electronic editions to see if this combination of delivery methods was working for readers. The association would consider moving the publication entirely online if members exhibited a preference for e-delivery. (For details on AWWA's findings and response, see "Case Study Two" on page 36.) * Are there information voids or overloads? Should some publications be consolidated, eliminated, or relaunched to provide more value? AWWA staffers also wanted to learn how well their mix was working from members' perspectives, whether changes in the flagship Journal AWWA were on target, and if members felt saturated saturated /sat·u·rat·ed/ (sach´ah-rat?ed) 1. denoting a chemical compound that has only single bonds and no double or triple bonds between atoms. 2. unable to hold in solution any more of a given substance. with too much communication--both print and electronic. "The big benefit of a study like this was that it gave us an objective perspective [on] what we were doing," says AACC Executive Vice President Richard Flaherty. "We spend all of our time with our nose to the glass. We felt we were just too close to have any perspective and really assess how we were doing." Flaherty believes that doing the assessment, and having an outsider Outsider often refers to one identified as on the periphery of social norms, one living or working apart from mainstream society, or one observing a group from the outside, as used in:
* Have budget considerations overshadowed member preferences? Frequently, financial issues prompt the need for a communication assessment as associations move more publications online--either sent as an e-mail or posted to the Web site--to save on production expenses for print publications. But if members aren't ready for additional online communication, shifting print publications to electronic can be a big mistake. Associations must balance the need to trim budgets with the critical mission of information delivery. Knowing what members really value is vital to getting the balance right. Laying the groundwork Similar to any research project, an information needs assessment begins with a review of your current publication program. Develop an overview of the regularly produced communication that you distribute to the majority of members: magazines, journals, e-newsletters, print newsletters, and your Web site. Spell out the editorial purpose, format, frequency, target audience, and the delivery method for each. Consider any refinements you might test through research. In addition to periodicals, you probably also send brochures or e-mails promoting your programs and services. If your communication and marketing functions are centralized cen·tral·ize v. cen·tral·ized, cen·tral·iz·ing, cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To draw into or toward a center; consolidate. 2. and include your periodicals, you may be able to manage the information output to ensure that you're not overloading In programming, the ability to use the same name for more than one variable or procedure, requiring the compiler to differentiate them based on context. (language) overloading - (Or "Operator overloading"). recipients. However, even in the best of circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or , your members' in-boxes (on their desks or in their computers) are probably deluged daily because of the pressure your association feels to market multiple programs and meet revenue targets. Information overload A symptom of the high-tech age, which is too much information for one human being to absorb in an expanding world of people and technology. It comes from all sources including TV, newspapers, magazines as well as wanted and unwanted regular mail, e-mail and faxes. is another factor you'll want to gauge as part of your assessment. After the overview comes the heart of the assessment, a quantitative research Quantitative research Use of advanced econometric and mathematical valuation models to identify the firms with the best possible prospectives. Antithesis of qualitative research. study. Here are several factors to consider at this stage: * Web versus mail survey. The Web has the advantage of being faster and, often, less expensive. However, this method isn't as effective if your member e-mail database is incomplete (meaning you have e-mail addresses See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address for less than 80 percent of members) or if it's out of date because you don't actively work to keep your addresses clean. Using the Web in these cases would skew (1) The misalignment of a document or punch card in the feed tray or hopper that prohibits it from being scanned or read properly. (2) In facsimile, the difference in rectangularity between the received and transmitted page. your results because you could only reach members with e-mail addresses. Opt instead to conduct the research via a study delivered by postal mail. * Survey metrics metrics Managed care A popular term for standards by which the quality of a product, service, or outcome of a particular form of Pt management is evaluated. See TQM. . For a basic mail survey, a random sample of 1,000 members is generally adequate no matter what the size of your membership. For a Web-based study, increase the sample to about 3,000 members because you'll have many more bad addresses and out-of-office replies and generally a lower response rate. You can, of course, choose to survey more people though it is not statistically necessary. Keep the survey instrument to no more than four pages of mostly closed-ended questions, include a cover letter, and offer some type of incentive to encourage response. * Do-it-yourself versus third-party research. If your association has research professionals on staff who can provide the needed expertise, you may decide to handle the assessment in house. However, a research company may bring more objectivity to sensitive political issues. An outside firm can help assess the broad mix, regardless of the silos or department issues, and carve out Carve out Usually occurs when a company decides to IPO one of their subsidiaries or divisions. The company usually only offers a minority share to the equity market. Also known as equity carve out. a strategy that best helps your association achieve its goals. A mail survey to a random sample of 1,000 people, mailed twice, generally takes approximately 12 weeks from the time you first discuss the survey until you meet to analyze the compiled results. Research costs could range from $12,000 to $15,000. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Asking the right questions Developing a tested and valid questionnaire is key to the success of any research effort. Keep in mind that the value of a needs assessment is the broad perspective that it offers on your overall communication mix. That's different from, for instance, a narrowly focused publication readership study that looks at one or two publications in depth. Consider asking questions in the following broad areas: * Greatest workplace challenges. Understanding these pressures will help you create a communication mix that addresses readers' most critical concerns. Frequently cited challenges deal with time and financial pressures, technology, and government regulations. * Level of readership and usefulness of current periodicals. Present a matrix of your periodicals--newsletters, magazines, journal, and the Web site. Then ask how often respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. read each one (regularly, somewhat often, seldom, or never) and how useful each is (extremely useful, useful, somewhat useful, or not useful). Your goal should be for at least 75 to 80 percent of respondents who "read regularly/somewhat often" to find the materials "extremely useful/useful." You have cause for concern when 20 percent or more say that they "seldom/never" read the publications or that they find them "not useful." * Format and frequency preferences. Ask about general preferences for different types of information. For instance, how do members prefer to receive news and trends information as opposed to in-depth research articles? Do they prefer a daily electronic update for newsy news·y adj. news·i·er, news·i·est Informal Full of news; informative. news  i·ness n. information
but a monthly printed publication to provide more analysis and
strategies?
* The current mix of periodicals. Ask respondents to indicate their level of agreement with statements such as "The mix is on target," "I prefer more sent via e-mail," or "I prefer more posted to the Web." And if you are concerned that you may be inundating your members with too much print mail or too many electronic newsletters, include a statement such as "I'm receiving too many publications; please consolidate them." * A particular publication's effectiveness in fulfilling its purpose. Ask readers whether the publication meets its objective and whether the objective is on target with their needs. If one or both areas rate poorly, consider refining refining, any of various processes for separating impurities from crude or semifinished materials. It includes the finer processes of metallurgy, the fractional distillation of petroleum into its commercial products, and the purifying of cane, beet, and maple sugar or eliminating the publication. * Reaction to proposed changes to publication mix. Let's say that you're considering significant changes to your mix, such as eliminating print and going all electronic, changing the frequency, or changing the content of a publication. Test the changes first on readers and make refinements to your plan. For instance, when the American Association for Clinical Chemistry was considering alternative formats for its printed Strategies newsletter, it asked members how interested they would be in different options. Among these were moving to an electronic version, including some of the newsletter's content in another association publication or on the AACC Web site, or some other alternative. Similarly, the American Water Works Association asked members to rate their interest in expanding Opflow newsletter in a number of ways, such as increasing issue size, adding more feature articles, and expanding the product literature section. If, like AACC and AWWA, you want to test particular changes, be sure to make any alternatives as specific as possible and only test options that your association is willing to consider if the data support them. * Your Web site's accessibility, ease of navigation, and search capability. Although Web sites offer tremendous potential for associations to deliver specialized and highly valued information, too often survey respondents say that this method is less than effective. When you conduct tests in this area, you can expect requests for easier access and log-in capabilities, stronger and more reliable search engines, and a more logical approach to presenting information. * Suggestions for better meeting information needs. Include at least one open-ended question A closed-ended question is a form of question, which normally can be answered with a simple "yes/no" dichotomous question, a specific simple piece of information, or a selection from multiple choices (multiple-choice question), if one excludes such non-answer responses as dodging a that solicits feedback on what your association could do to better address member needs. For instance, you could ask, "If you could change one thing about the current mix, what would it be?" Be sure to review verbatim ver·ba·tim adj. Using exactly the same words; corresponding word for word: a verbatim report of the conversation. adv. comments and watch for threads of commonly cited issues or concerns that may help to clarify and amplify quantifiable Quantifiable Can be expressed as a number. The results of quantifiable psychological tests can be translated into numerical values, or scores. Mentioned in: Psychological Tests data. Pulling it all together Once the results are in, make sure that they don't go to waste. Following are suggestions for getting the most from your assessment: 1. Analyze trends in key membership segments. For example, how do younger members, as your future leaders Future Leaders is a UK schools-led charitable organisation that aims to widen the pool of talented leaders especially for urban challenging secondary schools. It was founded in March 2006 by Nat Wei, a former founder of Teach First. , view offerings? Your researchers can find this out by slicing the data by key demographic factors (i.e., the respondent's age or title). 