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Benefits And Benefits Of Membership Programs Essay

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The use of membership programs is an international phenomenon and has been growing in the profit and non-profit sectors (Slater, 2005). Many organizations have utilized membership programs to encourage or facilitate interaction and collaboration with their current consumers, as well as to promote and recruit new ones. As important competitive marketing tools, tens of thousands of membership programs with millions of members exist in a variety of settings, including museums, galleries, zoological and botanical gardens, theaters, and other cultural heritage-related attractions, and at festivals and events (Klenosky, Oh, Panek, & Luebke, 2008; Olsson, 2010; Slater, 2005). Memberships are based on the idea of mutual benefits of a relationship. On one hand, organizations offer members tangible and intangible benefits such as free admission and access to special events; on the other hand, members contribute to support organizations as funding, fee revenue, visitors, and volunteering work (Olsson, 2010). In the context of zoological parks, membership programs can serve as an important source of funds to balance operational costs, such as professional salaries, animal care and exhibit expenses, and extra costs for special events (Davey, 2007; Lee, 2015). Membership programs can also establish a base or core group of supporters that attend and promote zoo programs, events, and volunteer opportunities (Camarero & Garrido, 2011; Fraser, Clayton, Sickler, & Taylor, 2009; Olsson, 2010;
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