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Seth Godin has a nice post this morning on his blog about the difference between apples and blueberries. If you produce apples, he says, the consumption model is such that a bad one here and there won't hurt too much as long as the good ones are really, really good. So your goal is to make the good ones the absolute very best. You want people to remember your great apples.

Contrast that with blueberries, which are eaten several at a time. One bad blueberry spoils it, so your production goal is consistent quality. You want to make blueberries that are consistently very good and have zero defects.

The point Godin makes is you need to know in which model your organization functions so you know where to put your emphasis. When I think about this in conjunction with associations, these are some of my thoughts:

Large meetings, with breakout sessions: It's counterintuitive, because it seems like people consume them in multiples like blueberries, but I would argue you should treat them like apples. If you can deliver a couple really big juicy ones that attendees love, they'll forgive the other mediocrity.

Online coursework: I could be swayed on this one, but I lean toward the counterintuitive blueberry. Yes, of course you want to be great, like apple production, but throwing together one that goes bad potentially ruins all of them. I think I'd put my emphasis on consistent quality here.

Articles & information: I think it depends. For the people who know you and like you, then I lean toward the consistent quality of blueberries. But if you want to attract the attention of those outside your group or on the fringe, then you want to wow them with the most delicious apple they've ever tasted.

Advocacy: This is a tough one. So tough, I have to change the rules. I think most groups are blueberries trying desperately to produce apples. I think the cacophony that bombards those you want to influence means they're not going to consume your blueberries or your apples. You need something entirely different. A Purple Cow maybe.