[SBU Board] Marketing Solutions (Pianola) Update

Thu Nov 7 13:36:18 PST 2019

JC, our web mistress, has some thoughts, too.

On Thu, Nov 7, 2019, 1:34 PM Chris Cookson <chriscookson at shaw.ca> wrote:

> 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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