The Value Was Already There. It Just Needed a Spotlight.
One national association had built a valuable member data platform — mdg’s research uncovered why so few members were using it, and mapped a clear path forward.
Case Study
- Identified an addressable market of 12,000+ member institutions, with paid adoption under 5%
- Uncovered a 12-18-month window to establish market leadership before the opportunity closes
- Delivered a clear, four-part roadmap the association could act on immediately
Challenge
One national association had spent years building a benchmarking platform to help its member institutions compare themselves against peers. A major disruption eliminated a long-standing data source the field had relied on for decades, creating a real, time-limited opening for the association’s platform to become essential. Even so, adoption stayed under 5% of the eligible audience, and leadership was ready to treat that as a product or pricing problem.
Approach
mdg started with secondary research instead of a rebuild. Mapping the platform against adjacent tools members were actually using — free alternatives, competitor benchmarking programs and AI tools offering a fast, free approximation — showed the platform wasn’t behind on capability. It was invisible. The association’s own publications hadn’t featured it in years, and the platform had no presence in the adjacent channels that reached its target audience. Prospective subscribers had no clear path from “I’ve heard this exists” to “I understand what this lets me do.”
Results
The diagnosis reframed the entire conversation: The platform wasn’t losing to a better competitor, it was losing to silence. With a 12-18-month opportunity window confirmed and priority audiences and channels identified, the association now has a four-part roadmap for closing the awareness gap — starting with the priorities most within its control.
Frequently asked questions
Low adoption can stem from limited awareness, unclear positioning or a disconnect between how value is communicated and what members actually need. Before changing the product itself, associations should determine where the barrier occurs in the audience’s journey.
Associations can increase awareness by identifying where target audiences already seek information and consistently communicating the benefits in those channels. Clear positioning is especially important when members know an offering exists but do not understand why or when to use it.
Market demand can be assessed through audience research, market sizing, competitive analysis and behavioral data. Together, these inputs help determine how many potential users exist and whether their needs align with the product’s value proposition.
Repositioning may be more appropriate when research shows that the product meets audience needs but awareness or understanding remains low. A rebuild is more likely to be necessary when the offering itself no longer addresses a meaningful audience need.
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