Summary of analysis and recommendations to increase membership in youth development program. Limited resources, limited flexibility, but researched methods can help units achieve growth.

1. The Tipping Point for Scouting
Reaching the Next Level

2. The Situation
• Declines in membership (faster
than declines in total population)
have eroded market share for
Scouting
• Less members mean less impact
and is counter to our mission
• This lower volume has increased
cost per member (fixed costs
spread over less members)

3. The Question
Two Major Problems:
– How to increase membership
– How to increase market share
Key Factors to Consider
-Limited Resources
- Cash, Volunteers manpower,
Facilities
-Limited Control
- Can’t change core program,
Can’t force volunteer behavior

4. 4 Types of Potential Customers
-Target Customers Fit in 4 Categories
- Never heard of us
- Heard, but haven’t joined
- Heard, joined, quit
- Heard, joined, stayed

5. Survey Results
Segment Share of
Customers
Common Reasons
Never heard of Cub
Scouts
4% “Never saw a commercial or ad.” “Don’t think
any friends are in it.”
Have heard of Cub
Scouts, but not
joined
64% “We’re too busy.” “We’re not interested in that
[camping, .” “We do sports instead.”
Have joined, but
have left
18% “Program was too demanding of time.” “Our son
wanted to do something else.” “Didn’t want to
volunteer.”
Have joined, stayed 14% “Good values.” “Son likes it.” “I was in it when I
was a kid.”
*Survey conducted at 10 different school districts located around service area on
Meet the Teacher Nights, 200 respondents total. 5% MOE, 90% Confidence
Level

6. Key Takeaways
• Priority Group
– Those who have heard
and not joined.
• Why?
– Time conflicts
– Preconceived notions of
activities
– Valued other activities
over Scouting

7. Diffusion of Innovation: Everett Rogers (1963)
• Rogers studied the growth of
products with few competitors*
• How do you grow a market with
few direct competitors?
– Word of mouth and peer-reviews
important
• Market Share Importance
– Increased market share increases
word of mouth/personal
invitations
– Growth has key milestones, which
can be tipping points; 16% leads to
increased adoption rates
*Rogers studied technology adoption rates. It is not a perfect substitute for our purposes, but it gives
us a baseline structure to work from. We will adapt it’s recommendations to fit our own needs.

8. Where are we now?
• Many Districts are close to
key milestones (16%)
• Concentrated efforts in
some Districts should lead
to increases
• But “working harder” is not
a strategy…
District Market
Share
Difference from
Goal (16.0%)
Bay Waters 16.4% +0.4%
Black Creek 13.1% -2.9%
Genesee
Crossroads
4.6% -11.4%
Lighthouse 8.6% -7.4%
Mohawk 9.5% -6.5%
Seneca 14.2% -1.8%
Towpath 12.5% -3.5%

9. People who join tend to stay, so how do
we get them to join?
The 5 Factors of the Decision Process
-People consider 5 main factors when making a choice

10. Apply the 5 Factors to Scouting
Relative
Advantage
Scouting is fun for the whole family, research shows that it improves
character, and it’s very low cost. Communicate these points with
target customers.
Compatibility Create flexible schedules. Find meeting synergies (hold committee
meeting during den meeting to minimize time commitment from
parents).
Complexity Make it easy for parents to understand. Hold an orientation at the
first meeting. Hand out contact sheets, calendars, FAQ sheets.
Trial Options Don’t ask parents to pay at first meeting. Give them a few weeks to
test product- but make sure those weeks are exceptionally
awesome!
Observability Be vocal about what Scouting is and does for your family. It’s not
camping, it’s activities that promote character, citizenship, and
fitness for your whole family! If you’re not advocating, no one will!

11. What does success look like?
• Each Program Delivery Unit (PDU)
needs to commit to proactive
changes aligned with decision
factors
• Volunteer Coaches will monitor
and adjust to ensure quality and
consistency
• Market share and membership
measure success

12. Bringing it together

13. Remember
• Experience starts far
before someone joins
• Progress comes from
persistence
• Be strategic & proactive
Help Families | Grow Scouting