Customer interactions often start and end online. Organizations need to prioritize innovation and collaboration to ensure high levels of community engagement. In a presentation at the 2016 Acquia Engage conference, Nathan Maehren, SVP of Digital for the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, and Chang Xiao, Managing Director at FFW Agency, spoke to the digital transformation currently underway at the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities and, soon, across the larger network of Y’s.
The YMCA’s mission is to play a role in youth development, inspire healthy living and make a change in local communities. Like many nonprofit organizations, resources can be limited; however that is not necessarily a barrier to digital transformation anymore.
Modern community engagement starts by meeting community members where they are, simplifying access to information and communicating a unified brand. To get there, it’s time for organizations to invest in their digital futures.
The YMCA was faced with the challenge of a decentralized and diverse digital ecosystem. With 2,700 locations and 20 million members in the U.S. alone, Y’s of all shapes and sizes are doing digital nearly 900 different ways. The challenge is not just to centralize their digital experiences but to reach their customers and to serve their communities more effectively.