2. Share the data with senior staff and brainstorm about the findings. AACC did this in a formal meeting designed to consider and communicate what the results meant. "We were pleasantly surprised with the feedback on some of our publications," says Flaherty. "Our weekly electronic newsletter, for instance, came through much stronger than we had expected, so we'll continue to use that to inform members and consolidate communication. But we also found [that] we were sending out too much electronically. Members were objecting, and when we tracked the blast e-mails sent, we found some [people] were receiving 20 e-mails a month. That was ridiculous. So we are paring that back." 3. Put the findings to work. Thanks to its assessment, AWWA is taking a more strategic approach to its communications as a whole. "Although we produce an annual publishing and marketing plan, we saw the need for developing a master communication plan for the association that includes not only the member benefit periodicals in print and electronic [form] but public affairs Those public information, command information, and community relations activities directed toward both the external and internal publics with interest in the Department of Defense. Also called PA. See also command information; community relations; public information. and promotional materials as well," says Monica Baruth, director of publishing. It's all part of understanding members' hot buttons, says Hoffbuhr, also of AWWA. "We need to be very selective about the kinds of information we are sending out, from periodicals to promotions. It's a fine line you walk between helping members by providing them with the right resources and inundating them with extraneous ex·tra·ne·ous adj. 1. Not constituting a vital element or part. 2. Inessential or unrelated to the topic or matter at hand; irrelevant. See Synonyms at irrelevant. 3. content." How well is your association walking that line? An information needs assessment can help you determine how to balance member preferences with your financial and staff resources. Although it takes time to find just the right mix, the investment is well worth the effort. Want more information on this topic? Check out the "Outtakes and Exclusives" and "Link to Learn" areas at www.amonline.org. RELATED ARTICLE: CASE STUDY ONE: Getting the Big Picture on the Print-Electronic Mix The American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Washington, D.C.: An international individual membership society of 10,000 clinical laboratory professionals. Budget: $14 million. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Communication challenges: AACC wanted to evaluate its overall publication mix, especially expanded electronic publication offerings, and determine what to do with a subscription-based newsletter that was gradually losing subscribers and operating at a loss. Communication mix: * Clinical Chemistry, journal (print and online) * Clinical Laboratory News, tabloid (print and online) * Strategies, newsletter (print) * AACC eNews, member newsletter (e-mail with Web links) * Government Affairs Update, newsletter (online) * Annual report (online) Timetable and budget: In February 2004, AACC conducted a Web survey of 6,500 members, including all those with e-mail addresses. Additionally, it mailed a print version of the survey to a random sample of 800 members without e-mail addresses. The project took 3 1/2 months from drafting the survey to receiving the data analysis and suggested actions. Consulting fees, survey development, and strategic analysis cost about $18,000. What AACC learned: * Associationwide communication needed to be more integrated and strategic in approach. Members felt inundated in·un·date tr.v. in·un·dat·ed, in·un·dat·ing, in·un·dates 1. To cover with water, especially floodwaters. 2. with too many electronic publications and asked for more consolidation. No decisions have been made yet, but AACC is in the process of developing a strategic communication plan to address these issues. * Strategies newsletter was highly valued by a limited number of subscribers. Members opted to retain the newsletter but to go electronic to reduce production costs. * Because the annual report and government affairs newsletter were poorly read, they will be reassessed and refined or eliminated. * AACC eNews, the association newsletter, was highly rated, making it worthy of continued investment. * The Web site was rated lower than expected, especially for ease of use and search capabilities. AACC has hired a consultant to help with restructuring restructuring - The transformation from one representation form to another at the same relative abstraction level, while preserving the subject system's external behaviour (functionality and semantics). the site so that members can find what they need. Advice on getting the most from an assessment: Make sure all staff benefit from the data. AACC Executive Vice President Richard Flaherty shared the research findings at a senior staff briefing because "this data wasn't only about our publications but about the way we communicate in general," he says. "We have a lot of different departments producing specialized division newsletters and marketing pieces. I needed all of them to understand the overall feedback members were giving us." RELATED ARTICLE: CASE STUDY TWO: Gauging Particular Publications and Information Overload American Water Works Association, Denver: An international membership organization of 57,000 water-supply professionals, including engineers, operators, and plant managers. Annual budget: $27.5 million. