"Bridge is Cool"

[hrothgar]

I was perusing through the Daily Bulletins from the ACBL Nationals when

I ran across a rather front page article regarding the ACBL's efforts

to target young players. As usual, I'm like to applaud the ACBL for

recognizing the need to increase this demographic. With this said and

done, I have some concerns regarding implementation...

 

More specifically, does anyone else cringe when they hear the title for

the new web site. I'm really not sure whether "Bridge is Cool" is

really going to grab the attention of todays media savey youth. In all

seriousness, I haven't heard the expression "cool" used in 30 years...

[keylime]

The best the ACBL could come up with is "Bridge is Cool"; considering between the US and Canada we have some of the best juniors in the world?

 

Once again, I feel shorted.

[MickyB]

I've probably used the word "cool" about twelve times tonight. I propose the alternative title "Cool Bridge" :angry:

[jillybean]

LOL maybe "cool" is making a come back? :angry:

[luis]

The Dark side needs new apprentices.

A great danger I sense.

We must teach the force to those young padawans before they start with the Standard Sith system.

Use the force Richard!

[guggie]

Oops. Dont know for the States, but here in Amsterdam cool is OK according to my daughters of 15 and 19.

By the way they think bridge sucks;-)

 

Like opera.

 

As a parent you should not try to hard :angry:

[Al_U_Card]

Only need to make it a single credit course in High school for the introduction to take place, after that all of the monomaniacal, egocentric, skewed personality types will be hooked!

 

btw the ACBL should be going after the kitchen bridgers of which there are 25 million in the US. Just oblige club directors to hold a free "kitchen" game once a month. We all know people who are afraid to play duplicate but actually like the game per se......

[Gerben42]

As long as they don't do this INSTEAD of the youngsters. The last thing they need is more old players, right?

 

Just oblige club directors to hold a free "kitchen" game once a month.

 

How does that work? I'd be sort of afraid to play in such kitchen games, playing with sharp knives nearby.

[Al_U_Card]

As long as they don't do this INSTEAD of the youngsters. The last thing they need is more old players, right?

 

Just oblige club directors to hold a free "kitchen" game once a month.

 

How does that work? I'd be sort of afraid to play in such kitchen games, playing with sharp knives nearby.

Well, the high school part was sort of directed to youthful types.....hehehe

 

For the kitchen bridge variety, they could even offer to hold 2 table Howell movement duplicates in the Kitchen bridgers homes. Mrs. Jones finally gets to prove that she is better than Mrs. Smith....

[Elianna]

I was at the junior reception when they announced the "bridge is cool" webpage, and it was met by many eye-rolls. Seriously, even if the word cool is still used, being TOLD something is cool by older people makes it even less appealing than before.

 

I couldn't believe the lack of awareness of their audience.

 

-Elianna

[pbleighton]

"I was at the junior reception when they announced the "bridge is cool" webpage, and it was met by many eye-rolls. Seriously, even if the word cool is still used, being TOLD something is cool by older people makes it even less appealing than before.

 

I couldn't believe the lack of awareness of their audience."

 

Don't trust anyone over 30!

 

Peter

[pigpenz]

like wow, Bridge is RAd

Turn on, Tune in, Get high on bridge

 

lets face it Poker on TV has done everything that bridge would like to have been able to do.

[Al_U_Card]

lets face it Poker on TV has done everything that bridge would like to have been able to do.

Because the human element is accentuated, not the complexities nor the subtleties. To get mass appeal you need to get visceral.

 

Everyone understands losing your shirt on a bet, most know that 3 of a kind beats 2 pair, few understand the subtle ecstacy of pulling off a coup or other obscure bridge technicality unless you have done it. :lol:

[mike777]

1) I notice Harry Potter says "cool" and that seems to be selling ok.

2) Me thinks the Hog has not got out much in the past 30 years ;) based on not hearing the world cool in 30years.

3) Perhaps Bridge to the death might draw an audience? Bridge Battle at the Bellaigio? Caged bridge, 2 teams go in, only one walks out?

4) Perhaps if we bring back drinking and smoking at the table as in Poker it would make better tv? Side proposition bets? example: my partner will play for the drop not finesse, my partner will mess up Kickback responses, my partner will defend poorly, etc?

[Walddk]

example: my partner will play for the drop not finesse, my partner will mess up Kickback responses, my partner will defend poorly

Latest Ladbroke odds: 2/13 against, so don't bet on it ;)

 

Roland

[Double !]

I was at the junior reception when they announced the "bridge is cool" webpage, and it was met by many eye-rolls.  Seriously, even if the word cool is still used, being TOLD something is cool by older people makes it even less appealing than before.

 

I couldn't believe the lack of awareness of their audience.

 

-Elianna

The words "were met by many eye-rolls" as Elianna reported are significant to me assuming that I interpreted her message correctly.

So, I am curious to know whether younger players, teens, juniors, (perhaps even a little older) were ever even consulted or polled about this "bridge is cool" idea to elicit their feedback, opinions, and/or suggestions. Assuming that the answer to the above is essentially "NO", I am curious about whether that feedback was ever provided to the decision-makers, and whether there was even a vehicle for doing so?

[mike777]

I was at the junior reception when they announced the "bridge is cool" webpage, and it was met by many eye-rolls.  Seriously, even if the word cool is still used, being TOLD something is cool by older people makes it even less appealing than before.

 

I couldn't believe the lack of awareness of their audience.

