The club are putting on the bring a mate for £5 promo.

 

Any lapsed mates get em along.

 

http://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/article/friends-for-5-for-millwall-offer-still-available-2313965.aspx

I'm on their mailing list and got an email about the Millwall game today. Maybe they don't want to pester people but if they're going to have a promotional offer, wouldn't it be better to push the offer earlier in the week?

Anyone with a booking history is pretty likely to know a season ticket holder, or know someone who knows someone. Just making them aware there was an offer on seems sensible. I'd like to think most season ticket holders will have asked around and tried to tempt lapsed fans back - with varying degrees of success. But an extra nudge couldn't have done any harm, if targeted and not bombarded.

Anyone with a booking history is liking to know a season ticket holder?

 

An extra nudge couldn't do any harm?

 

This is why no one is listening to you. Love the passion, but, and I hate to say it outright; but you're wrong. This is why no one in a position of responsibility for these matters would ever act upon your suggestions.

Nah, Cas, it's a promo for home fans with someone with a subscription. As Millwall fans don't tend to buy season tickets for Bolton, we're all good just to offer it to home fans.

I mean there might be one Millwall fan who really likes us and travels up every home game; but I don't think it'd make a dent on match day receipts.

I thought DJ wanted us to just make it open season for all to buy tickets at a fiver

 

My apologies

 

Anyway, I think tomorrow will put to bed the myth wed fill the ground at as fiver

 

Be fair enough if I'm proved wrong but the fact I got three club emails today suggests it wont

Pressing 'send' to a mailing list of those with a booking history (assuming we're sufficiently organised to have such a thing, which I know is a big if) hardly seems a huge amount of effort, if we're looking at a cost benefit analysis.

Oh they do. They really do.

It will not work in attracting new fans just doing it for the odd match against unattractive opposition. They need to make similar offers over a period of time.

Anyway, I think tomorrow will put to bed the myth wed fill the ground at as fiver

 

It won't because that's not the offer, not unless you know a season ticket holder anyway.

 

Season ticket holders don't really benefit from this offer and nor do casual supporters who don't happen to know any season ticket holders.

 

If they're going to use season ticket holders as a surrogate sales team, they really should make it worth their while. Why not give them a credit against a future game for every non-season ticket holder they bring with them?

I thought DJ wanted us to just make it open season for all to buy tickets at a fiver

 

My apologies

 

Anyway, I think tomorrow will put to bed the myth wed fill the ground at as fiver

 

Be fair enough if I'm proved wrong but the fact I got three club emails today suggests it wont

Oh sorry, even if they did you could still cap it for home fans only I believe.

 

I'm happy to be proved wrong on that but I'm pretty sure legally that's fine.

 

Mind you, you don't get away fans in theatre or festivals!

It won't because that's not the offer, not unless you know a season ticket holder anyway.

 

Season ticket holders don't really benefit from this offer and nor do casual supporters who don't happen to know any season ticket holders.

 

If they're going to use season ticket holders as a surrogate sales team, they really should make it worth their while. Why not give them a credit against a future game for every non-season ticket holder they bring with them?

Finally a good idea. You hit the nail on the head. They are using season ticket holders to spread the word but without any extra incentive for them. What you suggested above is a really good idea, this is how you make something viral, by value to the unpaid advocates.

Edited March 13, 201511 yr by Not in Crawley

NIC, if you could stop patronising for a second, what makes you think people who have a booking history don't know season ticket holders? I know loads.

Keep up NIC - I mentioned rewarding season ticket holders who recruit new or lapsed fans (with money off their next season ticket, vouchers in club shop, a free cup ticket, whatever) about 75 threads ago.

It won't because that's not the offer, not unless you know a season ticket holder anyway.

 

Season ticket holders don't really benefit from this offer and nor do casual supporters who don't happen to know any season ticket holders.

 

If they're going to use season ticket holders as a surrogate sales team, they really should make it worth their while. Why not give them a credit against a future game for every non-season ticket holder they bring with them?

That is a good idea. Maybe I'm a selfish bitch but if I'm getting tickets cheap for others I'd sooner not feel like I'm the one out of pocket by bothering to get a season ticket. I don't think David seems to have quite grasped this though.

Yes of course some will do, but not in the numbers you are hoping for. I'm sorry if I came across as patronising but I really can't make it any simpler than it does make any financial sense to mail shot or even email a non segmented database on the basis you suggest.

You don't have to make it simpler, just answer the question: how much 'financial cost' is there in sending an email to a list of thousands, which may prompt some to take up the offer? If none do, you've wasted the time taken to send an email.

