The past 4 months have been interesting as we watch the RCSC attempt to evolve. It's a word i use repeatedly, and it most often implies change. And, for more years than i care to admit, the leadership classes i took made a believer of me we can't stop change, we can learn to manage it. Sadly, if we don't understand how to do that, it manages us. That is more often the norm. For those who have not been paying attention to the stuff on the RCSC's plate of late, let me recount some of them: 1). The general manager left and a new search is in progress. 2). The director of golf left after a very long time, and new one was hired. 3). A joint venture presentation was tried with the RCSC/SCHOA/COA and was well received. 4). The triArc/Mountain View remodel saga is winding through the users process. 5). The interim general manager has started monthly meetings. 6). The video crew has continued releasing historical recreation center pieces. 7). There's been an aggressive summer schedule of free Weds evening programs. 8). The long awaited unveiling of the new website is just days away. 9). The working group on the bylaw redraft is near release. 10). There has been an effort to craft a TORCH-like program, similar to SCW. On top of all that is the regular maintenance and upgrades to our amenities. They are clearly staying on top of the never-ending list of repairs and they are highlighting them so members are aware. While some may poo-poo all of the above, i'm not one of them. Change is hard and in the case of non-profit organizations it is slow and cumbersome. Especially when we are rudderless (without a general manager). Really, this has all been a set-up for a continuing discussion on where we go from here? I know CM has been a vocal advocate for delivering the old Sun Views/Update. While i love the printed word as much as most (maybe more), print is dead as we move forward. Doesn't mean some limited capacity isn't doable, i simply don't see it as our salvation. We also saw FYI bemoan the potential of live streaming of meetings as an opportunity for less members to have butts in chairs. I'm not that skeptical. I like the idea, but much like i view the printed word, all of it is just another tool in the tool box. Restoring trust/faith in the idea the members are the owners goes far beyond what tools the board and management picks up to use. I can show you a half dozen truly innovative efforts by DEVCO over the first 20 years where they had budget rich options to reach the members. I can also tell you, nothing worked better than face to face, member to member engagement. I know, it's time consuming and i can tell you (much like DEVCO found out) we'll never reach everyone. It's neither practical nor possible. The goal is reach as many as possible, those who want to be involved and part of the evolution. I'm excited for the future, that said, i'm also a realist. We are on the right path, the question is can we stay there? As always, just one man's opinion.
Thanks Bill for your example, “…don’t complain about what’s not working…celebrate what is working and work to amplify it.” ~ Simon Sinek
I find the remark about print being dead a powerful negative reaction to such a phenomenal tool for outreach. If print is dead, then why does RCSCW continue to offer such a valuable and effective resource for member communication? Robson Communities touts their monthly printed newspaper and boasts how it’s sent out of state, requested by hundreds of homeowners and potential buyers? We do NOTHING to encourage local participation with our clubs, feature events or groups other than electronic media. We are missing the opportunity to reach out to the community in meaningful partnership with print media. The reliance on electronic commerce is not growing the circle, it’s circumventing it. I can’t understand how anyone feels that embracing a computer to read community news is better than a print magazine or newspaper is beyond me. Even better, try reading documents, RCSC documents on a cell phone. Or, read the events posted on a tablet when the description goes off the page. Personal interaction happens when people have something to talk about. A community newspaper does that, it gets people talking about what they read and then share with others. A new website is not the salvation for Sun City. It’s a long awaited tool to help engage some members. Ignoring print media is a huge mistake, and other communities know this. Why is it so hard to understand here?
For once we agree, however I am not interacting here. Just a simple post. I get that, my issue with the statement is it has been brought up so many times, much like The Lakes Club. If the focus is always on the past, especially when there is nothing that can change it, how does anyone get to a better future? Josie P, Yesterday at 7:57 PM
From Sierra Interactive Print Real Estate Ad Examples Print ads may not receive as much attention as digital ads these days, but don’t discount them. Surveys regularly show that consumers tend to trust them more than other types of advertisement. Plus, designing ads for paper can give you a lot more creative freedom than digital ads can. And since printed ads will stay in a customer’s home until they are disposed of, they often have a much longer lifespan than your typical digital advertisement. So let’s look at a few different examples of how you can make the most of your printed ad. 7. Direct Mailers Direct mail real estate ads refer to advertisements you mail to the homes or businesses of targeted clients. They can take a variety of formats, from straightforward postcards to multi-page catalogs. Although some may think of this as junk mail, when targeted to the right leads and timed correctly, the ROI of direct mailers may be as high as 29 percent. 8. Newspaper Ads The appeal of newspaper real estate ads is that they can put your brand, team, or listings in front of a wide local audience, while also benefiting from the prominence of the local publication. While their reach may not be able to compete with digital ads or other formats, newspapers are still seen by many as an extension of the community, which means so will any brands advertising in it. Additionally, many newspapers have sections devoted to local real estate news and listings, providing you with a readymade audience for your ad. 9. Magazine Ads Magazine real estate ads are similar to newspapers in that they are primarily used to appeal to a local audience. While larger real estate teams may want to invest in national publications, local magazines offer a more targeted audience. They also typically have a longer shelf life than newspapers, which may be discarded after only a day.
Touting a way to make people feel welcome, especially after a purchase is with a colorized magazine, offered to every new homeowner that touts the amenities, the value of living in the community, what they bought into with their money given to the RCSC, and offered a welcome package to go along with the magazine. A print color handout should be made available to hand out to folks who visit the visitors center, seeking information. The visitors center hours should be extended to allow for those needing information be able to get it at their leisure, not the limited RCSC hours. I just truly am amazed that this is not being viewed as the asset to the community this service can provide? Someone has created this idea that everyone sits behind a computer screen, or tablet, or cellphone and this is how they receive all of their information. This is simply not true, and there are numerous communities printing community news stories that generate community support and interaction.