 

-Elianna

The words "were met by many eye-rolls" as Elianna reported are significant to me assuming that I interpreted her message correctly.

So, I am curious to know whether younger players, teens, juniors, (perhaps even a little older) were ever even consulted or polled about this "bridge is cool" idea to elicit their feedback, opinions, and/or suggestions. Assuming that the answer to the above is essentially "NO", I am curious about whether that feedback was ever provided to the decision-makers, and whether there was even a vehicle for doing so?

They hired a marketing firm to come up with the theme and name.

 

To assume no marketing research or incompetent research is not a reasonable assumption. That does not mean your assumption is incorrect but let's deal in facts and not guess work.

[mike777]

Here are a few facts, I let you draw the conclusions.

1) Recent poll done over 3-4 months to 3,500 south calif. dues paying members. Only 51 bothered to take the poll.

2) From ACBL CEO 8-05. Satisfaction with our marketing efforts has increased from 82% to 86.3%. Well what the heck does that mean and why is it important? It could still mean our marketing stinks. Another case of statistics for the sake of statistics?

3) 17,500 ACBL games sanctioned online per month. Up more than 5,000 from a year ago. Does anyone know the f2f numbers?

[Double !]

Don't trust anyone over 30!

 

Peter

Hey!

 

That quote is reserved for those of us who grew up in the 60s! If you qualify, then, "groovy" and "out-of-sight",......and, mowing "grass" was considered to be a moral sin. :blink: :P

[Double !]

Here are a few facts, I let you draw the conclusions.

1) Recent poll done over 3-4 months to 3,500 south calif. dues paying members. Only 51 bothered to take the poll.

Sorry, not a lot of numbers, and is this (Southern California) really a representative sample of the total population of targeted "consumers". (Come to think of it, who exactly are the targeted consumers in this survey and campaign?) Did they actually go out into schools including in the inner cities, and survey these populations? I work in an inner-city middle school in the northeast USA, and I have yet to meet any student or more than a few parents, and not that many adults in general who know what Bridge is, much less whether or not it is cool and could lead to a career in the NBA! I suspect that, to this potential consumer group, Bridge is something you have to pay a toll (or take a crowded subway) to cross.

 

OK, fine, refer this to the acbl education department.

[mike777]

Here are a few facts, I let you draw the conclusions.

1) Recent poll done over 3-4 months to 3,500 south calif. dues paying members. Only 51 bothered to take the poll.

Sorry, not a lot of numbers, and is this (Southern California) really a representative sample of the total population of targeted "consumers". (Come to think of it, who exactly are the targeted consumers in this survey and campaign?) Did they actually go out into schools including in the inner cities, and survey these populations? I work in an inner-city middle school in the northeast USA, and I have yet to meet any student or more than a few parents, and not that many adults in general who know what Bridge is, much less whether or not it is cool and could lead to a career in the NBA! I suspect that, to this potential consumer group, Bridge is something you have to pay a toll (or take a crowded subway) to cross.

 

OK, fine, refer this to the acbl education department.

1) The poll was conducted by local southern calif zone. It only concerned southern calif. marketing issues, not your home town.

2) The survey was sent to 3,500 ACBL paid up members in southern calif.

3) Only 51 bothered to responded over a 3-4 month period.

4) My point being that only 51 active, money paying, bridge playing, members bothered to contribute their input on matters directly affecting them.

5) I note I never responded since I live on the East Coast even though my money still goes to LA.

6) The marketing poll referred to by the ACBL CEO was a nationwide poll.

[uday]

So what is it that can be done to attract younger players to our game? Do we have any ideas that don't cost an arm and a leg?

[McBruce]

Uday, you and Fred and Sheri, with some help from all of us together are doing a great deal. Players play online and then they look for club or tournament bridge in the area. It takes time, often years, but it does happen. The hardest part for young players is fitting in to the older crowd that plays at clubs these days. But that is not our problem: we who play and promote bridge online are doing our part.

[keylime]

Gotta promote the friendly competition angle of duplicate. The fact that the ACBL decided to target both the kitchen bridge crowd and us youngins is just nuts.

 

Bridge is Cool. This is definitely the kind of cheese you spray from a can.

 

BBO has done more to promote junior bridge in a year, than the ACBL has in 50. I rather play on BBO than at the club a lot of the time, because of the demographic here and the better environment here.

[Echognome]

Schools programs are definitely a big help. I know that our university club is running fairly well and I believe that our numbers have increased over the past couple of years.

 

I think having local clubs reaching out to schools is critical. Anytime you have a bridge club in a school, you are going to generate some interest among that age group. It may not be a whole lot, but it certainly helps.

 

Around here locally, I know that the clubs are fairly willing, but it is very difficult unless you have a person at the school willing to organise or coordinate it.

 

Financially, students have very limited budgets, so offering reduced table money or eliminating it all together will of course help. I know when I lived in Washington, DC the local unit helped out a local highschool's club and the members of the club helped on certain club nights with collecting scoreslips and passing around the boards etc. Seemed like a great idea to me.

 

My opinion on making bridge more fun for the younger crowd is to add some more variety at the club in terms of bridge. Duplicate pairs every time seems a bit dull. Why not have a once a month speedball (fast pairs) or an "anything goes" in terms of conventions night? Or a board-a-match session? I mean anything to spice up the usual session. Our university club has both an annual individual tournament and a crazy pairs tournament and they are both very popular with the students.