Slides from the THINK IT OUT presentation on MEMBER EXPERIENCE, building meaningful relationships, and rethinking what business you're in. Presented in Pleasanton, CA on 11/5/2014.

1. reTHiNKing
MEMBER
EXPERIENCE
@ivanovitch
Ivan Askwith
linkedin.com/in/ivanaskwith

2. THINK 14 / NEW ORLEANS, LA

3. @ivanovitch

4. (wait, who is this guy?)
introductions.
@ivanovitch

5. ivan
@ivanovitch

6. POPULAR CULTURE
& FANDOM
@ivanovitch

7. @ivanovitch

8. @ivanovitch

9. @ivanovitch

10. @ivanovitch
ENGAGING
FANDOM
DIGITAL
MARKETING
MEDIA STUDIES
& FANDOM
CROWDFUNDING
A MOVIE
CROWDFUNDING
A CAUSE

11. strategist
obsessed with behaviors, motives
& building meaningful relationships
@ivanovitch
digital

12. three
biases
1. Fans and communities matter.
@ivanovitch

13. three
biases
1. Fans and communities matter.
2. Brands aren’t about messaging.
@ivanovitch

14. three
biases
1. Fans and communities matter.
2. Brands aren’t about messaging.
3. Technologies change. People don’t.
@ivanovitch

15. @ivanovitch
where do you
go from here?

16. @ivanovitch

17. “How do we get consumers to understand CUs?”
“How do we get them to listen to us?”
“How do we get them to appreciate what we do?”
@ivanovitch

18. “How do we get consumers to understand CUs?”
“How do we get them to listen to us?”
“How do we get them to appreciate what we do?”
“What do MEMBERS want and need?”
“What would THEY find most meaningful?”
“How, or why, ARE WE FAILING to provide it?”
@ivanovitch

19. It’s not about you.
It’s about them.
@ivanovitch

20. @ivanovitchhttp://bit.ly/THINK-Myopia

21. @ivanovitch

22. @ivanovitch

23. Not railroads.
Transportation.
Not petroleum.
Energy.
Not DVDs.
Entertainment.
@ivanovitch

24. Businesses will do better in the
end if they concentrate on
meeting customers’ needs,
rather than on selling products.
- Theodore Levitt, 1960
@ivanovitch

25. What business
do you think you’re in?
What do your customers
actually want and need?
What business
do consumers think you’re in?
What opportunities emerge
from giving them what they want?
@ivanovitch

26. the
television
business
@ivanovitch

27. Television still thinks that
it is in the business of
BROADCASTING
CONTENT
in order to
so that it can
BUILD HUGE
AUDIENCES
MAKE $$$ FROM
ADVERTISERS.
@ivanovitch

28. an interesting
pattern
1. Networks focus on content for the
Lowest Common Denominator.
@ivanovitch

29. an interesting
pattern
1. Networks focus on content for the
Lowest Common Denominator.
2. The shows that inspire the most devotion
are often the first to get canceled.
@ivanovitch

30. an interesting
pattern
1. Networks focus on content for the
Lowest Common Denominator.
2. The shows that inspire the most devotion
are often the first to get canceled.
3. Fans of these “cult hits” have no recourse
except to protest the networks.
@ivanovitch

31. the traditional television
business model offers viewers a
take-it-or-leave-it
proposition.
@ivanovitch

32. fans
networks
vs
@ivanovitch

33. they fight back.
When fans get ignored,
@ivanovitch

34. pre-internet

35. internet

36. @ivanovitch

37. @ivanovitch

39. doesn’t pay the rent.
Passion is great, but it
@ivanovitch

41. @ivanovitch

42. “…But NBC executives made clear on Tuesday
that the renewal came about mainly
because of an advertising partnership
that was suggested to Ben Silverman, a
chairman of NBC Entertainment, by
Subway executives, who were enthused
about the special marketing opportunities the
show afforded the company…”
@ivanovitch

43. @ivanovitch

44. Q: If Castle had its series finale
tomorrow and Fox said to you and
Joss: “We screwed up, let’s try doing
Firefly again.” Would you do it?
A: Yes. Yes. I would examine very closely
Fox’s reasoning — I’m a little gun-shy.
If I got $300 million from the California
Lottery, the first thing I would do is buy
the rights to Firefly, make it on my own,
and distribute it on the Internet.
@ivanovitch

45. @ivanovitch

46. contributed more than
$1 Million.
12,000 fans
No one even
had to ask.
@ivanovitch

47. “Shut up and take my money!”

