Does the Marketing leave a lot to be desired ?

[Clarky_Blues]

Loads more we could be doing and should be plus a lot of it does not cost mega bucks but I would not leave my current marketing role in Manchester to join with the current financial constraints.....!

 

[united we stand]

and how about martin admitting that he was wrong

here you go, there was a very large thread on this at the time
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/8988280.Ron__I_m_sorry/

 

[easton8]

Be nice if we had someone to write a decent match report on the OS not the rubbish Echo report cut and pasted.

 

[southendkid]

I'd say its hard to market well right now, first of all people still have no money so have priorities other than football that they want to spend on. Secondly we aren't playing attractive football, the fringe supporters will go to one match, see an unconvincing display and then not bother turning up again. This is league 2, when many have access to sky sports and could be watching premier league clubs play well, why would they bother paying to watch a league 2 club that they don't really have much attachment to play hoofball?

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

After accounting for inflation we're paying less for watching league 2 football than we were the last time we were in the division. Last year was a promotion to keep fans coming after two successive relegations.

I sometimes wonder what sort of level "fans" think we play at!

In the meantime those that want the club to succeed will continue to pay their money and come along and support the club. Those that don't, won't.

 

[Tommy2holes]

The current marketing is *****.

I was uming and arring wether to renew my seaso this year and didnt get a renewal slip and not a dickie bord on the phone so just couldnt be arsed. Since then i have missed a handful of games and those i have watched have been freebies and tbh the quality has been **** poor. What other enviroment can give so little for money and a refund not be in order?

I mean seriously if you had a rubbery steak or a faulty lap top you would get a refund.

Why dont they do a charity day when tickets are 21 quid but 2quid of every ticket brought goes to a charity that the fans can vote on by texting from say a choice of 4. The txt could say cost 20p with 10p of that going to charity aswell.

Just a thought. Also the shirts and merchandise at the football club is a joke. Its no coincidence that we see less and less shirts in the town when a child top cost 30+ quid and uses less than half the material of an adult one.

In short value for money at the football club is at an all time low and until that changes and the fans dont feel so alienated and shortchanged then the marketing team might aswell be cardboard cut outs.

 

[leeblue]

I dont give a **** about marketing, I will watch the blues as long as I am alive....so what if we had amazing marketing and great adverts and offers etc etc but were down the bottom of the table, it wouldnt make a blind bit of difference ffs, people would look at the league table and say bollox to that there rubbish, if only they had spent more on the team instead brilliant marketing strategies, what a complete load of tosh, the football bods of southend will be back to the hall if we are challenging at the top its as simple as that. Oh and one more thing didnt we win a marketing award last season for the whole mohsni dressed as michael jackson thriller stylee

 

[They Call It Madness!!!]

The current marketing is *****.

When you say current, can you explain to me the exact difference between the marketing say, over the last 5 seasons? At the same time in doing so, can you also include stats on why the marketing is not as good as it was and the financial gain from previous marketing regimes. As people above have stated, perhaps it is the standard of football. Perhaps it is because there were more members of staff previously which meant it was actually someones sole role to market succesfully? I dont know?

This is not a dig i can assure you as i am sure your claim is valid and has good points, i am just generally keen to see why you think it is '*****' and in comparison to what.

Also, can people please explain to me what 'marketing' really is in relation to a professional football club such as Southend United? Do we include sponsors and advertising which brings in much more money at important times than an extra 200 people, who of which are probably getting in on the cheap as part of a 'great marketing campaign' who then dont return because of 4 reasons - 1 = **** football, 2 = Blues lose 3 = 'real' fans chanting swear and aggressive words 4 = 'real' fans that have a pop at these new fans because they dont sing and are just 'daytrippers'?

Do we include fans intiatives, do we include the expensive past fan days with music artists that failed to get an increase of 200 people let alone 2000 people?

