Season ticket sales

[The Grim Reaper]

Likewise, has everyone else on the tickets database been directly targetted by E Mail, phone, letter or camping on their doorsteps until the fuckers relent?  Simple, cheap, direct, personal sales activity will get the quickest results.

Agree with this bit. I attended around 15 home games last season, each time booking my ticket over the phone with the box office, whom always found my details with my postcode. Yet despite obviously being on the clubs database i was never automatically sent out a season ticket info packet. (Although i accept maybe others might have done?)

[suttonred]

I've been emailed once.

[Batch]

I agree with Paul,

Anyone who is semi-regular will know about the deal, at least I've hear no complaints so far that the message hadn't got through. Therefore I'm not sure that direct marketing is a good use of funds for these people.

There may be some of the older generation not 'wired' to the internet/don't get the Adver, but I'm sure the message will still get to them via family and friends.

Maybe the message that matchday prices will no longer be cheaper in advance could be reinforced to scare some waiverers from the "know about the deal" group.

I guess there are some lapsed fans, used to go ages ago but not any more. Not sure how to reach these. I see that the club are going to the Cotswold Country fair in Ciren, not sure this will reach that type of person, but may do wonders on the "corporate" side.

The difficulty reaching new customers who aren't so up on the club.  Not sure how to do this to wider Wiltshire, but Swindon is the largest population base and the easiest demographic because the club is based on the doorstep. So I guess it is natural to exhibit at the most popular community events?

[Christy]

Yes, you're sneering for the sake of it. The club have targeted a series of events none of which involve "happy clappy village fetes" as you put it, most of them have actually been the likes of the larger six-a-side football tournaments that run in the area over the summer, plus some of the larger "community" events, all of which seems to me at any rate to be well-targeted at expanding awareness to new customers. Clearly any business would be crazy to try to expand its customer base in this way and should instead focus on continually trying to wring ever more out of an existing customer base that has been shrinking for years. Well done.

Of course all efforts to extend the fan base should be applauded.  I'm not sure too many could disagree with that.  

However, given the immediate priority to get as near to 6000 season ticket holders as quickly as possible, which approach would you consider most effective in generating sales - spending a day personally contacting known supporters or manning a stall at a six-a-side?

[ahounsell]

I can see both sides to this. Marketing the club to the wider community is clearly a good thing. Its the kind of thing the club should have been doing for years.

On the other hand, Im not sure how many "new customers" as in people who havent been to games before, are likely to jump in at the deep end with a season ticket no matter how cheap they are. It may be that the benefit the club gets from these kind of people is more on-the-day sales initially which of course is still a positive.

In terms of season ticket sales, Christy is probably right that you can get a better return from targetting existing fans. Of course there is no reason why you cant do both.

Im not sure its that critical that we reach the 6,000 though. Of course it would be great to do it but its hardly a disaster if we end up with (say) 5,000. Revenue wise the club is about as well off as selling 6,000 at the lower price.

The only danger is that it undermines the current boards willingness to continue investing in the club.

[pauld]

I don't think I made myself very clear - of course, the club should be selling to the existing fanbase, and AFAIK they have been trying to do just that. But it's not either/or and just because you have an existing customer base that doesn't mean you shouldn't try and win new customers, especially when you're trying to dramatically expand your customer base.

[DV]

On the existing customer things

When I was in the ticket office renewing my season ticket the guys in front said they were getting their first season ticket for 3/4 years and asked if their data would still be on the system.

The reponse the got was no, its a new system and only has last seasons data on it.

So, anyone who has had a season ticket or has been on the system before last season but wasnt actually on the system last season wouldnt have been contacted directly.....

[Arriba]

christy has made some valid points imo.and ahounsell as added more words of sence.

ideas like going to bath,thatcham etc are a complete waste of time.nobody will shell out over 200 quid on something they have no interest in.match day selling, yes maybe? season tickets, not a chance.
i've said all along that i dont think the target will be met.
but targetting people on the computer systems for tickets sold over the past couple of seasons will be the best way of getting anyway near to the 6000 mark.

[pauld]

Yes, but then you've always thought the whole thing was a waste of time haven't you arriba?

[Bogus Dave]

Im still suprised i haven't seen any billboard advertising anywhere in swindon

[Arriba]

Yes, but then you've always thought the whole thing was a waste of time haven't you arriba?

depends what you mean by whole thing?

[Colin Todd]

Yes, but then you've always thought the whole thing was a waste of time haven't you arriba?

depends what you mean by whole thing?

Life?

[Arriba]

pass me the rope

[janaage]

On a side note Oxford have managed to sell 1500 so far.  Last two years they've sold 3,000.  Things not looking rosey at the Kassam Stadion!!

[RobertT]

I agree that existing purchasers should be targetted if at all possible and I think the lack of an online offer will make it more difficult to sell to some.  I know I haven't received anything as yet beyond what I know from reading online and the press etc, so it maybe is an oportunity being missed.

Regarding the online bit, that is dissapointing.  I am lazy by nature, so posting it is a no go, I rarely visity a post box these days.  If I lived out of Town a bit it might make seem a hassle for me to get down to the cluba and do it - way better than posting because I can be confident of getting the seats I want.  How nice it would be to click my seat and pay.

As I've said though, it's already a success.  It's just possible a few things can be done to make it more of a success.