Promoting the game.

There's an excellent thread on Twitter, starting with the post below, about getting bums on seats at games, especially the ASBP.

What is the answer? There may be some amongst us who understand marketing/promotion.

https://twitter.com/EnzoGiordani/status/714542884439994368

$15 is way too expensive for an NZFC game. Should be $5 and kids under 16 free.

Been $15 for the last 2 seasons at Kiwitea St and the fans keep coming. $5 is just a token payment and an admission that the product is barely above park footie imo.

You seen Southern play?

lol. Obviously with some teams its a struggle to get value for money.

Money's just a minor part of it from a supporter perspective, but it's interesting to see 'value for money' coming into it. The commercialisation of the game means it is viewed as $15 isn't worth paying to go and see NZFC games, but is that because the standard ain't up to much, it's too pricey for the average punter or that clubs don't genuinely attract many supporters who aren't in some way linked to the club or its winter equivalent.

It's one of those weird sports supporter things, as long as the money isn't too stupid (I'm not paying $20, for sure) then the draw of the game, the beer in the clubhouse and the bbq are what convince me to fork over the cash - because whoever I'm going to see are MY team. There's not an awful lot of genuine supporter loyalty or wide spread of support for a club, even from its local community.

The most common response I got when actually getting out and promoing ACFC last year was, "We have a football club?" and that was five minutes walk from the ground at the Sandringham shops. NZF and the franchises need to start working their local area to develop an audience, otherwise it'll be the same few hundred and the big future plans will be spiked.

Yeah a bit like watching Phoenix in A-League.....

Overarching league promotion and telly should be done and paid for by NZF. It's their product, they should want to promote it as much as they can to bring in sponsors.

The individual teams should be looking after their (non-tv) game day promotions and promoting themselves within their community.

Clearly down here in the South it's a very different issue to Auckland. You'd struggle to pay people to attend games down here. This was bad enough with the games at the magnificent Forsyth Barr Stadium - handy location, under the roof, clean, comfortable. They did at least move to a "gold coin donation" last season (rather than $10 or $15 previously) which certainly helped crowds a bit. But you'd still struggle to get 100 people along to matches.

Having most home games at bloody Peter Johnstone Park in Mosgiel this year is going to be absolutely disastrous. I struggle to see more than around 20 die hards attending matches there. And that's assuming it's free entry.

I quite like the idea of PWYW (i.e. along the lines of 'In Rainbows', Humble Bundle) for matches as a different way of marketing matches and trying to encourage new faces along - no harm in giving it a crack I reckon.

Actually, Canterbury v Waitakere last season would have cost an adult only $10 last season.

Canterbury Utd had the biggest crowds in the league - up to 800 for home games.

A season ticket for seven home games was only $50 and the first 100 sold included free entry to the Phoenix A-League fixture:

"On top of that for the first 100 season passes sold the A-League fixture between Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast Mariners at AMI Stadium will also be inclusive in your $50.00 Canterbury United season pass (general entry $30.00). This is incredible value for 7 home games and one A-League fixture.

Furthermore the first 100 Season Pass holders will have premium parking on the grass area next to the main gate at ASB Football Park. The premium parking is only available when weather permits."

They have the best marketing in the league, much of it down to an arrangement with the Sports University of Amsterdam who send an intern every season who works at minimal cost as part of his sports marketing course.

This came about due to a young Dutch immigrant, Wanda who has been on the staff at Canterbury United for some years now - she's a sports marketing graduate of that university herself and arranged it all. Wanda handles all the matchday activities at English Park.

The Dragons bring out a senior marketing student who can play as well - last season Jesse Dingjan, this season Colin van Gool from Helmond Sports in the Dutch second tier who was combining playing and studying last Dutch season.

Last season, Canterbury United home matches were advertised on the sides of city buses, as was the Phoenix fixture at AMI in a separate ad. There were also several billboards up around town advertising the Phoenix game.

There was also an ad in the Press newspaper for every home game on a prominent page where it would be seen.

Good work, Canterbury!

That sounds great. Canterbury have done really well on that front. Long may it continue.

It looks like TW are upping their game on that front, judging by their Twitter account. What sort of crowds do you think they could genuinely attract? What would make get your average Wellingtonian football fan down there?

I think Tasman will get some good support. They seem to be giving off the right sounds & I hope they can get a good crowd in for their home games.

What sort of incentives are there at Auckland City to go & watch?

Pre game and half time fireworks.

I'm working on some match posters for the local area to go up the week before the game.

Not sure if the club is doing something similar.