I am not disagreeing with anyone, i just want to hear why you feel the way you do in what way the club are letting people down.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

When you say current, can you explain to me the exact difference between the marketing say, over the last 5 seasons? At the same time in doing so, can you also include stats on why the marketing is not as good as it was and the financial gain from previous marketing regimes. As people above have stated, perhaps it is the standard of football. Perhaps it is because there were more members of staff previously which meant it was actually someones sole role to market succesfully? I dont know?

This is not a dig i can assure you as i am sure your claim is valid and has good points, i am just generally keen to see why you think it is '*****' and in comparison to what.

Also, can people please explain to me what 'marketing' really is in relation to a professional football club such as Southend United? Do we include sponsors and advertising which brings in much more money at important times than an extra 200 people, who of which are probably getting in on the cheap as part of a 'great marketing campaign' who then dont return because of 4 reasons - 1 = **** football, 2 = Blues lose 3 = 'real' fans chanting swear and aggressive words 4 = 'real' fans that have a pop at these new fans because they dont sing and are just 'daytrippers'?

Do we include fans intiatives, do we include the expensive past fan days with music artists that failed to get an increase of 200 people let alone 2000 people?

I am not disagreeing with anyone, i just want to hear why you feel the way you do in what way the club are letting people down.

You mean, you want valid reasons to a statement? This is SZ how dare you! :smile:

 

[united we stand]

When you say current, can you explain to me the exact difference between the marketing say, over the last 5 seasons? At the same time in doing so, can you also include stats on why the marketing is not as good as it was and the financial gain from previous marketing regimes. As people above have stated, perhaps it is the standard of football. Perhaps it is because there were more members of staff previously which meant it was actually someones sole role to market succesfully? I dont know?

This is not a dig i can assure you as i am sure your claim is valid and has good points, i am just generally keen to see why you think it is '*****' and in comparison to what.

Also, can people please explain to me what 'marketing' really is in relation to a professional football club such as Southend United? Do we include sponsors and advertising which brings in much more money at important times than an extra 200 people, who of which are probably getting in on the cheap as part of a 'great marketing campaign' who then dont return because of 4 reasons - 1 = **** football, 2 = Blues lose 3 = 'real' fans chanting swear and aggressive words 4 = 'real' fans that have a pop at these new fans because they dont sing and are just 'daytrippers'?

Do we include fans intiatives, do we include the expensive past fan days with music artists that failed to get an increase of 200 people let alone 2000 people?

I am not disagreeing with anyone, i just want to hear why you feel the way you do in what way the club are letting people down.

I can't prove that any of these things work- but heres a list that took 30 seconds to put together of stuff we used to do but don't now

follow up on why people have not renewed their season tickets (two memebrs on this site have said that this would have pushed them over the edge to renew
When you buy over the phone the ticket office has your details, I have been phoned before (not often admitedly) to ask if i was going to whatever the next match was
I don't hear any advertising on Essex Radio - maybe we still do and I don't have it on at the right time?
This is 'Blues' country campaign- radio and lorry's
members of the team regually visiting local schools promoting the team
Family fun days- in the past we have won family club of the year
Cheap tickets to local football clubs- tjhese are avaialble, but only if the team approaches Southend, in the past the club approached the teams.(may have changed in the past few weeks- I don't know as we called the club directly)


Should we still be doing the above- I don't know- but it does illiustrate what we were doing and no longer do

 

[Gremlin]

Since then i have missed a handful of games and those i have watched have been freebies and tbh the quality has been **** poor. What other enviroment can give so little for money and a refund not be in order?

I mean seriously if you had a rubbery steak or a faulty lap top you would get a refund.

Are you saying you want to be refunded for something you didn't pay for in the first place?

 

[class]

Marketing (and Commercial) was pretty good under Garry Adamson's control. It lost its way when a lot of the staff at that time left.

Completely agree.

 

[galvatron1983]

If you consider good marketing to be increasing the attendances then surely that would mean promotions similar to those done by Bradford City and Hartlepool, i.e. super-cheap season tickets.

Selling a season ticket for £100 might double the gate, you won't necessarily make more money, but the potential to have double the people buying programmes, food, and merch at every game would reap benefits. Not to mention converting some of those supporters enticed by the cheap ticket to become die hard fans in the future....

