Radio Advisory Board of Canada

The radio frequency (RF) spectrum is a public resource. Wi-Fi and drones use it. So do medical devices and emergency communications. The Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC) is the top advisor on how to manage the spectrum.

With a wave of new companies relying on access, RABC wanted to reaffirm their value to members, government, and the broader radiocommunications industry. From one advisor to another, we worked together on how to communicate that value and how to reduce friction for new members.

Client

Sector

Communications

Services

Brand strategy / Customer experience strategy / Design services / Video production

research & discovery

Dialing in on the problem

We sat down with stakeholders, members, and partners to learn about the industry and how RABC’s membership model worked. The process also included studying the market and the behaviour of both primary and secondary audiences. Our research uncovered three key findings:

The current membership model limits eligibility

Private companies and independent members struggle to join RABC because its membership model is designed for associations.

RABC isn’t speaking directly to decision makers

Communications are aimed at radio engineers and SMEs, even though business development managers and executives sign off on memberships.

The tech landscape is growing faster than RABC

So many new users are accessing the RF spectrum and RABC’s current membership model limits the potential for growth.

strategy & execution

Tuning into the solution

The strategy was to position RABC as an agile advisor—a leader in an industry that’s always changing, a business and policy enabler, and an expert on how to use the RF spectrum. To drive memberships, we suggested offering tiers for both associations and emerging businesses. And to balance credibility with growth, we defined audience groups and value propositions that engaged both technical experts and decision-makers.