One last thought. The Villages of Florida have been used as a base comparison for 55+ communities on this site. The Villages has a daily newspaper, The Villages Daily Sun, which covers the local community news and events. It appears that successful communities use print media to promote their communities and provide them with outreach to their members.
So who's to say print media is dead? What's old becomes new again. From AI: "Vinyl records are experiencing a strong comeback, with sales increasing for over a decade and surpassing CDs as the best-selling physical music format in 2022, though still far from their 1970s peak. This resurgence is driven by the appeal of a more tangible, ritualistic, and authentic music experience, encompassing large artwork, the physical act of playing a record, and improved sound quality, even for younger generations who are embracing the analog format."
Visitors Center opportunity for those wishing to learn more about the community. Besides offering a colorful print brochure, why not follow Sun City Oro Valley lead. Schedule a Tour We’re thrilled to welcome you to Sun City Oro Valley! On your tour, you’ll explore all our facilities while riding in our golf cart. We’re eager to answer your questions and showcase our wonderful community. Each tour can accommodate up to three guests and is offered Monday through Friday. Real estate agents will be required to schedule a separate tour. You’ll be riding in an open 4-seat golf cart, so please dress comfortably. Water is available upon request. We recommend setting aside about 2 hours for your visit. Requests are monitored Monday - Friday from 8 AM - 4 PM (except holidays). If you haven’t received a response from us within 48 hours, please feel free to call 520-917-8065 or 520-917-8090 So, bus tours are not available, how about this idea from another 55+ community?
How to do that is the million $$ question. Tiger woods could probably win a major tournament with used clubs from a SC Resale Shop because he has the skills. Tools are everywhere.
There’s a reason a lot of people don’t like using Google. Here’s why: Monitoring of Google Accounts Google accounts are subject to extensive monitoring, primarily for security and service improvement purposes. Here are the key aspects of how Google monitors user accounts: Data Collection User Activity: Google tracks various user activities, including search history, email interactions, and app usage. Metadata: This includes data about emails, such as timestamps, recipients, and subjects, but not the content of the emails themselves. Location Data: If location services are enabled, Google can collect approximate location data. I know tracking happens, but I just feel Google is a bit overboard with tracking individual users. Which is why I don’t have Google on my desktop, or any where else I can keep it out of my business. Reading the directions and having/making those who would interact with the site use Google is definitely disturbing to me. But the new website has to start somewhere, and the choice to use Google is made.
I use Google over Duck because the returns on google are ten times what I get on Duck. I have a good antivirus, firewall and VPN which pretty much takes care of stuff. My antivirus/firewall blocks sites I have been to many times which is a little frustrating. but the VPN is much better at blocking sites. I just snooze the vpn for 10 minutes when I want to go somewhere it thinks is harmful.
There's no one right tool Tom and after 22 years of kicking around our community with my hands in and on more stuff than i care to admit, reach is the most often asked question? From the day Sun City opened, DEVCO had a fortune of marketing money behind them, they quickly came to understand, reach was everything. From billboards, to newspapers, to national magazines, to videos, to the use of celebrities, to monthly publications showcasing every new home buyer, it was almost limitless. Even with the mountain of revenue available for the big ticket items, interpersonal relationships led the way. New buyers were treated like gold. The company understood every new home owner had friends and relatives that would at one point visit. DEVCO had a cast of employees who oversaw that aspect. The reality is, we aren't in the same boat DEVCO was, they were selling homes and making a boatload of money. The similarity for the RCSC is that every new home sale helps shape our future. I would ask this simple question: Does anyone think we are treating those new home owners as well as DEVCO did? Are we even close? I would and have argued forever, we've done just the opposite. We've taken their money with little to no regard how they fit in. Sure, there's stuff out there, if they find it. Sure there's tons of meetings, clubs and events, but are we maximizing that potential that DEVCO understood was their future? I find the irony of the responses to this article interesting. Sorry, but tools are just that; tools. Everything the RCSC does comes at a cost. Every cost should have attached to it a return on investment. We've always understood the RCSC doesn't have an obligation to make a profit, in fact, just the opposite. The board does have a fiduciary obligation to insure what they do spend money on makes sense. It was one of the reasons the whole Mission, Vision and Values statement was so important. It was a starting point, a benchmark. The other piece of the equation that got a lot of play the past 5 years was the idea "data matters." In many cases, it was a more a platitude than a realistic exercise. Many of us have lamented how poorly our data collection has been. We missed that boat years ago. There is no better data collection point than at the point of sale. Several of us pushed for that, the general manager argued it would be intrusive. She was probably right if we didn't go out of our way to welcome every new buyer in a way that made them want to share the information that comes from a warm and welcoming manner. Instead we called them "card-holders" and let them figure it out on their own. Look, it's not up to me to decide what the best tools are. There's people in the community way smarter than me who far better understand the next generation of home owners. Which is really the whole point of the post; when i write about what might work, it's not directed so much at the 90 year old who has lived here for 30 years (and will be 100 in 10 years), but at the 55 year old who in ten years will become our next board member, club member and or volunteer. It's why i laugh heartily when people remark all i care about is our history. As i have said 100 times, the value of knowing and understanding our history is really about knowing and understanding our future. It's really that simple.
