Phoenix Marketing in 09/10

Phoenix Marketing in 09/10

Let�s try and give David �Thunder� Dome of Nix HQ a hand.

 

What do we need in 09/10 to get the public fired up about the Nix?

 

Billboards of Durante and Boom Boom Bertos standing staunchly in front of a fiery background (this comment may be untimely)? More competitions for 2ndBest to win? A new ticketing agency? Free beer at the stadium? A massive mechanical Phoenix that rises from Midland Park the Friday before every home game?

 

Probably better to concentrate on marketing gimmicks than a whole thread banging on about how crap Ticketek are..

The key thing in my (humble) opinion is to create some consistency in the message to the (potential) fans... and maximise the networks of existing ones... ie: new media, etc.

It's not possible realistic to throw hundreds of thousands of dollars at billboards everywhere, and TVCs, etc... they need to look at ways of gaining impact/exposure and delivering their message more directly (which generally is more effective anyway). Look at the concept of membership vs being a season ticket holder... the two concepts aren't the same... Tony would be aware of this with his experience in Aussie (AFL/NRL etc). Thats not to say we can replicate everything, clearly we can't - but we can look at other markets and learn and adapt whilst exploring uniquely Welly opportunities.

We have to make it 'easy' for people to come to the ROF. As an example - in Brisbane, if you prepurchase (member or not) a ticket to the Gabba to watch the Lions (AFL) it gives you free public transport using the same ticket... whilst it's a small thing, those small things matter... I recall a rant on here from someone about wasting time having to buy train tix, etc...

Gimmicks are great if they're part of a consistent message... if they're not, then they'll be more effective and any ongoing benefits are very limited...


Shuddup Surge.

Ok.

Also bear in mind that most teams have squads of about 15, so really it's about 3000 we're talking about here.

Though I have to say that most of the guys from my team are season-ticket holders.

The club's official website needs an overhaul, I appreciate that it's content is controlled by the FFA but really, they all look as bland as the Reebok Kits.

ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT!!

I agree with the consistancy comment. The radio adds were good but too late in the piece to be of any great effect.

Season ticket sales will be a challenge - comment on radio this morining, by the rugby union, that Hurricane season ticket sales are down 30% - this is despite prices been frozen at last year's level.

I'd like to see the players become more well known. ie send groups of them to schools more and really let people get to know them. especially our fringe players. when my younger cousins got into the actual players and knowing their names then they really got into it and loved it and are becoming season holders with me next season. If players are more recognisible, then fans will go to see the phoenix AND the players. this will also help create vibe for the AW's. but we need them getting into schools and showing that they really are cool people. its cheap marketing

Thinking a bit more about the issue of stadium food and drink prices how about all season ticket holders (soccer or rugby) receive a stadium discount card (validity corresponds to soccer or rugby season). The discount card entitles you to say 30% off the price of food and drinks.

Its simple....they need to win!!!!!!!!! Sports supporters are in two camps. those fanatics who would go anyway and the fly by nighters, they attend when its trendy to follow a winning team. Look at the history of the Warriors....full stadiums when they are on a roll. Just a few thousand diehards when they are crap.

My guess would be that the food and drink vendors at the stadium are in a position whereby they don't have to lower their prices.

Your not... unless something has changed since I was involved - which I'm 99.9% sure it wouldn't have - you win the tender, you fulfil your contract, you do what you like... well, almost.

To me, the key to really boosting the attendances (outside of winning lots) is getting families along to games. So the ideas on free public transport, free tickets for u-13s (if they bring a paying adult) would definitely help.

I'd also agree that "casual" fans fell out of the loop too easily this season. The home games were advertised but not in a really prominent way ... I hate to say this, but Wellington Rugby have done a great job of this since the Phoenix's first season scared them - full page advertising features well in advance of the games, getting players out for more public events, special promotions ... most casual fans I know didn't have a clue about the special ticket deals (or even that games were on) late in the season until after they'd already made other plans.

I'd also like to see something like a "bring a mate for free" voucher that could be used for any game in the season given to each season ticket holder - to reward people buying season tickets and to hopefully increase the hardcore fanbase.

Geetar, Like your suggestion alot.

I reckon the fever zone has lost a bit of its awesomeness... apart from when we are winning,  I have had some awesome times in there, last yea,r when this was the case!

I just received an e-mail from the club and their membership survey is now out to be filled in. So i gave my honest assesment of things on there too. The positives and the negatives - catering and Music being so friggen loud.

You can go to the info booth and get your tickets changed to zone tickets.

I had a really loud drink once.
I may have been making the noise but it was the alcohol talking - honest

Whitby boy2009-02-13 15:38:13

I'm not a fan of "bring a mate and he gets in free" it seems a desperate and transparent attempt to get people through the gate. bring a kid a long and they get in free is different tho its blooding new fans that'll hopefully grow up and be longtime supporters of the club.

i liked the ads they did when fred came but why couldn't that have been done at the start of the season with other players or the team. if it happened i didnt see it.

maybe be a bit more thoughtful with the advertising spend maybe full page ads in the paper or billboards aint best. basically do something cool. im all about doing cool sh*t.

and it didnt hep that the bus shell ads stayed up days after the game had played

I think they held off the ads until the Olympics (which pumped up the price of advertising) and the Super 14 (which saturated the market) had finished, and spent their discretionary dollars then.

by one get one free option doesn't help the nix at all, the only people that helps is the food vendors cos they get an exrta mouth to fill. Sure the nix get an extra number in the attendee box but not the paying kind which is what we need.

fair call.

would a ambient media campaign be another option? it ticks the box for me as it would be cool.

Bus shell ads are always up past their sell date.

If we want to create an entertaining atmosphere, we could lower the gate prices and risk losing more at the end of next season (if we needed 10k to break even on this years prices then we are talking what? 12-13k pairs of feet through the turnstiles? Realistically that won't happen on a consistant basis)
Food prices could be lowered
We could have the surviving beatles and the rolling stones perform at halftime
But if we play on a Sunday night, when people have to get up at 7 the next morning to go to work...they are either not going to bother or watch it on the tele.

We need a better draw this season.

That's my two cents.

I've no doubt the Nix will lobby for more games on Fridays and Saturdays but they are screwed by Sky who don't have the resources to cover Nix and Rugby on those nights and won't compromise their marquee rugby coverage.

I'd kill to get to wake up at 7.

At the end of the day, I don't think billboards would do that much for the nix. To break outside the non dedicated fan market you need too win. And as someone said they need to get the local players there, not just the adults but the thousands of kids who play every Saturday. Obviously with every kid their should be at least one parent, but then again parents would probably see it as a once in a while take your kids to the football thing. Which just comes back to the parents needing to be hard-core fans to bring them every week.

[QUOTE=playwithFire]I'd like to see the players become more well known. ie send groups of them to schools more and really let people get to know them. especially our fringe players. If players are more recognisible, then fans will go to see the phoenix AND the players. this will also help create vibe for the AW's. but we need them getting into schools and showing that they really are cool people. its cheap marketing

The clubs need to be involved, I dont know how many clubs are in Wlgtn but each home game could involve a club -  some nix players could go to that clubs ground on a Satrday morning, speak to the kids get them keen. Have a couple of teams V each other at half time - that would bring Mum & Dad along to watch their wee jonny in the Stadium.

chchnix2009-02-13 21:52:35

Back in Dunedin the (rugby) clubs had ticket allocations (for otago games) that meant you could purchase them from the club without having to go to ticketek.

Giving out the full draw as handouts in the game and as leaflets inside newspapers means people know when all the games are on. If they know when the away games are on, they'll watch them at home which will keep the interest up so they go to the home games. I rem seeing a draw with only the home games in it and it was a pain.

Put homes games in the regional papers not just the wellington ones - eg. Hutt News, Kapi-Mana etc. people do travel in to see the Phoenix. (fairfax media owns most of the local papers so visit their site to get the relevant list of them).

Family concession tickets are good - if its for 2 adults and two kids and one of your kids  doesn't want to come, you can rope someone else in who wouldn't ordinarily watch - one of the kids friends.

Chips are okay, doughnuts are okay. Rest of the stadium food is rubbish. Loyalty cards on food could work if you could make the loyalty benefit work on the day - eg. buy 2 get 1 free or get one 1/2 price (then you buy three things and feed the family, or a bunch of mates).

Players going to schools to inspire new players. Giveaway posters (signed? unsigned?) with the draw on them so that the kids can tell mum or dad when to take them.

Kids playing at half time (maybe not all the time, but it's an honour to play on your teams home ground in front of a crowd).

Sunday matches are tough when you have to get up the next day, and for kids if you have to wait for the train before you get away it makes it a long day before school the next day.
 
We also have a job to sell the phoenix "experience" to others who wouldn't normally go. Bring 2-3 people to a game who wouldn't ordinarily come.

Do the Sky thing - if you get someone to sign up for a season membership, mention your name on their membership and you get a reduced fee on your membership (or if that's unworkable, maybe you get a free ticket to one of the special events, or something like that).

Also if you compare f1 with a-league, teams don't expect to dominate in their first (or even second) year.
Usual progression is this (if they are any good)
1st year - finish last or near last as team gets organised.
2nd year - get regular points (for us read wins), get better sponsorship as team looks better
3rd year - aim for podiums (for us this read semi's), get stable sponsorship and support from fans
4th year - aim for champs, finances sorted so players can worry about playing not cash, and fan support is good cos team has proven quality.
We are on the up. Lets sell that.

If the club is willing to hire me. Ill stand in manners mall with the Phoenix/ Yellow Fever anthem blaring and Ill talk the club up, hand out flyers and maybe get peoples attention with a megaphone.

Give Greene two beers and he will.