Of all the suggestions that have arisen in this thread, TV advertising is the only one which seems like it hasn't been tried yet.
I’m not convinced by advertising argument. Given there is an article in both papers just about every day, and 2 or 3 stories on the TV news, I find it hard to believe that potential attendees don’t know the Phoenix play. Whether they know the precise details is another story. But if you know the Phoenix play, want to go, then it’s not hard to find out when or where. Do people really read bus shelter ads? I doubt it.
I’m not convinced that if we double our marketing budget it would suddenly increase the number of people going.
Yep, I'm not going to know when the Opera is on if I'm not in the slightest bit interested. But if the Stones are coming to town I'll be looking it up, and in time to get a seat before they sell out. (Or White Stripes or Snoop Dog or Pearl Jam or what's your poison).
I am convinced it's not marketing. It's performance that get's people seeing some positive press and word of mouth and starting to think, maybe I could check out the Nix. I believe it's only THEN you need enough marketing to make it easy for more casual supporters to find the next game times and booking details. Being on good terms with the press and helping them get out the good stories and back-up 'colour' articles is probably helpful though, you'd think so at least.
Of course it is. Everything else is just flannel.
Perhaps.
But if we won 6 in a row to start the seaon do you think we'd get 10K to the 7th game? Doubt it. Casual punter would still hold off toward the end of the season where there is more on the line.