I also like the automatic membership renewal idea that Essendon* and Bulldogs currently have in place every season.

You'd be amazed how many border line supporters don't sign up because they can't be bothered, we have to make an effort to renew our membership but if we just had automatic renewal then those who don't want to be members will have to call up the club and ask them to cancel, that way a lot of border line members won't bother and it will work in our favour rather than against us.

Auction off a day in the coaches box every week???

!

I really like the idea that has been suggested on numerous occasions about the club developing its own website outside of the telstra run template as Essendon* has done but with much more personal interaction more in the lines of a Princess Park online.

This website could serve as an electric communication between all facets of the club (unlike the broad passive and stagnet template used in AFL site) and member/supporters almost like a cyber Princess Park incorporating personally frequented passive and live forum/chat interaction between all sectors of the club ie administration, marketing, the playing group, the coaching group and even as has been the case here members of the board.

Such a level of accessibility will ensure a frequent level of visits between the club and all its supporters/members enabling both further revenue opportunities and a more efficient means of handling administrative inquiries.

Once you have an audience there is no reason why you could not include many additional levels of online revenue opportunities.
For example you could sell sponsorships for live and passive forums as well as the online participation of each of the participating players, coaching staff and even board members etc.

You could sell online advertising exposure both on longterm or opportunistic short term basis as opportunities and advertiser needs arise enabling exposure to many smaller companies that otherwise could not afford the more traditional sponsorship methods and beyond the traditional time limits. Some of these in the longterm may even be turned into more lucrative traditional sponsors .

You could re-introduce the saver deal card that used to be given out with memberships but in the form of a live online catalog with web links to the participant websites and the ability to keep adding unlike the traditional printed versions.

It would certainly ensure a busier marketing department and help streamline the club member administrative process

Waht's the take-up rate on sports memorabilia? I never hear of how many in their limited editions they get left with.

A major overhaul in the merchandising area is needed. The quality of the merchandise available is very, very poor. I've purchased a t-shirt in the past for the gym that's fallen to bits virtually upon washing.

Are we locked into merchandising contracts?

Look at all the other professional leagues in the world and how much more superior their products are. Yes they have far better global reach due to many factors, but that is no excuse for stocking poorly made and designed merchandise. We cross many demographics in our supporter base, from the not so fortunate to the very wealthy. I do not think it's out of the question that young professionals like myself would pay considerably more to sport about the place on the occasion in "something" Carlton.

Melbourne is the fashion capital of the world after all, does it not make sense to get a local manufacturer/designer onboard to produce some quality supporter gear. Look at the new Australian one-day team outfit, or the Australian soccer team uniforms and tell me they are not leagues ahead since signing with Adidas. Without any bias whatseover we have the cleverist emblem in the competition, hence the design is done. I like plain t-shirts and polos when casually dressed, but the t-shirt designs we have are far too over-the-top with the messy print that's trying to be contemporary. The polo's we have use very poor quality material, and the embroidery on the logo leaves a lot to be desired.

Is it out of the question to have something as well made as say the major manufacturers like Fred Perry, Ralph Lauren, Gant, etc. All we need in this regard is a good cut, a minimalist design, a quality weave/material, and the logo embroidered properly. This is only one example, I'm sure collectively we could come up with better designs, heck they could have a competition (like the one we didn't for the alternative guernsey) for designs for new merchandise and we could all vote online?

I just got back from the US and purchased a couple of newer fitted baseball caps as I'm a bit of Mets fan. AUD50 will fetch you a pure wool quality fitted cap with embroidery you'd never find on one of ours. I actually like the design of the Carlton tie, but again it's polyester! The scarves in the US are pure wool, not 100% cotton which you'd only find amongst the AFL now. Their t-shirts and jumpers are fantastic quality material with good stitching. It's the same if you compared the English Premier League apparel you get nowadays that seems to be worn regularly by youths on a daily basis, and moreso by everyone on match days.

On a lesser note, I've been going into the Carlton Shop every fortnight for 4 months to get a mug for my morning coffees (to spite the others in the office) and constantly get the same answer? Yes it's only a mug, but it typifies how badly managed the merchandise area is - they don't have a supplier?

Thanks Beermat.

wasthesonofapreacherman sent me his thoughts on merchandising:


I agree with him about a lot. The prints on t-shirts are very busy and don't seem to have any relevance to the "class" I associate with the Carlton brand. K.I.S.S.!!!

And I've been trying for a new mug for 6 months ever since some eejit at work broke mine.

agreed - at the risk of turning this into a bitching thread - bought all new pink stuff for the baby - bunny rug - jump suit etc and washed it and SOOOOOOOO much dye ran that now all the white parts with the CFC logo and writing etc are blended into the pink so it just looks like a pink mesh of nothing - i know ink/dye runs on lots of things but this was crazy !

OT: apparently if you wash new things in salt instead of soap it fixes the dye better to the fabric.

YMMV

Thanks for the tip

( this was a ridiculous amount of dye though )

There's also a fantastic product call "Run Away" which can save you from dye running disasters. Put your clothes in a bucket of hot water mixed with this stuff and you'll get everything pretty much back to normal.