Helping formulate industry initiatives

Government, trade bodies, institutions and foundations don't always have the resources or objectivity to investigate new propositions, or launch new initiatives. They usually rely on finding an expert who understands their specific markets, and how to approach their issues.

The majority of our work has been behind two major construction industry initiatives. Here are two examples that led to the formation of Constructing Excellence and the Concrete Centre.

Designing & validating major industry initiatives

The idea behind the Construction Best Practice Programme (now part of Constructing Excellence) was put forward by the Egan Report Rethinking Construction. The Department of Transport and Regions asked us to test the feasibility of the concept. We were asked to assess the current situation and review the strategy for the programme. This included providing a costed marketing plan and an assessment of the financial risk involved. To do this we needed to look at the motivation behind innovation, and its dissemination out into the market place.

The final report included an analysis of the implications of the scheme. It also offered a fresh view on how to motivate companies to take best practice on-board. We went on to prepare a marketing strategy and plan, with a budget. Formerly known as the Construction Best Progress Programme, and now part of Constructing Excellence, it has now been running successfully for over five years.

Since 2001, we have also written a number of publications for Constructing Excellence, BRE and the Construction Products Association. These chart the progress of companies that have successfully adopted best practice ideas to improve the way the way the construction industry operates. Our latest publications feature contractors who have used the Construction Lean Improvement Programme, run by the BRE, which helped them to achieve considerable productivity savings.

Find out more about Constructing Excellence from here.

Elsewhere, The Concrete Centre was launched to an audience of over 1,000 guests in late 2003. The members of The British Cement Association knew that concrete had lost share to alternative materials, like steel, asphalt and timber.

We were asked to undertake an assessment of the situation. This included looking at case studies of successful professional and trade bodies to establish if big campaigns really worked. In parallel, we talked to customers and stakeholders to identify how to put concrete back on the map. We needed to make sure that all the sponsors were comfortable with what we were suggesting, because their financial support was crucial. We then made presentations to the manufacturers and their trade organisation. Finally, we prepared a plan with goals and a budget.

Visit the Concrete Center's website to find out about the latest industry news.

Dealing with membership issues

Today, many professional bodies are faced with an ageing membership. This leads to falling numbers and revenues, unless something is done. We have recently undertaken two major membership studies. We used telephone research to collect quantitative data. However, we also pioneered an email research process. This gave us a large amount of valuable qualitative information. After all, members usually have very strong opinions on what they want from their membership organisation, and how their money should be spent. From these responses, we were able to make recommendations on their future direction.

Generating additional revenue

With high fixed costs, finding extra revenue is an issue for most non-profit making organisations. For example, one of the major engineering institutions asked us to review their publications strategy to assess future opportunities. We have also helped another not-for-profit client to investigate the viability of a new service. They asked us to test the markets reaction to a new idea. Currently, the only way of measuring how well building products meet the needs of the disabled is subjective. However, if sufficient data was collected on the abilities of different types of disability, the process could be made objective. We found that there was a strong interest in this service.

Case Studies - Boosting membership numbers for a Government organisation

Our client is a club of 100 members from Housing Associations and Local Authorities who are interested in sharing the latest knowledge of technical and administrative social housing provision. The issues facing the club were a static membership and variable attendance levels at its seminars.

Leading Edge conducted a broad ranging research programme among the stakeholders to identify what lay behind this.

We found that although the clubs reach was relatively small among all the relevant people in the social housing sector, there is a real thirst for knowledge to meet the changing regulatory and funding environment.

The extent of competition was not so much from other organisations, but for peoples time. However, when time is the big issue, it switches the emphasis of how knowledge is transferred and other knowledge channels do exist.

The scope to provide knowledge to Housing Associations and Arms Length Management organisations is considerable, but Local Authorities are still relevant although their role has changed. Seminars are still valid as a CPD/ networking channel, but there was an opportunity for the content to be cascaded into local discussion groups, white papers, briefing notes and case studies for dissemination.

We recommended that the organisation could attract more members by becoming proactive in networking with the opinion formers and policy advisors. This will help to keep members informed of future policy direction and to access top-level content-providers, firstly as speakers at its events. Then this must be communicated to prospective members.

There was a general need to communicate directly with individuals to reduce the membership churn and drive up attendance levels - email was recommended as easier and lower cost. We suggested a direct marketing campaign using telephone research to find the contacts and win permission to send them relevant material by email in stages. The website also needed developing with links, more content, better graphics and an improved members area.

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