In Section II, we talk about the different philosophies, strategies, and tools that make Membership Economy organizations successful. In this section, I focus on some real-world examples of organizations that thrive in the Membership Economy. You’ll meet some of the pioneers of the Membership Economy, get an inside peek at their organizations, and get some insights into what they have done well. At the end of each chapter are takeaways.

I’ve divided this section into six chapters, each of which describes and illustrates a particular type of organization that is part of the Membership Economy:

  1. Digital subscriptions

  2. Online community models

  3. Loyalty programs

  4. Traditional Membership Economy companies

  5. Small businesses and consultancies

  6. Nonprofits, professional societies, and trade associations

While the categories have lots of overlap and don’t include every type of organization in the Membership Economy, they can give you a good sense of the breadth and depth of this trend. At the end of each chapter is a summary of key learnings.

As I suggest in the Introduction, you can skip around and focus on the topics and organizations that seem most relevant to your unique situation. But I encourage you to explore others, even those that seem different from you, to see what they are doing to build membership.

Table III summarizes the key learnings you will find in this section.

Table III The Many Varieties of Membership Economy Organizations