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Communication challenges: AWWA wanted to test its print-electronic mix; find out whether its flagship Journal AWWA was well read, especially after a major repositioning repositioning Laparoscopic surgery The changing of a Pt's position during a procedure to improve access or visualization of the operative field, which may be linked to complications, as it changes anatomic planes of operation. Cf Laparoscopic surgery. ; and explore whether AWWA was pushing out too much information electronically, both in publications and marketing efforts. Communication mix: * Journal AWWA (print and Web) * Opflow, newsletter (print and Web) * MainStream, association newspaper (print and e-mail) * WaterWeek, newsletter (e-mail) * Web site * Specialized newsletters (e-mail) Timetable and budget: In spring 2004, AWWA conducted a mail survey of 2,525 U.S.-based members. A Web-based version of the survey was also sent to 850 international members. The project took four months from developing the survey strategy and questionnaire to receiving the data analysis and suggested actions. It cost about $16,000, including postage and consulting fees for survey development and data analysis. What AWWA learned: The publications mix was highly rated (with 83 percent of respondents indicating high satisfaction levels). But members were beginning to suffer from information overload. Two electronic publications received lower-than-expected ratings, primarily because they weren't written for the Web. * The eight-page e-newsletter is being revamped to present a more concise and e-friendly approach. * For MainStream newspaper, more than half of survey respondents preferred the current mix of four print and 22 electronic issues, yet 14 percent said they were ready to go all-electronic. MainStream will continue as a quarterly print publication and a biweekly bi·week·ly adj. 1. Happening every two weeks. 2. Happening twice a week; semiweekly. n. pl. bi·week·lies A publication issued every two weeks. adv. 1. Every two weeks. e-publication until further research indicates that members' needs have changed. * Additionally, AWWA will shorten (audio, compression) Shorten - A form of lossless audio compression. the articles in MainStream and WaterWeek and shift some of their resources to Opflow and Journal AWWA. How the findings have changed the way AWWA works: "A major take-away take·a·way n. 1. A concession, as in a lower level of health benefits, made by a labor union to a company in negotiating a new contract. 2. for us is that information overload is not a temporary trend but a long-term Long-term Three or more years. In the context of accounting, more than 1 year. long-term 1. Of or relating to a gain or loss in the value of a security that has been held over a specific length of time. Compare short-term. challenge for readers. Our opportunity isn't in a lack of information going out to our members but too much information," says Executive Director Jack Hoffbuhr. RELATED ARTICLE: What Are You Risking By Going Electronic? Before you move your publications online, make sure you consider all the ramifications ramifications npl → Auswirkungen pl of such a move. You may find that for every e-gain, you suffer a corresponding loss. Here are some possible outcomes of going digital: * Your advertising climate will be different. Changes in format and frequency have a direct impact on how effectively you can sell advertising. Even though it costs more to print and mail on paper, the advertising benefits frequently outweigh out·weigh tr.v. out·weighed, out·weigh·ing, out·weighs 1. To weigh more than. 2. To be more significant than; exceed in value or importance: The benefits outweigh the risks. the savings of going electronic. * Your subscription climate will change. Moving to an electronic format may also mean forfeiting Forfeiting Method of financing international trade of capital goods. subscription income. * You have to accommodate changes in audience reach and content. For example, if your membership goes beyond North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , electronic publications offer major advantages in timely and cost-effective cost-effective, n the minimal expenditure of dollars, time, and other elements necessary to achieve the health care result deemed necessary and appropriate. delivery options--but major disadvantages if you're unwilling or unable to tailor A tailor is a person whose occupation is to sew menswear style jackets and the skirts or trousers that go with them. Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor the content to a global audience. For example, coverage of U.S. legislation and regulatory issues would be meaningless to those on other continents. * Your staffers will have to adjust the way they write and edit. Don't assume that you can just move a print publication online without changing its approach and style. Electronic publications need to be even crisper crisp·er n. One that crisps, especially a compartment in a refrigerator used for storing vegetables and keeping them fresh. and easier to scan than print ones or you run the risk of losing readers. * Your production savings may be eaten up by hidden costs. Despite major savings in print, design, and postage costs, moving online doesn't eliminate production expenses. You'll still have staff costs for writing, design and formatting, distribution, and list maintenance. * You have to budget for database expenses. Don't overlook the time and expense involved in building and maintaining an accurate e-mail database. One related problem: There's no mail forwarding Post offices and other mail service providers typically offer a mail forwarding service to redirect mail destined for one location to another — usually for a given period of time. system for electronic delivery similar to the one for mail delivery. Debra J. Stratton is president of Stratton Publishing & Marketing, Inc., and Stratton Research, Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 128,284. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 6 miles (9.6 kilometers) south of downtown Washington, DC. . The firm provides publishing, research, and strategic communication services for nonprofit organizations Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. . E-mail: dstratton@strattonpub.com. PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT BURKE Robert Burke may refer to:
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