Start with what is already driving renewal, not what you assume is
At IoIC, the annual planning season now starts with data. Using insight from Layercake’s Engagement and Direct Debit dashboards, the team can see exactly what is driving retention — and where there is room to grow. Instead of guessing what members want, they can pinpoint which activities genuinely deliver value.
That is a small but important reversal. Most associations plan the year’s member communications and events programme first, then look at renewal figures afterwards to see how it went. Starting from the data instead means the planning decisions are made with the answer already in hand.
What the data showed at IoIC
The data revealed some clear, specific patterns. Members who take part in CPD are far more likely to renew. Those active in the IoIC online community see an almost 40% uplift in renewal rates (Figure 1). And when it comes to content, more is not necessarily better — clarity, relevance and personalisation matter most.
None of this was obvious in advance. It is easy to assume that publishing more content, or running more events, is the safe way to demonstrate value. IoIC’s data pointed the other way: fewer, better-targeted touchpoints outperformed volume.
From insight to action
These insights led to practical changes: new communications that highlight CPD opportunities specifically, “meet and greet” sessions for new members, and a sharper focus on serving content that meets members where they are in their careers, rather than a single generic stream for everyone.
None of these are large, expensive interventions. They are ordinary operational decisions — what to say, to whom, and when — made differently because the evidence pointed somewhere specific instead of somewhere plausible.
The mindset shift that matters more than the dashboard
What stands out in the conversation with IoIC is not just the numbers, but the mindset. IoIC is embedding data into every level of decision-making — from board dashboards to everyday member interactions — creating a culture where evidence, not assumption, guides the next step.
That is the harder half of the work, and the half a dashboard alone cannot do. This is a good example of how data, used thoughtfully, can strengthen connection, shape strategy, and create a member experience that genuinely delivers value.[1]
References
- Layercake, “Turning Data into Decisions: How IoIC Is Using Insight to Shape Member Experience,” 30 October 2025.