Ad Club Draws High Marks in Membership Survey

The results of a recently completed Member Satisfaction Survey by students at Montclair State University’s School of Business Marketing Department showed overall satisfaction with the New Jersey Advertising Club’s performance in delivering membership expectations. Conducted between January and March of this year, the survey yielded a total of 84 responses from 22 new, 54 current and 8 former members. Various measurement approaches, such as Likert scales to measure member attitudes and semantic differential scales to measure perceived image of the club, provided a statistically sound basis from which to draw conclusions. Moreover, demographic information was collected on respondents, including age, years of membership and professional interests.

According to Dr. Mark Johnson and Assistant Dean Dr. Ralph DiPietro of MSU’s Business Marketing Department, who oversaw the study, the student researchers were divided into pairs to assure further accuracy as they compiled survey results into a statistical matrix. Each pair reviewed approximately 36 surveys and summarized responses in two-page narratives.

The three membership varieties of the survey (current, former and new members) were questioned along two central themes — personal goals, i.e. reason for joining a professional organization, and organizational goals, i.e. how well the club delivers expected services.

Personal Goals
Respondents were asked to characterize a series of questions under personal goals on a scale of 1 (“not at all important”) to 7 (“very important”).

The most important goals or reasons cited for belonging to the NJAC were:
• Networking and making business contacts (5.93).
• Keeping current on business trends affecting the industry (5.67).
• Learning skills and knowledge (4.87).
• Building friendships and social relationships (4.82).
• Philanthropic interests, i.e. helping others (4.55).

An important expected role is that of advocacy, i.e. improving the image of the advertising industry (5.10). Fulfilling expectations on their current job rates drew above average consideration as well (4.19), while receiving peer recognition for their work was only slightly above average (3.95).

Interestingly, although prior research showed that entertainment and fun is a meaningful reason for joining an organization, responses to this question yielded only slightly above average scores (3.78), more than a full point below building friendships and social relationships. This may be due, in part, to the recent “depression” in the advertising industry, the Iraq war and ongoing economic uncertainty. However, there seems to be a connection between the number of years a respondent is a member of the club in how the question was answered. The greater the number of years, the higher the score of this item. New members seem disinclined to rate entertainment and fun as legitimate reasons to allocate time to an organization.

Organizational Goals
Similarly, respondents were asked to rate on a scale of 1 (“not at all effective”) to 7 (“very effective”) their attitudes regarding how well the Ad Club delivers on expected services. The data manifest a strong relationship between organizational goals and personal goals. The coefficient alpha is 0.92 for the whole nine-item scale of organizational goals as it is in some areas of personal goals, such as participation in organizational activities (0.80) and image of the organization (0.81). Alpha coefficients above 0.50 are desirable and in this instance show that regardless of membership status (current, former or new) there is a consensus on which goals the club is best at accomplishing and those goals that are less successfully implemented.

This is illustrated in the following organizational items:
• Providing a forum for professional networking (4.76).
• Delivering educational and informative programs (4.44).
• Promoting professional development of members (4.09).

The club’s performance was ranked highest (5.42) in recognizing member achievements, supporting advertising education for students (5.11) and providing opportunities for social interaction of members (4.90). Advocacy efforts, promotion of the advertising industry in the state, was rated higher (4.49) than representation of the industry on high-profile public issues (4.11).

Image of the organization
Respondents unanimously consider the club “affordable,” “well run” and appropriately “casual.” Given pressures on people’s time today, NJAC’s image of “above average” (3.7-4) may be construed as favorably meeting expectations. On items addressing programs as “innovative” and “exciting,” members rank performance above average (exciting). The Club is appropriately prestigious (above average) and average in terms of providing member services.

Demographically, respondents average about 4 years of membership, (3.89), with current and past members rating the club as satisfactory. Similarly, the value of this membership is one point higher than the norm (4.95). Current versus new members exhibited a slight variation on preferred program hours. New members opted for lunch hour programs and split on early and late evening. Current members were evenly dispersed between morning (14), lunchtime (11) and early evenings with the highest preference (17).

Special recognition is extended by the Club to the three MSU students who were key drivers in the project — Scott Anson, Lauren McGuire and Vivianne DoValle. Anna D’Elia is Chair of the NJAC survey committee, with Ralph Gonzalez and Terrence Pranses as members.