[SBU Board] Marketing Solutions (Pianola) Update

Thu Nov 7 13:23:55 PST 2019

JP Webber, D19 webmaster is investigating costs and alternatives.

C

On Thu, Nov 7, 2019, 1:20 PM D19D- Julie Smith, <District19Director at acbl.org>
wrote:

> Thanks for sharing this with me, Time. This will certainly mean a
> significant cost for our district and for our units, if we wish to continue
> with email notifications. I will follow up, and keep you informed regarding
> this change.
> Julie
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Tim White <trkwhite at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Thursday, November 7, 2019 10:08 AM
> *To:* D19D- Julie Smith <District19Director at acbl.org>
> *Cc:* Seattle ACBL Unit Board <sbuboard at mailman.celestial.com>;
> ralph.wilhelmi at comcast.net <ralph.wilhelmi at comcast.net>;
> chumstick2 at frontier.com <chumstick2 at frontier.com>; David Schmidt <
> davidschmidt at shaw.ca>; dudley6855 at gmail.com <dudley6855 at gmail.com>;
> chriscookson at shaw.ca <chriscookson at shaw.ca>; ngstock at telus.net <
> ngstock at telus.net>; Eric Sieg <easieg at gmail.com>; kathie.hoehne at gmail.com
> <kathie.hoehne at gmail.com>; Marv Norden <marv.norden at gmail.com>; Marla
> Patterson <navy.golf.mp at gmail.com>; Ron Krueger <rwakrueger at yahoo.com>;
> Sharon Erwin <hilo2015sse at gmail.com>; Lawrence Pocock <ycwood007 at gmail.com>;
> Tom Anderson <andersontg at shaw.ca>
> *Subject:* Fwd: Marketing Solutions (Pianola) Update
>
>
> [OUTSIDE Email]
> Hi Julie,
>
> You might not have received the forwarded email below.  It is likely
> directed to persons who use this tool to send out email blasts in
> connection with marketing (advertising) bridge events such as sectional and
> regional tournaments, I/N events, district GNT and NAP finals, and similar.
>
> I believe most all folks who use the tool above would characterize it as
> an indispensable aid in getting the word out to members on upcoming
> events.  You are probably an occasional recipient of such email sent out
> using the tool.
>
> As a district board member, as a regular user of the tool for marketing
> D19 GNT and NAP finals events, and as a ACBL member, I'm concerned about
> the coming change indicated in the forwarded email below.  About two years
> ago there was a similar effort to terminate implementation of the tool as
> it was then set up.  As I recall, at the time the ACBL BoD even voted to
> make that change as a “cost avoidance" for the League — Marv would likely
> recall.  There was an outcry and the tool was left in place “as is" — until
> now.
>
> This time, it seems the change is being made without consulting users,
> unit and district officials -- or possibly even the ACBL BoD.  Perhaps ACBL
> mgmt is the initiator(?).  Perhaps ACBL mgmt sees it as a "cost avoidance.”
>  This is misguided.
>
> It appears this amounts to ACBL abandoning a single blanket account with
> the provider in favor of leaving it to districts, units, (clubs?), to set
> up their own accounts and pay the provider directly.  At the ACBL
> enterprise level, this is a transference of cost, not a cost saving or
> avoidance.  And, as the provider would now need to implement scores of
> billing accounts across individual users (rather than a single account at
> the ACBL enterprise level), there would likely be an increase in their
> account maintenance costs — surely ultimately to be passed along to users
> in the pricing structure.  If ACBL, as a single account holder, were to
> continue in the role of negotiating and contracting for rights to use of
> the tool -- rather then leaving it to scores of individual users -- it
> would likely retain greater leverage in negotiating favorable terms and
> pricing.  The provider would surely be more responsive to making “fixes”
> (as have been needed and requested from time to time by users) and
> attentive to maintaining an affordable pricing structure if it continued to
> have a sole account with the ABCL.
>
> It seems this announced change has not been well thought out.  Users
> weren’t consulted.  It wouldn't appear to save any cost at the ACBL
> enterprise level — instead transferring them to users with an attendant
> loss of collective leverage.  Is it known whether a district would be able
> to license with the provider for use of the tool and thereby gain coverage
> for its use by units and clubs within the district — or would every single
> user need to sign up for an account on their own?  An example of other
> relevant questions:  if implemented, would districts and/or units see a
> return of funds from ACBL in amounts corresponding to what ACBL has paid