I believe Tasman are encouraging their first 50 supporters to join a foundation membership for $100, which includes two seats in a premium location of Trafalgar Park over the nine home games. Plus you get a polo and a newsletter each week updating team news.

Not sure how much they plan to charge per game but $100 for nine games seems very reasonable, even without a shirt.

$15 for an adult to watch footballers I played 6 a-side with? Christ, I had to eat Pasta for a week.

I think $10 is fine. $5 is decent. 

Unless you're going to watch Southern. Far out, their biggest problem isn't the cost, it's being decent enough to draw people along to watch.

Phil Rollo reporting Tasman U games will be free entry. Blimey.

The lovely Wanda left months ago. Now working back in Holland i believe. Not sure who is looking after canterbury marketing but assume they were responsible for clumsy re-naming of women's team, canterbury united pride. 

They did the same thing for the Nelson Falcons in the youth league and got regular crowds of around 5-600

Things are looking up from an attendance viewoint, but Nelson teams have a history of financial problems and this surely can't help.

I got offered a Tasman foundation member ticket but I didn't take it up because I live in Wellington. The email I got was:

"Hi [redacted]

As a fellow football fan, this might be something you’d be interested in… let me know if you’re keen to join:

HELP CREATE HISTORY!

As you may be aware, I’m part of the Tasman United Committee and part of my first role is to approach people to see if they want to become a supporters club Foundation Member. I’ve got a large list of people to contact, and while we’re not going to restrict the number of members for this club, we are going to have a cut-off date to join by.

The cut-off date hasn’t been 100% confirmed yet, but it will probably be the first home game for the national league team after the season gets underway in October, so we’re hoping to get as many people on board with this as we can by then. And it means that by becoming a foundation member, those people will be in an exclusive club – and they’ll be helping create history for our regions newest football franchise by doing so.

The fee is $100 per person and the benefits include;

-exclusive Tasman United PIN

-weekly newsletter

-members only seating

-10% off all Tasman United merchandise and apparel

-Membership benefits from our sponsors and partners

-Official invite to all club functions

It would be fantastic if you’d be interested in becoming one of our foundation members, so please let me know return email asap. I will then arrange an invoice to be sent out.

Kind regards

[redacted]"

It looks a bloody good deal! I'd be surprised if Tasman aren't in the top 3 for average crowd size. Our National Youth League team was pulling 500 regularly.

Southern are the embodiment o everything that's wrong with New Zealand football tactically. They are not worth watching live, it's a waste of 2 hours you'll never get back and a waste of petrol to get there. 

Someone at their sponsor, "Nelson Pine Industries" must be a big football fan.

To me, this just suggests that they have some really decent sponsorship behind them.

Nelson teams in the national league also have a history of really decent sponsorship for a small place.

It's true that financial struggles lead to Nelson Suburbs withdrawing from the league by 2000.

I remember the days of "Newmans Nelson United" in the late seventies / early 1980's (Newmans Coachlines being a Nelson business that became one of the most successful in its field nationally).

A real estate mogul gave them significant sponsorship in the mid- 80's. 

Just so I'm clear, you're NOT recommending Southern as a team to watch?

The thing is, this year is a great chance for Southern to completely re-brand themselves from a marketability POV . New young coach from overseas, Football South taking over operation of the Franchise, Cavvy having such a good season - so much "clean slate" potential. 

But playing out at Peter Johnstone Park kills all that dead in the water. 

Here's a solution for you. Don't go.

I'm not saying Southern have been a great watch over recent years, but it's possible to recognise that but still chose to support them for the sake of football in the region.

If you'd rather not spend the 2 hours and petrol, fine. Leave the rest of us who do chose to watch to do it in peace.

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/stirling-sports-premie...

if you go to the official asb prem page, you cannot even see today's results

Thanks reg - I thought it was just me.   I see they have next weeks' draw up, but no sign of this weekend's results.

Everything is different, but it seems nothing changes.

Absolutely slack!!

I just wish they would go back to the old ASB premiership site setup they used a few years ago.  You could even get the results updated as the games progressed.

I made the comment that the new site was rubbish when NZF put it under their website but got my ears clipped for it.  Admit it everyone the new site is rubbish.  Not user friendly at all.

Nowadays if you can't watch it on TV then you have to rely on Twitter updates.

but it's nice and shiny!

Is Sky / NZF still broadcasting a weekly highlights show as well as the live broadcast?  My dad can't find it anywhere on Sky.  Has it been axed or something?

Yes was on tonight, just finished.

Thanks for that Gavin