Look up "Fossa dei Leoni" under google images. (This is just one example, other clubs, plenty of them, have similar stories to tell).
Those sorts of displays are amazing. They are also very complex.
Some sort of coordination between club and ultras helps makes things like that happen, and run smoothly.
It's not done with the marketing department thinking and moving in one direction and the fan organisation(s) thinking and moving in a completely different direction. That doesn't however mean that they discuss and coordinate EVERYTHING together either, but SOME communication, understanding and common approach certainly helps.
I agree that Marketing are not trying to get the YF people along to the ground. But that does not mean that there should be NO COMMUNICATION at all between the club and the supporters groups.
Even if, at a minimum, the marketing people would read the YF forums (Maybe they do? I hope so) so that over time they come to understand ( a ) that this sort of idea annoys at least some of the core supporters and ( b ) why it does so, then that would be good.
The apparent lack of:
(i) effective engagement with the supporters group(s) over promotions
(ii) embracing the supporters organisation(s) wish to add colour and flavour to the game day atmosphere (sometimes)
is not something that is unique in NZ Football to the Phoenix. The same angst was rife amongst Bloc 5 in the Kingz days... however, eventually representatives of the supporters groups sat in on meetings.
That sort of idea, if implemented correctly, can help build the bond between the club and the fanatical supporters, to the benefit of both groups.
I urge the WelNix guys to actively scout the football world and ask clubs with large supporters groups how they liaise with them, and what they have done that has helped build crowds.
An idea I have had that is aimed at building crowd numbers and delivering real benefit to loyal fanatical supporters is this:
For each season supporters can earn themselves a free (or half price) season ticket (or free team strip) for the following season if they purchase 3 full price adult tickets for every home game of the season.
You could implement this for next season.
First of all it promotes people buying season tickets for next season.
It also actively encourages core supporters to promote attending home games to the friends and work colleagues.
It has a positive net revenue effect for the club.
It increases the likelihood of further season ticket sales for the following year.
To do it, you would need to set up a system with Tiketek that allowed season ticket holders to buy tickets (preferably in advance of game day, but if they were really slick people could buy them in this way at the gate too) and tag them against their season ticket number. I would suggest you would need to physically show your season ticket when purchasing the tickets... and the Ticketek person would need to record the season ticket number against the ticket purchases. Then, at the end of the season, any season tickets with 3 or more tickets for each home game would automatically be able to be identified and flagged as eligible to receive the special "Promoter" deal for the next season.
Ideally (to be really slick) they would proactively contact all such eligible season ticket holders and not require the season ticket holders to contact them to claim their reward...
Imagine if 500 (or more) season ticket holders bought into each purchasing 3 tickets each for each home game and then finding friends/colleagues etc. to give/sell them to...
Incredible stamina. No shame. Yellow Fever.
Phoenix fans. We have to win them over one fan at a time.