48. hasn’t changed.
yet the core business model
@ivanovitch

49. @ivanovitch

50. @ivanovitch

52. @ivanovitch

53. @ivanovitch

54. @ivanovitch

55. • Propose an idea.
• Set a minimum fundraising goal.
• Set a fundraising deadline.
• No financial ROI.
• Offer other incentives.
• It’s all or nothing.
How it works.
@ivanovitch

56. We had one month to get
$2,000,000.
It took less than
ten hours.
@ivanovitch

64. Has‘VeronicaMars’hintedatthevalue
ofservingnicheaudiences?
Has‘VeronicaMars’suggestedthe
valueofcreator/fanrelationships?
Has‘VeronicaMars’revealedthatfans
aretiredofbeingignoredbynetworks?
@ivanovitch

65. (Many of our backers
didn’t even care about
Veronica Mars.
@ivanovitch

66. @ivanovitch

67. crowdfunding.
a common problem with
@ivanovitch

68. Don’t just create a movie.
Create a year-long experience.
Don’t just keep the promise.
Overdeliver on it.
Don’t just market to fans.
Build a lasting relationship.
@ivanovitch

69. @ivanovitch

71. @ivanovitch

72. @ivanovitch

74. @ivanovitch

75. @ivanovitch

76. @ivanovitch

77. @ivanovitch

78. @ivanovitch

79. interesting
a few
results.
@ivanovitch

80. RESULT 1
creator/fan relationship.
We saw the value of a direct
@ivanovitch

81. This is the best money
I’ve ever spent.
This isn’t the
studio’s movie,
it’s ours!
I’ll give 10 times as
much next time!
I’m getting everyone
I know to go see it.
The movie was great,
but this experience
has been even better.
I feel so involved!
Can we do the
next movie on
Kickstarter too?
@ivanovitch

82. @ivanovitch

83. @ivanovitch
“Whatever anyone involved
does, for the rest of your careers:
I’ll be behind you.”

84. @ivanovitch

86. RESULT 2
focusing on our fans.
We were praised and criticized
for the same exact thing:
@ivanovitch

87. @ivanovitch

88. “Veronica Mars is far less interesting
(except, probably, to its fans) as a movie
than as a potential model for financing
the kind of smaller films that
major Hollywood studios aren’t
much interested in making anymore.”
@ivanovitch

89. 1. Always consider what business you’re actually in.
2. There’s value in serving small, devoted communities.
3. Treat people like partners, not customers.
4. Focus on the relationship. Loyalty will follow.
5. What you’re selling isn’t what you’re selling.
Your brand isn’t your product, but what it means.
@ivanovitch
relevant
a few
lessons.

90. @ivanovitch
where do you
go from here?

91. @ivanovitch
1. Could a credit union develop a cult following?
2. How do you turn your customers and members
into fans and collaborators?
3. Where are the national banks failing, and not
interested enough to fix the problems?
useful
a few
questions.

92. nor should you try.
You can’t compete with the banks,
@ivanovitch

93. @ivanovitch

94. @ivanovitch

95. @ivanovitch
customer
service
vs.
customer
experience

96. @ivanovitch@ivanovitch

97. @ivanovitch

98. @ivanovitch
CASE STUDY @ http://bit.ly/THINK-FourSeasons

99. 1. Stop striving to compete with the banks.
Let the banks start competing with you.
2. Figure out the difference between your industry and
your “real” business (what members care about).
3. Focus on the opportunities CUs have to create
experiences that would be impossible for banks.
4. No one loves or shares ideals with their bank.
Those are huge opportunities for CU’s.
5. Consider the larger role you could serve in the lives of
your members to earn their loyalty and fandom.
start
where to
@ivanovitch

100. http://bit.ly/THINK-WinFriends http://bit.ly/THINK-Nudge