Using Insight to Shape Strategy: Member Research for Birmingham Law Society

Professional bodies like Birmingham Law Society (BLS) play a vital role in supporting, connecting, and representing their members - but delivering value to a diverse membership base requires more than events and updates. It demands insight.

I was commissioned to support BLS with a programme of member research and segmentation to help them better understand their audiences and make more informed decisions about service design, communications, and strategic direction.

From data to decisions

The Society had a wealth of anecdotal understanding about its members - but needed something more structured and actionable. My work focused on:

• Designing and delivering a member-wide survey

• Conducting qualitative insight sessions with key member segments

• Analysing trends across career stages, firm types, and practice areas

• Building a segmentation model that would help BLS understand needs, behaviours, and motivations across its audience

I also provided a written report with clear recommendations for how the insights could be used - not just for strategic planning, but for day-to-day improvements in content, tone, and member touchpoints.

Supporting the team to act on insight

One of the most valuable outcomes was helping the BLS team embed the findings into their internal planning. Insight is only useful if it’s acted on, so I delivered tailored briefings that mapped how different departments - from events to partnerships to policy - could use the segmentation model to guide decision-making.

The work also supported the development of audience personas that could be used across the organisation - not just in marketing, but in shaping new offers and member communications.

What the project delivered

• A comprehensive member insight report, combining quant and qual findings

• A segmentation framework to guide BLS’s engagement strategy

• Tailored recommendations across content, comms, partnerships, and programming

• Support in turning findings into clear next steps for the leadership team and staff

Why this matters

For membership organisations, relevance is everything. But with shifting member demographics, evolving work patterns, and external pressures, it’s hard to keep a finger on the pulse without a structured approach to insight.

This project gave Birmingham Law Society the tools to do just that - helping them not only understand who their members are, but how to serve them better.

Need help understanding your audience?

The Innovation Office supports professional bodies, charities, and networks to build member insight that informs strategy and strengthens engagement. From segmentation to research reporting, we help you see the story in your data.