> the provider in the past for units’ and districts’ use of the tool, but
> under the changed arrangement would no longer be paying?  At the D19 level
> we probably use the tool to advertise 4 to 5 regionals per year (perhaps up
> to six a year with the Anchorage regional), the GNT Finals and the NAP
> Finals — if we were to set up a D19 account with the provider would the six
> or seven persons who normally send out the email blasts still be
> credentialed under such a single account to do so, or would we each need to
> set up our own account, handle the making of payments to the provider and
> seek reimbursement from the district?
>
> It might be that an issue with the current blanket ACBL-wide arrangement
> with the provider is that some units and districts use the tool more
> frequently than others and have larger memberships (and thus larger email
> distribution lists).  This could result in apparent inequities, as some
> districts (e.g. D9) likely incur relatively larger costs and derive greater
> value than others, at the expense of all other entities within the ACBL
> enterprise.  If such a concern is what’s driving the change, there might be
> a better way to remedy it than simply abandoning implementation to
> individual users.
>
> Please review this matter, perhaps you might wish to consult with others,
> and help us better understand why this change is needed and right, whether
> it is being implemented for sound business reasons and delivers best value
> in aggregate, and how it would work in practice at the district, unit and
> club levels (and combinations of these levels).
>
> It appears this is an urgent matter, as loss of access to the tool in its
> present implementation will take place at the end of next month.
>
> Cc addressees may see it differently, or similarly, and wish to weigh in
> with their views, comments and suggestions.
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Tim
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> *From: *"ACBL" <emailservices at acbl.org>
> *Subject: **Marketing Solutions (Pianola) Update*
> *Date: *November 4, 2019 at 11:46:21 AM PST
> *To: *<trkwhite at gmail.com>
> *Reply-To: *emailservices at acbl.org
>
> [image: American Contract Bridge League] <http://www.acbl.org/>
>
> *Dear Marketing Solutions User,*
>
> We hope you enjoy using Marketing Solutions, powered by Pianola to stay
> connected to your members. So far, 16 million emails have been sent with
> this tool.
>
> As you know, Marketing Solutions gives you complete control over the
> content of emails and the sending schedule. You can also segment your
> audience by rank or masterpoints to enhance your marketing strategies.
>
> In the last year, we've made more improvements. Each unit/district has its
> own separate subscription list, meaning a member who has unsubscribed from
> ACBL emails can still receive unit/district emails. This enlarges your
> audience by about 30%! New email template designs were also added.
>
> ACBL funded the development of Marketing Solutions and the first two years
> of its availability to unit and districts. Due to the tool's success, it
> was decided to extend the contract and ACBL's funding of the service for
> another year.
>
> *In 2020, ownership of Marketing Solutions accounts will be transferred to
> units and districts. Each unit or district wishing to continue using the
> tool will need to contract directly with Pianola.* You can sign up with
> the company easily and quickly now at *pianola.net/acbl*
> <https://www.pianola.net/acbl>. (You will be able to maintain your
> current login information.)
>
> Until the end of 2019, your account will operate as it does today with
> ACBL funding.
>
> If you need a refresher on using Marketing Solutions, you can view the
> "Marketing Solutions 101" webinar at *acbl.org/webinars*
> <https://www.acbl.org/marketing_page/webinars/>. For technical support,
> continue to contact Mary Maier at Baron Barclay at 1-800-274-2221 or
> *mary at baronbarclay.com* <mary at baronbarclay.com>.
>
> Going to the San Francisco NABC? Pianola's founder, James Ward, will be
> there from Friday, Nov. 29, to Monday, Dec. 2, to answer your questions in
> person.
>
> Thank you,
> The ACBL Team
> join us on social media /  [image: Twitter]
> <https://twitter.com/ACBLbridge> [image: Facebook]
> <https://www.facebook.com/ACBLbridge> [image: Youtube]
> <https://www.youtube.com/user/ACBLvideo>
> -
> PRIVACY POLICY
> <http://www.acbl.org/about-acbl/administration/privacy-policy/>
> We have contacted you because this message contains important information.
>
>
> 2019 ACBL, All rights reserved.
>
>
>
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