Scan the environment
After this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Identify the media sources most prevalent to your association.
2. Identify your association's thought leaders.
3. Identify your association's competition.
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The tasks below will be automatically checked off once you complete watching the video and taking the quiz.
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Scan the environment and collect emerging trends in three areas: the business model, the industry your association supports and members’ lives. Do this by:
- Engaging your strategists
- Conducting focus groups and surveys
- Building a resource pool
Important sources to scour when scanning your association’s environment include the media, industry thought leaders and competitors. Again, the table below can be useful to tie what you learn about trends from scanning the environment to the three focus areas discussed previously.
Download an editable version of the table here.
Media
- Popular press: Magazines, newspapers and books intended to inform or entertain general audiences
- News outlets: Broadcast television
- Internet: Four helpful resources include
REFLECT: Which media sources are most relevant to your association?
Competitors
Competition is fierce. Organizations that understand the evolving marketplace will rise to prominence more rapidly and on a grander scale than their predecessors. Some of today’s top innovators acquired their market dominance in a matter of months, compared to earlier organizations that took years. When your industry is confronted by intense competition, you must act faster than ever before.
REFLECT: Who are your association’s competitors?
Get the Playbook: Scanning the Environment
The following plays are activities you can complete to practice scanning the environment. You can save and download or print the activities.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
See if you understand the concepts by completing the quiz. Click Scan the Environment Quiz to begin.
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