Applying the Three-Level Strategy Framework

The Three-Level Framework for Community Strategy

As the community profession matures, practitioners are encouraged to move beyond static frameworks and adopt iterative models that suit their specific organizational needs. A proposed "Three-Level" strategy focuses on separating the interests of the business from the needs of the customer, while underpinning everything with community health as a non-negotiable foundation.

Level 1: The Business Level

This level is defined by the organization's strategic goals. Success here is measured by how well the community supports the broader corporate mission. The language used here must be the language of the business, such as operating costs, market share, or customer retention.

Level 2: The Customer Level

The customer level focuses on the specific pain points and challenges faced by members. Crucially, this requires using the customer's own terminology. For example, if a customer complains about "repeat troubleshooting calls," the community strategy should focus on that specific phrase rather than abstractly discussing "support optimization."