RHS Wisley – blending research and data for a holistic picture
Case study overview
At Trueology, every project begins with a simple principle: insight should be tailored to your organisation’s needs. We work closely with clients to understand not just the questions they want answered, but the decisions those answers will support. Some challenges require research; others rely on analytics. Often, the most meaningful insight comes from combining both, designing a bespoke approach that is collaborative, strategic, and adaptive.
When the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) faced disruption from National Highways’ A3/M25 Junction 10 roadworks near RHS Garden Wisley, it was clear that neither research nor analytics alone would provide the full picture. Together, we designed a blended programme combining survey research, operational data, and external analytics to understand both perception and behaviour.
Blended research approach
Survey Tracking: An online survey (Wave 6, n=514, October 2024) captured visitor perceptions of access, visit frequency, and general sentiment. This provided insight into both perceived and actual changes in experience.
Operational & Membership Data: Analytics covered acquisitions, cancellations, member visits, and matured renewal behaviour. Retention outputs gave further context to how members were responding.
External Variables: Factors like weather and drive-time were included to separate perception from reality and identify the roadworks’ true impact.
This blended method delivered a clear, evidence-based view of the disruption and its impact on membership and visitor engagement.
Key insights
Holistic Picture of Impact: Combined survey and operational data gave RHS a full understanding of both perception and behaviour.
Evidence-Based Decisions: Insights informed operational planning and supported RHS’s compensation claim with credible, publicly referenced evidence.
Retention & Engagement Planning: Identified which member segments were most affected, guiding targeted communications and mitigation strategies.
External Factor Clarity: Accounting for weather, travel time, and other variables isolated the real effect of the roadworks.
Future-Proofing Insight: The staged, blended approach provides a blueprint for evaluating future disruptions, helping RHS monitor not just “what happened” but “why.”
Outcome
Throughout the project, our guiding principle remained: insight should drive impact. By combining research and analytics in partnership with RHS, we turned complex data into actionable understanding, helping the organisation protect membership engagement, plan strategically, and continue delivering horticultural excellence.
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