The difference between being a subscriber and being a member of an organisation

The Times (of London) runs a very broad scheme offering a range of benefits and rewards to its readers who subscribe, Times+.  Interestingly I received a survey from them this morning asking a number of questions, including "the difference between being a subscriber and being a member of an organisation".  They then go on to ask the more direct "To what extent do you consider yourself a member of Times+?".  This presages the launch of an "Introduce-a-Friend" scheme, but raises an interesting challenge for any organisation offering benefits and rewards.

There is a plethora of rewards, benefits, discounts, and vouchers to be had. You can't open your inbox without being offered 10% discounts on something. A myriad of websites exist to exchange information on available discount codes. How to stand out in this, less than appealing, crowd?  The answer is membership. Significantly, The Times' website is call www.mytimesplus.co.uk/.

We don't want to collect vouchers and coupons but we all want to save money. There is a special satisfaction in knowing we have really saved money. If everyone can do it, then it's just a price cut. We don't feel that we have saved anything. We want to feel exclusive, special.

Around three-quarters of British adults are members of at least one organisation or subscribe to a service.[Source: ComRes]. So what is the difference?  I think of my subscriptions as regular payments in exchange for a particular service. So this includes my Sky TV, my mobile phone, my gym, my insurance policies, my banking, and my newspaper. The iMember website confirms that nearly all of these offer some fringe benefits above and beyond the service I am paying for.  So what does membership offer that a subscription doesn't?  Do The AA's members feel any different from Green Flag's customers?

The membership we have of clubs, societies, unions, and professional bodies is different because, in addition to the services they provide, membership offers less tangible benefits: a sense of shared interest, a common purpose with a community of like-minded people, and more than anything, a feeling of belonging and recognition. We carry our membership cards with pride. This comes back to feeling special. It's being part of a club that not everyone else is in. I can enjoy the fringe benefits that membership brings because of who I am, rather than simply because I can afford to subscribe to something.  Membership is part of my identity,it reflects my interests, my concerns, my passions, whereas subscription is just shopping.