Do-It-Yourself Desktop Publishing

Most clubs and resorts can save time and money by bringing at least part of their publication production in-house.

by Ann McDonald (editor@clubandresortbusiness.com)
July 2007
 

Summing It Up • Producing your own newsletters and other marketing pieces in-house can be more cost-effective than outsourcing. • Call upon each department head or members to write articles for a newsletter. • Keeping in touch through both print and electronic formats allows members and guests to get information in the way they prefer.

Even in a world where people seem to be endlessly connected to computers, cell phones and other devices for a constant stream of information, there’s still a use for printed pieces that people can have, hold and peruse at their leisure. In the club world, while many properties have now partnered with Web site providers, or struck out on their own, to greatly enhance their electronic interchanges with members and guests, printed communications still play an important role. And as desktop publishing software has become cheaper and easier to use, more properties are finding that a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach is the best way to keep costs down and positive impressions high.

At the Peninsula Yacht Club in Cornelious, N.C., Loraine Vienne shopped around to consider a few different approaches for the club’s newsletter after taking over the General Manager position a little over a year ago. The club, which had previously outsourced newsletter production to a graphic designer, had decided to reexamine all aspects of its communications with members,  as part of a push to upscale the club.

Vienne quickly found that the two-color newsletter being produced by the outside vendor could just as easily be done in-house with new desktop publishing software. “When I compared the cost to buy a program versus going to a graphic designer, I found it was basically the same,” she says. “Time-wise, we have a lot more control [producing our newsletter in-house]. There was a lot of wasted space before. Now we have control over which events to emphasize.”

Peninsula YC now produces a four-color newsletter 10 times a year and a two-color newsletter during the busier months. The newsletter highlights events, member activities and club departments, and includes a calendar on the back page—with events and club hours—that members can tear off to hang on their refrigerators or post in other frequently viewed places.  

While only two staff members focus directly on the newsletter, Vienne says she relies on department heads from each area of the club to submit articles and other materials. “We get a lot of comments from members about how drastically the newsletter has improved and how much more they like it,” she reports.

The club also keeps members in the loop through its Web site, where a one-page, user-friendly version of the newsletter is posted. Regular e-mail “blasts” are also used, especially if reservations are low for a certain event, to send out electronic reminders to members about upcoming events and encourage them to register.  

More Control
Like the Peninsula YC, the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC) recently switched from an outside vendor to produce its newsletter in-house, after examining the cost-benefits of each approach. Stephen Wilson, Assistant Manager, agrees that one big benefit of desktop publishing is control over the final product.

“Previously, articles were gathered and sent to an outside designer, who did the job in a one-color format,” says Wilson. “Since switching to an in-house approach, we have saved money on a designer and gone to full-color printing, with an expanded monthly publication.”

By doing all of the design work in-house, the club can also incorporate more timely information from tournaments and club events, Wilson confirms. The money saved by not using an outside vendor was put towards the cost of printing in full color. 

Another benefit of in-house design, Wilson says, is that instead of printing up “masters” on an annual basis, the club can now change its cover photo monthly, for “seasonally correct” views of the many beautiful locations on its grounds.
While production of the LACC newsletter is a team effort, in the end most of the work falls on Wilson, who manages the coverage from various departments, gathers photographs, and does the entire layout. Several employees and members have monthly contributions that they e-mail to Wilson for formatting and placement in the newsletter. All copy is prepared and edited in  Microsoft Word, and then transferred to Quark Xpress for formatting, layout and final printing.

The biggest challenge for the club now that it’s gone to an in-house approach, Wilson says, is sticking to deadlines amid the constant activity. “With a busy club like ours, we have no shortage of events to promote, or past tournaments to highlight,” he notes. But despite the hectic pace, staff members recognize the value of the monthly newsletter and are willing contributors. Wilson does try to make sure, however, that the burden of producing the newsletter does not weigh too heavily on any one staff member. “All anyone ever has to do is one short article,” he says.

Putting Members to Work
For the California Yacht Club, the decision of who should be in charge of the club’s newsletter wasn’t so much an outsourcing issue as a staffing issue. Eric Gregory, General Manager of the Marina del Rey-based club, says he realized he didn’t have the in-house resources to produce the high-quality newsletter members would expect. Knowing how important it is to have a professional, attractive newsletter as a tool to promote events, retain members and enhance club membership, it was decided to put production into the hands of those who knew the club best—the members.

With the exception of a Manager’s article by Gregory, all content for California Yacht Club’s monthly newsletter, “Breeze,” is now written, photographed and edited by the members. “The events [at the club] are all chaired by member volunteers; they are the most qualified to report on their success,” Gregory reasons. It was easy to get members interested in producing the newsletter every month, he adds, because of their great pride in all of the club’s events and their ability to provide first-hand accounts about them.