Keep up NIC - I mentioned rewarding season ticket holders who recruit new or lapsed fans (with money off their next season ticket, vouchers in club shop, a free cup ticket, whatever) about 75 threads ago.

Than good for you, please don't think I'm having a personal pop at you, I'm just suggesting that you might need some more background to your suggestions.

 

I mean, for gods sakes I work with data scientists. I know, Oxbridge turn out these folk with these titles. But generally they know what they are on about when it comes to event revenue generation, data mining and research into why people attend events.

You don't have to make it simpler, just answer the question: how much 'financial cost' is there in sending an email to a list of thousands, which may prompt some to take up the offer? If none do, you've wasted the time taken to send an email.

I actually give up trying to make a reasoned case to you, clearly you have ever had to sell any large scale event over a sustained period of time with not just cost benefit but overall brand pricing to consider. It's boring for me to write this, I'm sure it's fucking dull for everyone else. If you think emails cost nothing considering the implications above, then again, you are coming from a position of the impassioned amateur.

For an expert you're pretty short on solutions yourself, I notice. You keep telling me what, in your opinion, doesn't work...so go on, what would?

That is a good idea. Maybe I'm a selfish bitch but if I'm getting tickets cheap for others I'd sooner not feel like I'm the one out of pocket by bothering to get a season ticket. I don't think David seems to have quite grasped this though.

That's the trick though, everyone is selfish, how to harness that for the benefit of your event is the key. Unpaid advocates thinking they are getting a benefit whilst still making money from them. It's what football clubs, and indeed, any large successful business survives on. From Tupperware to Vision Express.

For an expert you're pretty short on solutions yourself, I notice. You keep telling me what, in your opinion, doesn't work...so go on, what would?

That's why you get yourself so wound up. The model is fine as is. Yes, revenue will fluctuate with success on the pitch, but I bet the mean average is pretty steady. Certain promos can work for one offs which is good for end if season atmosphere but that got tit all to do wit long term support and more to to with sustaining the atmosphere so season tickets reason reasonable strong. No one buys if their last experience was pap. Well, not in the numbers the club hopes to.

 

BWFC is the overall product, not one off matches. From leaving home, to the pint before, the pie at half time to when you get back and at what time, that is what they are selling. Belief in a club, and an experience. Go to the matc or the pictures? Take the wife out on a Tuesday for a meal or go to the match? Most clubs, and Bolton has been in one of the best leagues in the world for a sustained period of time, they've taken into account the percentage of gate receipts they've dropped and will increase with promotion.

 

But don't fool yourself into thinking this fiver promo is to get people back. It's to get people re buying.

Any model that is happy to have a stadium at under 50 per cent capacity is a pretty flawed model, in my opinion. Yes, crowds go up and down according to what's happening on the pitch, but maximising the ups and minimising the downs has to be the priority. The rest is just drivel.

You really don't want to listen or understand do you?

Edited March 14, 201511 yr by Not in Crawley

I've listened. I just disagree with you.

You really didn't though, and you didn't read. But that is your right. To be fair though, you are arguing the world is flat.

 

I mean, I get paid a silly amount of money (for the funded sector) now from you the tax payer to do this sort if thing , so if you think I'm talking shite; please write to the DCMS.

Edited March 14, 201511 yr by Not in Crawley

I'm just arguing a different position from yours. And hopefully with a little more respect shown. I think we could do a lot more to encourage the missing fans back (apart from running away with the league). Yours is a more laissez faire approach - much like BWFC's, much of the time. That approach has seen crowds decline. Mine, well, we don't know yet do we, because it hasn't been tried.

Edited March 14, 201511 yr by davidjack

Let's have this chat over the next season. I'll be very surprised if I'm proved wrong.

 

If we don't get promotion, here is something you can do from home. Track the ave attendance since relegation, see what the overall decline is. I'm pretty sure this set against price match promos will give you the answer you've been searching for on a bedroom level.

 

Also, I don't think I've been disrespectful and I've always mainted my admiration for your passion for our club, and especially on this particular topic. Please don't do yourself a disservice by undermining this discussion with a slight that I've not respected your views. I'm just trying to give you my view, I do this sort if thing for a living, so I thought you'd quite like to talk to someone directly rather than emailing an club spokesperson for a typical fan response. I do respect your viewpoint, I'm just trying to show you that there is a bigger picture.

Edited March 14, 201511 yr by Not in Crawley

There you go with the patronising tone again. The 'price match promos' have been so ad hoc and piecemeal over the past 3 years as to be almost negligible. And, as discussed, they've offered no real incentives to the (dwindling) season ticket fanbase. The whole approach falls well short of anything that could be described as a strategy. Which is one of the reasons the figures are going in the wrong direction.