 

[Napster]

If you consider good marketing to be increasing the attendances then surely that would mean promotions similar to those done by Bradford City and Hartlepool, i.e. super-cheap season tickets.

Selling a season ticket for £100 might double the gate, you won't necessarily make more money, but the potential to have double the people buying programmes, food, and merch at every game would reap benefits. Not to mention converting some of those supporters enticed by the cheap ticket to become die hard fans in the future....

Not quite as easy as that though. No-one buys food, drink and merchandise at every game

 

[Beefy]

Not sure about Hartlepool's case but cheapo seats work at Bradford and Huddersfield because otherwise they'd have 20,000 empty seats. We only have around 4,000 head-room in terms of spare home seats. If we sold dirt-cheap season tickets we might fill them all but we lose the potential to sell those seats for more money if we're doing well and can attract the type of crowds that we got when we played Swansea and Yeovil at this level in 04/05.

It would need to be a long-term pricing strategy as well. People talk about this year as a pricing increase when it was just removing the subsidy following relegation. Can you imagine the outrage if £150 season tickets were trialed and removed after a year or two?

 

[They Call It Madness!!!]

follow up on why people have not renewed their season tickets (two memebrs on this site have said that this would have pushed them over the edge to renew
When you buy over the phone the ticket office has your details, I have been phoned before (not often admitedly) to ask if i was going to whatever the next match was

Very good points...but is this really marketing or sales? What is marketing to a professional football club? Is it fair to tarnish the whole of the clubs marketing with just ticket sales, sure it is part of the parcel but it is just another piece to a big jigsaw? You have your sponsors, advertising boards, partnership work, corparate sales - are these now worse off in 'comparison' to when the marketing was good? I just feel there is much more to marketing than being accustomed for on this board.

I don't hear any advertising on Essex Radio - maybe we still do and I don't have it on at the right time?
This is 'Blues' country campaign- radio and lorry's

I dont really listen to the radio in all honesty so cannot comment on that. If that is true then yes, that is something that is certainly lacking! The Blues Country campaign though, does it really bring in more money than it uses to promote? It cannot be cheap to get the posters, labels for lorries etc printed. Then you need to hire vans/lorries, then staff time and of course the petrol and diesel costs. All to advertise crap league two football!

members of the team regually visiting local schools promoting the team

I can assure you - this is something that happens much much more now than EVER before!

Family fun days- in the past we have won family club of the year

True but as i said originally, a large expense is needed to pay out for artists and promotion - if the team is in league two will it really pay to run these and gamble? If you do not get the crowds in, that is a huge PR and financial disaster. On another note, you do not mention that we have also won Community Club of the Year for the past two years running - No other football club has ever won it twice in succession. I am sure that this was awarded to the club for a number of intiatives. Surely that is good marketing?

Cheap tickets to local football clubs- these are avaialble, but only if the team approaches Southend, in the past the club approached the teams.(may have changed in the past few weeks- I don't know as we called the club directly)

That maybe correct, however junior club secretaries in essex received email notification of the packages on offer for clubs/teams, some have even received personal letters. (I know someone who has recieved one).

Additionally, every single school in Southend has very cheap family tickets available to them. The club approach the schools about this and i beleive they are handed to the children from the school. (Again, i know someone that has received these).

Should we still be doing the above- I don't know- but it does illiustrate what we were doing and no longer do

But thats just the thing, sure, some things are not as good as they used to be but can that be helped - however, on the whole, there is alot going for the club but either due to a lack of awareness or the fact that some people just want to look at the negatives - this is not recognised which is a shame.

As i said in my original email, the word comparison was used and i just want to see if what is being compared is actually factual?

Still though united we stand, good points being brought up.