“Breeze” editors are now selected every year by flag officers at the club, based on their qualifications and dedication to committing the time and effort needed to make the publication a success every month. Staff at the California Yacht Club now do little for the newsletter beyond placing ads and approving layouts. An outside designer does the actual layout of the magazine and arranges for its printing by another company.

“It’s taken some time to get all the pieces to work cohesively, but now it works very well,” Gregory says. “We meet with our layout company and printer each year to go over logistical timing and quality issues.”

Knowing Your  Limits
Gregory’s concern over not having enough resources in-house to produce a high-quality newsletter is not an uncommon one among club and resort managers. And in many cases, that concern can lead to the use of outside experts.  

Craig Wilson, General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Club and Spa in Jupiter, Fla., studied some of the best club newsletters in the business before deciding to work with an outside vendor to produce the monthly newsletter for his property.

“We had to make sure that the piece could deliver to the brand standards of the Ritz image,” Wilson says. “The colors, fonts, and weight of the paper used were all key considerations. It took time to create the template we use now.”

The club now works with a publishing company to produce its 12-page monthly newsletter, “Members Link.” Andrea Davis, Communications Manager, meets with the publishing company every month to outline content, review editorial ideas and choose pictures.

While the inital planning, and final production, is done with an outside vendor, Davis says that she still relies on staff from all areas of the club—from the golf shop to the food and beverage and spa teams—to fill her in on what’s happening. “I always keep in mind that other [staff members] are fully packed with their jobs,” she says. “I meet with them quickly to go through what’s going on. I am looking for hints of great stories.”

In addition to mailing out the newsletter and leaving it around the club, Davis says it is also put into a PDF format to be posted on the club’s Web site. And selected stories are also e-mailed to members.

Something for Everyone
Providing information in several different formats is now the underlying goal of the Union League Club of Chicago’s communication strategy. The club now puts out a newsletter, “E-Line,” once a month, as well as a weekly electronic newsletter, “Dateline,” that features four or five items to keep members constantly updated, and a magazine, “State of the Union.” All publications are designed and produced in-house, using a core communications team formed from among staff members.

“Having different print and electronic communications allows members to get information the way they want it,” explains Noel Rozny, Director of Communications. “The e-newsletter started about a year ago. We have a lot of members who use their computers a lot and like to get information electronically.

“We also have so many events at the club every month, and some that get added later, that it’s important to stay in touch with our members [on a more timely basis],” Rozny adds. “The e-newsletter is a nice supplement to the newsletter; it doesn’t get dated.”

Union League Club members now provide e-mail addresses when they join; the club uses an e-mail marketing company to manage e-mail communications, maintain lists and track users. “Pretty much everyone who has e-mail is using [the “E-Line”],” Rozny says.

While the rapid advances in desktop publishing mean there are now almost as many different ways to produce a newsletter as there are newsletters, the end goal for all club and resort managers as they try to take greater advantage of available technology is the same: increasing members’ involvement in club activities, and enhancing the member experience.

“We strive to create more value with our newsletter,” says Wilson of the Ritz-Carlton Club & Spa.  “We want to give members a collateral piece they are proud to put on their coffee tables.”          

The Paperless Trail In addition to producing full-color newsletters, most clubs are also communicating with their members on their Web sites and through e-mail. Software programs have made it easier for clubs to maintain e-mail lists and send out electronic communications to keep their members up to date and informed. As Noel Rozny, Director of Communications for the Union League Club of Chicago says, many younger members prefer e-mail communications, so it’s important that clubs are able to provide information in as many formats as they can. The club sends out a weekly e-mail newsletter, E-Line, to inform members about recently added events that didn’t make it into the printed newsletter. The club uses a newsletter software program to maintain its database of e-mail addresses. The program helps to track what links people are clicking on, as well as “unsubscribe” and duplicate e-mail notices. When event sign-ups are low, The Peninsula Yacht Club also sends out e-mail “blasts,” and sometimes even launches telephone-call campaigns, to encourage more people to attend, says Loraine Vienne, General Manager. The club recently switched to a new operating system, and the software contains an e-mail database marketing component. The Peninsula Yacht Club also sends out e-mail blasts at least once or twice a month as a way to remind people about already planned events or tell them about events that come up after the newsletter has been mailed out. The response to the e-mail campaigns has been good, Vienne reports, and only one member has opted out of receiving e-mails from the club in the last year. “We have a lot of families at the club with busy schedules, and they all tell me how much they like the e-mail reminders,” she says.