I was surprised at the lack of build up for the first game of the season, it was a chance to kickstart the club and re-engage with the city, build on those big one off games, etc. But the season just kind of started without any fanfare and I think a lot of people wouldn't have even known it was happening, even those who came to the one off games.
I know Dome said in the podcast awhile back that the club prioritises spending money on players rather than advertising, the idea being that results is the best form of advertising. But, I remember years ago there used to be Nix billboards, Nix advertisements on busses, even Nix flags along Featherston St. There was a lot more awareness about the Phoenix. People used to talk about the Phoenix at work, now I hear no one talking about them, they're completely out of mind.
Word of mouth builds buzz, but only if it's accompanied by results. Unfortunately the Nix have a reputation for being worse than they are, and a lot of that is because whenever we manage to get a big crowd, when everyone has dragged out their mates, we underperform.
The Nix have very good partners that have very good reach, a bit of a tie in with Mcdonalds or Spark would go a long way in re-building that brand awareness.