Georgie Brings Holiday Cheer

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

Though Georgie (named for the founder of Riverside Yacht Club) was originally introduced as a marketing tool for a new family event, we quickly realized that Georgie was an opportunity to bring a little holiday cheer (along with subtle reminders) to the entire RYC membership. We introduced Hot Chocolate and Holiday Cheer as an opportunity on Friday afternoons for families to stop by the club to enjoy a break for hectic schedule of the season and to enjoy cocoa and Christmas cookies by the fire. What better way to attract the children than to have a famed Elf on the Shelf make an appearance! After the first email (December 1), we received such tremendous feedback from members WITHOUT children, we realized Georgie was going to be our way of infusing a bit of Holiday Cheer to the entire club.

The result was enhancement of the operation on two levels. First, families loved the Hot Chocolate and Holiday Cheer. It was wonderful to watch parents reading (provided) books to their kids, kids loved seeing friends from the Junior Program that they do not see during the fall and winter seasons, and it increased dining on Friday evenings. We opened the dining room early to accommodate families, leading to a 17% increase in business compared to the previous year. Our expectations of the initial idea (Hot Chocolate and Holiday Cheer) were exceeded.

The enhancement we did not originally foresee was the joy it brought to the entire membership. Throughout December everyone was talking about Georgie and expressing how much fun it was, how much they looked forward to opening their emails every day to see his location, and how they were sharing it with their extended families. We capitalized on Georgie's popularity and included him in subtle marketing campaigns for stocking stuffers, holiday concerts, and family events. By doing this, we were able to make the emails not only amusing, but useful for the membership as well.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

In order to make Georgie's visit to Riverside as successful as possible, it truly was a group effort! Though a daily email to the membership seems simple enough, several managers were involved throughout December- scouting locations, organizing a schedule, staging photo shoots, etc. Georgie always made an appearance near the fireplace on Fridays for Hot Chocolate and Holiday Cheer, but could be found in the kitchen on days the club was closed. It was great fun for the staff as well, many of whom would go in search of Georgie before beginning their shift. By far the largest challenge with Georgie was sending him back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Members opened their email on the 24th to find a video of Georgie sailing back home (fitting, as Santa arrives at RYC each year on a boat). Again, the teamwork of managers made this happen through rigging a model sailboat, a fishing pole with line, waiting three days for the right conditions, a couple of takes, and setting the video to music.

The membership really appreciated Georgie and we received some wonderful feedback. Email replies to his antics were arriving daily. On the day Georgie's photo applying for membership was sent, three members wrote in that they would be happy to write a letter of support. Members thanked us both in person and by email for the addition to their holiday season. One of the best compliments we received, however, was from a very active member recovering who suffered a stroke in November. She looked forward to the emails and appreciated that it kept her connected with the club during her time in the rehabilitation center. We were so pleased that Georgie brought joy to so many of our members during the holiday season!