A national professional society asked NorthStar for an outside view of its competitive position before an important Board discussion about its future direction.
The Challenge
The society’s field had become crowded with organizations offering overlapping content, events and community. The Board needed a fact-based picture of where the society stood, who it was really competing with and which audiences it was best positioned to serve.
What We Did
- Conducted stakeholder interviews to understand how members and partners see the society
- Analyzed the competitive landscape and segmented the society’s audiences
- Developed positioning and recommendations for how the society can stand out
- Prepared a Board pre-read and room slides designed to support a focused, decision-oriented discussion
- Set up a weekly competitive signal scan to track changes in the landscape
Why It Matters
Boards make better choices when they share the same facts. A clear pre-read and a structured discussion helped leaders spend their time on direction, not on debating the starting point. Recommendations are only the beginning: NorthStar can also staff and carry out the work that follows.
Where This Fits on the NorthStar Project Path
Discover (interviews and research) and Define (positioning and Board recommendations).
The leaders you meet are the leaders who stay. At NorthStar, strategy and execution go hand in hand. Our senior leaders work closely with you to understand your members, define your priorities, and shape a path forward. And they don’t disappear once the plan is approved. They stay engaged, working alongside a dedicated team to bring your vision to life. See how we take projects from discovery to execution, browse more of our work, or let’s talk about your project.