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.

Going to University? Which ones offer the best benefits?

If you're applying to get into university it may seem as if you have to do everything you can to impress them. But they are keen to impress you too. So keen in fact, that many British universities offer a host of benefits simply by being a student there.   These can range from discounts on books (clearly useful), to cheap wine (clearly essential).  Here's a list of the top twenty universities in the UK offering the most benefits.  

 

Southampton University

Gloucestershire University

University of Oxford

University of Wolverhampton

Hertfordshire University

Heriot-Watt University

Robert Gordon University

University of East Anglia

Anglia Ruskin University

Lincoln University

University College London

University of The Arts London

University of Cambridge

Central Lancashire University

Aberdeen University

East London University

Bath University

Kingston University

Sheffield Hallam University

Coventry University

iMember helps to light up lives of children with life-threatening illnesses

At iMember we understand that the state of the economy means that every penny matters to the UK consumer. With a greater number of people in need and fewer donations coming in, charities also struggle to make ends meet as a result. That is why, in addition to saving the average UK consumer over £100 a year, iMember.co.uk has pledged to donate money that would usually be spent on promotional activities to children’s charity, Lifelites.

Not content with simply saving UK consumers over £100 each a year through offers they are usually unaware of or forget about, iMember is now giving away 5p per new sign up – with a minimum donation set at £250 - to provide education and entertainment technologies to children with short life expectancies.

iMember (http://imember.co.uk/) is a revolutionary new website and app that alerts and reminds UK consumers about money off deals to which they are entitled as members of clubs and organisations – all completely free of charge. To sign up and trigger a donation to Lifelites simply follow this link: http://imember.co.uk?promo=lifelites .

“Helping charities is a natural progression for iMember” said Richard Brown, Founder of the organisation. “As a company, we offer help to people; saving them money and helping them get the most out of their memberships and I am very proud that we are branching out to supporting the incredible work carried out by Lifelites.”

 

In order to start saving money and make the most of your memberships, visit iMember.co.uk via http://imember.co.uk?promo=lifelites and 5p will go towards giving children with limited life unlimited possibilities.

Developing and designing the iMember app

Our new app was designed  and  developed  by  SMACK. Launched in 2012, they have been shortlisted as one of the top new digital agencies by Net  Magazine and  flagged  as one  of  the  top  10  creative  agencies to  watch  in  2013  by Creative Bloq. The  iMember  app,  now  available  to  download from App Store and Google Play, gives users access to thousands  of rewards and membership benefits whilst on the go.

SMACK developed the hybrid HTML5 mobile app using open source scalable technology  capable of future proofing the inherent big data requirements.

Sel-Vin  Kuik,  SMACK’s  technical  director  describes the development:

“For  us  the  challenge  was to  deliver  content that could be searched by natural language and geography to provide the user with  instant, relevant results.  We have allowed for complex connections between the thousands  of benefits available on the database through implementing a fine-tuned search indexer.” Kuik  adds:  “The  choice  to  use  hybrid  technology  was  an  easy  one. The  client  wanted  a  multi-platform  solution,  while  keeping  costs  down. We’ve  built  the  iMember  app  using  Adobe  PhoneGap.  Hybrid  solutions  no  longer  forfeit  processing  speeds  the  support  for  HTML5 is improving with every generation of smartphone, and the speed and capability of  the current mobile browsers mean we can really push hybrid apps to match the standard  expected from native”. Available  benefits on  the  mobile  app can  be  searched  by  product  type,  location  or  organisation with users  sent  instant  access  to  deals  and  step-by-step  advice  on  how  to  claim them.

Heading up the design team, Lubna Keawpanna, SMACK’s creative director said:

“In a crowded space,any new app has to stand out, yet at the same time illuminate the user to  the app function. The user experience on the app is more personalized on the mobile app,  as  it  identifies  your  location  and  immediately  shows  you benefits in  your  vicinity. We  continued  with  the urban minimalist  feel,  breaking  away  from  the  cluttered  approach  of  most  money-saving  sites. We  highlighted the  features a  user needs  whilst on  the  go  to  enhance the mobile user experience

We think Smack have done a fantastic job, and hope you do too.   You can download the app for Android and iPhone/iPad by clicking on the buttons below.

New iMember App shows you where it pays to belong

We have made it easier than ever for our users to claim their ‘forgotten’ fringe benefits by launching a brand new iPhone and Android App – available to download completely free of charge.

It’s money for nothing, you just have to remember you’re a member.  But with so many UK consumers needing a little reminder every now and then – and that’s where the new iMember App comes in.

I've been testing the app for a few weeks.  I belong to a number of organisations, like The AA, and my gym, I subscribe to the Times, and get my insurance from MoreThan but I was always forgetting the fringe benefits they offered.  This app helps me remember I’m a member when I am out and about.   It was a natural progression for iMember to combine the benefits of membership with the growing capabilities of smartphones. Using GPS technology, it shows the user all current discounts and promotions in their location with an interactive map – whether you are at home,  on holiday, on the local high street or on the train to work.

The app can give an electronic ‘nudge’ or push notification when you are close to a benefit.  Reminders are given at a distance of between 0.5 – 10 miles from the smartphone’s location, and  this can easily be adjusted in ‘settings’ so nudges are more or less frequent depending on your preference.

