Crowds - The thread of Australian whining

Oval - Fail.

Farrington Field then.

If you take it away from the stadium (area) people won't come.

I'm just hoping we can revive the stadium conversation for the 523rd time.

I think they should build a boutique 15k capacity stadium on the site of the bus interchange. After all, if you remove the buses from Wellington then nobody can get hit by them thus saving lives in the process!

Looks like all we need for this to happen is an earthquake...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10764600

Right, now if everybody in Wellington jumps up and down a few times on the count of 3...

One...
Two...
THREE!

C-Diddy2011-11-08 13:14:26

I still don't agree with people saying there is little in the way of posters around when I think it has been a lot better than previous years!

Through my Work (ok sure its an arts organsiation and not sports) I've noticed/heard the best way to advertise an event is with editorial in the papers/magazines. So just need a positive propoganda machine at the dompost to spit out some good editorial (ok i know that sounds a little bit unlikely but I can dream :)

Also save money by not doing that stupid sign by the stupid airport and put it towards a shiny new stadium! Shiny!

Same

Together,we can achieve anything!

Or HN could save us the hassle and do it himself

GGF stick.

I'm not sure that social media is the quick answer to increasing crowds. Mainly because you have to opt in to receive messages eg if you don't "like" Wellington Phoenix on Facebook you won't receive any messages from them. So chances are that anyone reading about the Phoenix on social media is already going to the game.

Also, the issues organisations like the Phoenix face regarding low crowds are generally based around the alternative, ie sitting at home on the couch sheltered from the elements and just a short walk to the beer fridge. Also watching sport on TV is generally accepted better way of seeing the game as opposed to being in a stadium.

The key, for me, is to convince those people watching the game on TV to get off their butts and get to the stadium.   The only way to do this is to promote the benefits of leaving their lounges and going to the stadium. Marketing campaigns based around crowd atmosphere would be one good way of doing this. Whether its done by Welnix or Fever probably doesn't matter, but I think its crucial to build on the Phoenix's competitive advantage in that the atmosphere prior to, and during the live games is second to none.

Last time I checked, we wern't getting 40k along to every game.

I wasn't suggesting we take that literally, I'm guessing a solid percentage of the 40k live out of town, for example, which makes social media marketing even less effective.

Could Some sort of talks with sky be beneficial? Talking up actually being at the game during their broadcast?

Can't see them putting much effort in to reducing their audience numbers

But a popular Phoenix is worth more to them. They also do it with cricket - constantly encouraging peope to head to the ground.

I'm sure some sort of arrangement could be made that both sides would be happy with. Worth looking into at least (if they haven't already)

I think this is true. Unfortunately all these things - crowd size, atmosphere, results - are all interrelated and issues that change one of them change the others. Trying to convince people that going along is worth it because of the atmosphere is much harder to do when the crowds are small and the team is losing. Still I think that's the right thing to focus on in terms of an approach because its also true: live sport is a fundamentally richer experience than televised sport.

On a vaguely related note, I think having bright yellow seats at the caketin was a ridiculously stupid idea because it makes empty seats far more obvious, especially on tv, and I think that makes people think the atmosphere must be much worse because it makes the place look empty.I wonder if people watch at home and think "I'd go to this game but it doesn't seem like the atmosphere would be that great. look at all the empty seats"
I prefer the approach they did with the new seats at the gabba in Brisbane where they painted them all different colours so they don't stand out when theres only a few thousand people there. Its a simple thing but I think it does make a difference to the way tv viewers see the game. Not that the Nix management have any control over it of course, but I wonder if there's been any mass studies on stadium seat colours and how that affects tv audiences perception of match atmospheres to back up my point...

...although probably not. Most likely I'm actually just a weirdo with a hatred of bright seats in stadia

I'm going to wade in half way through a convo here and maybe it's already been said  but what about delaying the game regionally so people in the Wellington area who'd normally watch it at home on the telly may be more motivated to go to the game and see it live

I actually think that would do more harm than good. People would become disinterested. It works better in bigger regions - like in the states.

Would be a pretty bold move. Tegal2011-11-08 20:01:37

I'd be a big fan of that. Unfortunately Sky don't pay megabucks for the rights to delayed coverage. So I think we're lumped with a choice: small crowds for more TV $$$ or bigger crowds for less moolah.

Then it's skys fault we don't get the crowds at the games,they've made it so you stay at home and watch your sport live on the telly.Sting them for more t.v revenue to offset the loss of patrons to the game

They already pay for the rights though. If you did it,you'd have to get enough revenue from extra people coming to the game,than you would from those tv rights.

But I also think the public would be annoyed enough that they just wouldn't bother with the nix anymore,and watch eggball or nothing instead.

It's even more unlikely here,as sky have shown that without the Phoenix they wouldn't even be interested in the rights for the A league at all.

What about reducing the price of tickets to bugger all ($15) would it not then be better to sell (hopefully) 15,000  at that price rather than the general  6,500 at $25 we do currently ?
giddyup2011-11-08 20:17:33

To be honest you wouldn't get 15K along solely on that basis.

It's a start, winning a premiership would be the next 

I think that's a much better idea than constantly giving away tickets to falsely boost crowd numbers. The problem with giving away tickets is casual fans will not turn up to other games,and wait for the next free promotion

Depends on how much of an obstacle price is currently. $25, I'd suggest, is already on the lower end of the scale for sports events.

just out of interest, did our crowd increase the next home game immediately after thumping gold coast 6 nil?

I still believe the "free" social media should be used more by the Nix. Other teams promote themselves far better with Q & A's with their players, stuff they are doing in the community. They haven't even talked about the nix guys doing movember,

I think we had a mid-week game after that thumping.  It was a bit rainy and coldy.  We still won but.

Is there any room in there for that homeless guy who hangs around thorndon with a sling made out of bubble wrap? maybe a a wwe style 3-way ladder/cage match?

If the club hasnt..and it probably has..it needs to do market research to determine better who its fan base are and then have strategies to attract and retain the various segments.  It should survey what makes them come to games and not and go from there.  What ticket price would keep them..free kids? 3 for one deals?, deferred payments for season tickets with one free?

[/QUOTE]On a vaguely related note, I think having bright yellow seats at the caketin was a ridiculously stupid idea because it makes empty seats far more obvious, especially on tv, and I think that makes people think the atmosphere must be much worse because it makes the place look empty.I wonder if people watch at home and think "I'd go to this game but it doesn't seem like the atmosphere would be that great. look at all the empty seats" I prefer the approach they did with the new seats at the gabba in Brisbane where they painted them all different colours so they don't stand out when theres only a few thousand people there. Its a simple thing but I think it does make a difference to the way tv viewers see the game. Not that the Nix management have any control over it of course, but I wonder if there's been any mass studies on stadium seat colours and how that affects tv audiences perception of match atmospheres to back up my point......although probably not. Most likely I'm actually just a weirdo with a hatred of bright seats in stadia[/QUOTE]

oi! Those yellow seats make great percussion to "Ritchie Herbert's Yellow Army!" chants.
Leave them alone.
Until the chanting begins.HarryHotspur2011-11-09 20:50:59

Clearly!

i would have gone to the ccm game but i had to work .Is this a good excuse????

my two cents.

What's happened to Ricki's Chickies?

Ends up at $30 odds with Ticketek fees etc.

$5 for an Ezyticket to print yourself with Ticketek, and yet the same thing is free with Ticketmaster. Joke of a company.