It’s something of a modern marketing maxim to say that people today are less interested in buying things and more interested in consuming experiences—usually distinctive and personalized ones at that. Your club’s members are undoubtedly passionate about one of the activities that your club offers. They could be golfers or wine collectors, tennis players or card players, sailors or squash players. They’ve probably been involved in their activity of choice for many years, to the point that it is a central element in their lives. It’s what they do.
While club membership gives them the opportunity to take their passion to a higher level, above all else, people become a member because they want to be part of a community that shares their passion. Membership is ultimately a pursuit of the one thing people value most, which is a sense of belonging.
Successful clubs in 2020 will achieve dramatic gains in satisfaction and membership as they succeed in delivering exceptional experiences that delight club members. Furthermore, competing along this particular dimension will allow clubs to achieve a lasting competitive advantage over the more commercial offerings vying for members’ time and money.
What Clubs Do Best
Competitive advantage is often achieved with respect to facilities: resort-style pools, well-manicured golf courses, state-of-the art fitness centers and luxurious spas. This is something clubs have done in the past and that they will continue to do in the future, but it is not enough.
Private club members are clearly in search of exceptional experiences. They are among a select group of people that has the passion, lifestyle and resources to be part of a club community. Keeping their attention and driving engagement is more difficult than ever. The physical and digital places they can go for entertainment is almost limitless. While they may not have done it all, most of them have traveled extensively, been to the latest hot restaurant or been to premier resorts. Clubs must be aware of what creates differentiation.
The advantage that will place the highest barriers to competitive inroads will be the club’s relationship and understanding of its members. This knowledge advantage is already being leveraged by the best clubs. They are achieving this by investing in new and better facilities, analyzing member data, applying digital technologies, adding the personalized touch through empowering the club staff, and, most crucially, by implementing member-centric management across the club organization.