Customer Success Story | Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS)

This video presents a customer success story detailing how the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) leveraged community engagement and marketing automation tools from Higher Logic to better serve its growing, global membership base. The primary goal of RAPS, as stated in the video, is to support regulatory professionals in their mission to create an atmosphere of better public health for the future. The organization recognized that as it expanded both in membership size and global reach, it needed a centralized, robust platform to maintain member connection and deliver value.

The core strategy implemented by RAPS was the establishment of the "Regulatory Exchange" community, which is positioned as the central hub of the entire organization. A critical investment supporting this initiative was the hiring of a full-time Higher Logic Community Manager, which RAPS identifies as one of the best investments made in their community infrastructure. This focus on dedicated management has paid dividends, resulting in the community now being ranked as one of RAPS' most highly used and valuable member benefits. This success underscores the principle that technology adoption must be paired with dedicated human resources for optimal engagement and value delivery.

Beyond community engagement, RAPS also implemented marketing automation to streamline internal processes and gain deeper insights into member needs. In the association world, retention is paramount, and RAPS observes a direct correlation between engagement and renewal rates. Specifically, they noted that volunteers—who are highly engaged members—show continuously increasing renewal numbers because they feel a strong sense of community and belonging. Marketing automation has transformed the department's ability to listen to customers, making the connection between what members need and what RAPS produces a tangible reality. This capability allows RAPS to dynamically tailor its offerings and communications, ensuring the organization remains relevant and valuable to its specialized audience of regulatory affairs professionals.

Key Takeaways:

• Centralized Community Strategy: RAPS successfully positioned its online platform, the "Regulatory Exchange," as the central hub for the organization, essential for managing a growing and globally expanding membership base within the highly specialized regulatory affairs sector.
• Investment in Dedicated Management: A crucial factor in the community's success was the investment in a full-time Higher Logic Community Manager, highlighting that technology platforms require dedicated human oversight and expertise to maximize member engagement and platform utility.
• Engagement Drives Retention: The video reinforces the well-documented association principle that a more engaged member is significantly more likely to renew their membership. RAPS specifically tracks increasing renewal rates among its highly engaged volunteer base, confirming the value of fostering a sense of belonging.
• Community as a Top Member Benefit: The Regulatory Exchange community has become one of RAPS' most highly used and valuable member benefits, demonstrating the necessity of providing peer-to-peer interaction and resource sharing for professionals in complex fields like regulatory affairs.
• Marketing Automation for Insight: Implementation of marketing automation has streamlined RAPS’ internal marketing processes and, more importantly, made "listening to our customers" a reality. This technology enables the organization to connect member needs and wants directly to the content and services it produces.
• Connecting Needs to Output: The ability to link customer demands (regulatory professionals' specific challenges) with organizational output (training, resources, networking) is a key outcome of the integrated community and automation strategy, ensuring RAPS' offerings remain relevant and timely.
• Supporting Public Health Mission: The underlying mission of RAPS—supporting regulatory professionals in creating better public health—is directly supported by these engagement tools, as they facilitate the rapid sharing of information and best practices among the professional community.
• Value Proposition for Specialized Audiences: For organizations serving highly specialized, regulated fields (like life sciences), providing a dedicated, managed community space is critical for knowledge exchange, professional development, and maintaining organizational relevance.

Tools/Resources Mentioned:

• Higher Logic: The platform utilized by RAPS for both community management and marketing automation.
• Regulatory Exchange: The specific online community platform established by RAPS for its members.

Key Concepts:

• Member Engagement: The active participation and interaction of members within the association, directly correlated with member satisfaction and retention rates.
• Marketing Automation: Software that automates repetitive marketing tasks (like email campaigns, segmentation, and data tracking) to improve efficiency and gain deeper insights into customer behavior.
• Regulatory Professionals: Individuals responsible for ensuring that pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device products comply with government regulations (e.g., FDA, EMA) throughout the development and commercial lifecycle.