Taking the ease of use and flexibility of the website, and adding improved accessibility via a handheld smartphone, it can be adapted to meet every user’s specific needs.  Whether searching for available benefits by product type, location or organisation, users get instant access to deals and step-by-step advice on how to claim them – it’s that simple.  Looking for somewhere to eat? The iMember app will tell you which restaurants near you offer discounts because of who you are.  Want to go to an attraction?  iMember makes sure you don’t miss out on what you are entitled to.

The feedback we're getting from early users has been very positive: "The service is great and I've used it to get free national trust passes as didn't realise my bank offered these." says Chris. "when I was out today it told me about an English Heritage benefit!"  says Lucy.

To get the app just click on the button below:

You can use the app to update the organisations you subscribe to, or use the website. 

Can't remember what you belong to?

A number of people have said they can’t remember what organisations they belong to or services they subscribe to.  To help out, here are some lists to jog the memory.

The Top 100 Most Popular Organisations Nectar Tesco Halifax Nationwide FlexAccount Automobile Association National Trust Virgin Media Barclays Premier The Times RAC First Direct British Sky Broadcasting Group Vodafone HSBC Premier Santander Reward Current Account English Heritage Unison Civil Service Members Association O2 American Express Lloyds TSB Platinum Orange BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT O2 Priority Moments Daily Telegraph More Than Royal Society of Chemistry TalkTalk Durham University Alumni Community Mumsnet Aviva National Union of Students-Students and Apprentices Co-operative Health Service Discounts Axa Ppp Healthcare Institute of Advanced Motoring Edinburgh University Virgin Mobile Natwest Bank Select Silver Account National Union of Students-Graduates Lloyds TSB Gold Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development David Lloyd Caravan Club Public and Commercial Services Union University College London Co-operative Bank Privilege Premier University of East Anglia Green Flag Cardiff University Kent Science Park National Trust for Scotland Manchester University Co-operative Bank Privilege Natwest Advantage Gold Eon University of Cambridge British Gas Royal Bank of Scotland Select Silver University of Greenwich Marriott Hotel Unite Prudential UKNetMonitor Running Bug BT Lloyds TSB Premier Middlesex University Labour Party Association of Optometrists College of Optometrists General Optical Council Liverpool University Lincoln University University of Oxford National Union of Teachers London School of Economics Clydesdale Bank Private Dial Direct Car Insurance Association of Accounting Technicians National Association of Probation officers Privilege British Medical Association UK Council For Psychotherapy Cadw Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing British Association For Shooting And Conservation British Contact Lens Association Royal Society for the Protection of Birds National Association of Pension Funds Edinburgh Napier University Maidstone Orchestral Society Royal Commonwealth Society University of York Youth Hostel Association First Division Association Camping and Caravanning Club Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Institute of Chartered Accountants In England and Wales Central Lancashire University British Airline Pilots Association

Top 100 Organisations with most benefits Ski Club Great Britain Automobile Association National Union of Students-Students and Apprentices Southampton University London Cycling Campaign Gloucestershire University National Union of Students-Graduates Sunderland AFC Barclays Premier British Bee Keeping Association David Lloyd Nationwide Group Staff Union University of Oxford University of Wolverhampton Mumsnet More Than Hertfordshire University Long Distance Walkers Association HSBC Advance Institute of Fundraising Heriot-Watt University Camping and Caravanning Club Norwich City FC Robert Gordon University Institute of Chartered Accountants In England and Wales Active Newcastle University of East Anglia Cyclists Touring Club Rugby Players Association National Association for Gallery Education King's College London Arboricultural Association Anglia Ruskin University Lincoln University University College London Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum Institute of Paralegals Scottish Canoe Association Surfing Great Britain British Allied Trade Federation University of The Arts London RAC University of Cambridge Prudential Scottish Youth Hostels Association Institute of Certified Public Accountants In Ireland East London University Central Lancashire University Association of Teachers And Lecturers Aberdeen University The Times Tourism Society England Golf Institute of Recruiters Inland Waterways Association Kew Royal Botanic Gardens Kingston University Sheffield Hallam University Association of Optometrists Bath University Public and Commercial Services Union Union of Shop Distributive And Allied Workers Alice Holt Discovery Pass AECB, the Sustainable Building Association Bar Council Association for Perioperative Practice Northampton University Coventry University Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln Spokes British Rowing Association of School And College Leaders Mountaineering Council of Scotland Usability Professionals Association National Association of Co-operative Officials Dalby Discovery Pass Sheffield University Liverpool University Cardiff Met Buckingham University Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Institute of Continuing Professional Development Oxford Brookes University Saga Nottingham Trent University Delamere Discovery Pass Direct Marketing Association Axa Ppp Healthcare D&AD Les Croupiers Running Club Caledonian Club Civil Service Members Association University College Birmingham National Osteoporosis Society NFU Scotland Association of Taxation Technicians Jelly Legs Running Club Forest of Dean Discovery Pass Law Society of England and Wales

The list all the organisations we have on iMember is too long to post here, but you can search for your organisation at http://imember.co.uk .  If yours is not there then please let us know. Drop us an email at hello@imember.co.uk.