 

[united we stand]

Very good points...but is this really marketing or sales? What is marketing to a professional football club? Is it fair to tarnish the whole of the clubs marketing with just ticket sales, sure it is part of the parcel but it is just another piece to a big jigsaw? You have your sponsors, advertising boards, partnership work, corparate sales - are these now worse off in 'comparison' to when the marketing was good? I just feel there is much more to marketing than being accustomed for on this board.



I dont really listen to the radio in all honesty so cannot comment on that. If that is true then yes, that is something that is certainly lacking! The Blues Country campaign though, does it really bring in more money than it uses to promote? It cannot be cheap to get the posters, labels for lorries etc printed. Then you need to hire vans/lorries, then staff time and of course the petrol and diesel costs. All to advertise crap league two football!



I can assure you - this is something that happens much much more now than EVER before!



True but as i said originally, a large expense is needed to pay out for artists and promotion - if the team is in league two will it really pay to run these and gamble? If you do not get the crowds in, that is a huge PR and financial disaster. On another note, you do not mention that we have also won Community Club of the Year for the past two years running - No other football club has ever won it twice in succession. I am sure that this was awarded to the club for a number of intiatives. Surely that is good marketing?



That maybe correct, however junior club secretaries in essex received email notification of the packages on offer for clubs/teams, some have even received personal letters. (I know someone who has recieved one).

Additionally, every single school in Southend has very cheap family tickets available to them. The club approach the schools about this and i beleive they are handed to the children from the school. (Again, i know someone that has received these).




But thats just the thing, sure, some things are not as good as they used to be but can that be helped - however, on the whole, there is alot going for the club but either due to a lack of awareness or the fact that some people just want to look at the negatives - this is not recognised which is a shame.

As i said in my original email, the word comparison was used and i just want to see if what is being compared is actually factual?

Still though united we stand, good points being brought up.

marketing or sales - I understand the difference , but I think to most supporters this is splitting hairs


If the players are going out to schools more than ever before , and I am not doubting you in this, then this is excellent - BUT we are making a very bad job of selling this point. I base this on the fact that I used to be aware of the palyers visiting schools, and I'm not now

The club cheap tickets, as I said we approached SUFC directly , so I am glad to hear that they have now contacted other teams. HOWEVER even on this point we (SUFC) are not informing the ticket office of the procedure. The first two times we used cheap tickets in the WEST the staff did not know what they were for. Added to this as part of the promotion you are then meant to get another cheap ticket (£10 instead of £3.00) to entice you back again . The main ticket office knows this and gives them out, the West does not (Personal experieince and that of friends).


As a complete aside but as a illustratrion of non joined up thinking (IMO).
You state that the club gives out cheap tickets to southend schools - so they obviously think this is a good idea.
The club has a data base of supporters which includes names and addresses and telephone numbers with dialling codes. Common sense tells me that supporters also come from Rayleigh and Wickford . I also know this as I get the train from Wickford. I have no doubt that we also have supporters from Canvey Basildon etc etc

So my question is why do the tickets only go tyo Southend schools and not to all of the schools that are in our catchment area?

 

[* ORM *]

I defy Alistair Campbell to put a positive spin on things. There are certain facts that cannot be ignored. Fact, attendences are down across the leagues, there is a recession biting so the uncommitted supporter will think carefully about vfm. Fact, at £21 on the day our entry costs are among the highest in the division. The £2 discount for advance bookings is not the answer. Fact, successive relegations and an average last season (under the circumstances we overachieved). Fact, we have been in front of the revenue far too many times in recent history. Fact, we are haemmoraging money month on month, even if the amount is slowly falling. Fact, Fossetts Funny Farm saga. Will it? Won't it? How many sides?

Maintain top 8 or 9 and a few more faces will drift in as the season progresses. History shows that to be a fact whatever the standard of the football in front of us.

 

[* ORM *]

if you had a rubbery steak

Best steak I've ever had was at a Japanese Karaoke Bar after which we sang 'i've got a rubbery bunch of coconuts'

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Best steak I've ever had was at a Japanese Karaoke Bar after which we sang 'i've got a rubbery bunch of coconuts'

Not the one you shared with TrueBlue then :winking: