Should we move this thread to TalkingDomestic?

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don't ask me, I'm just a lizard

Maybe the club can sell a pack with every purchase.


Seriously, this is going great guns.

It's been a long time since the members have actually felt like they were being listened to.

Thanks to Stephen, Mark and the rest of the board.

Since the Idea's thread is locked I am unsure where to put this but the Mod's can thread it in somewhere. Apologies for starting a new one though.

Anyway - here goes.

In addition to the idea of supporter groups in specific regional areas I would like to put forward this idea.

Perhaps during the "Bye Week", each of these separate regional areas can be targeted for a co-ordinated and simulated Navy Blue Week.

If there are former players who either live in or come from certain parts of the country, they can get together with current players during this week and travel around with a DVD highlights package of our better moments, give a little talk about the Club and what it means to be "Blue" and how being a part of the Carlton family has effected and enriched their lives.
Even a clinic with the old and current players would be good. Sort of a "Sportsmen Night" type of thing.

This could take place in a school setting or even at the kids footy training and have pie night etc. (You would expect that some of the funding could be offset by a local regional sponsor or the local footy club charging for a night etc)


Most importantly, I suggest they should take one of the Premiership Cups with them on this trip.
How many of us have actually seen a Premiership Cup close at hand? You can only see them at the Club and many people just don't have the opportunity.

Kids and parents alike, especially in Regional Areas would have stars in their eyes at actually seeing a Premiership Cup up close. Having photos taken with it etc. It would also give our current players something more concrete to aspire to.


Get the history of the club out there again and let people know that we were once a mighty and powerful club.

Places of vital importance need to be the untapped markets in Western Sydney, Northern Queensland, Darwin and Alice Springs, parts of Western Australia and regional New South Wales and of course those key parts of regional Victoria especially Bendigo, given our history with Zoning from the area.

I think it would be important to have each regional group do 3 "shows" during the week off. We can offset this problem about the 8 weeks annual leave by having an extra week off pre-season training.

This would not only grow the brand but also the reputation of the club and would encourage more people to get on board the Navy Blue Bus ride.

Ok..I'll post this again...here....Fits in with Kevin Bohane's untapped Cork market too!...(Don't forget to read to the end!

OK...here's how it works...remember...this isn't my idea...it's someone elses...has beeen tried and it works!

OK...certain matches are designated "promotion"...matches.
(similar to AFL's heritage/rivalry/community? rounds)
At these...you have a "promotion"...
Basically it's a giveaway. Usually a sponsor....black stamp on your ticket and pick up your freebie.....

Simple isn't it.....

I can hear you now..."so what?..like you'll get an extra crowd for a free mars bar or heaven forbid a blue M&M??"

BUT how does it really work.....

Well some bits are obvious some are not.
Firtsly...at the fixture att the beginning of the year the "Promotional" games are marked.
Let's look at the Seattle Mariners (who I follow in the MLB)
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/schedul ... m=4&y=2007

In the legend and in the calender (April 27th) you'll see a [*] signifying promo game (in this case against Kansas (how many people from Kansas are going to make it to Seattle???) ....sort of our Freo.

Also if you click the promo you'll see it's an Ichiro* (see below) Bobblehead....




Ok..note the number of fans...the fact that there is a series of them etc. and the sponsor (Fox Sports Network).

The sponsors get behind these because they are "targetted"

Another "promotion" (that I was at) was a free glove to every junior member .....Slazenger (I think) had just gotten into making baseball gloves. Seriously these $50 gloves were given to every junior member that came into the ground....how busy do you reckon the membership booth outside was
....and how instantly popular in the school yard do you reckon the new :must have" gloves became.....mind you they were probably being made for about $2 in China...so for the cost of ONE TV commercial, these things had instant penetration into the market...exclusivity (as these kids got them before anyone) Club gets heaps of new members (albeit junior) and I'm sure they "pay" the club for the promo or "access" to the members to boot.

Different sponsors want different things. I know for a fact these things started as getting a few sponsors dollars and who cares about the freebie and quickly moved to "high quality" freebie that make the sponsors look good and drag people to the games.....

I'm happy to talk to anyone about what I know about these...

Now
*Ichiro -

Let me tell you a story ...see if it sound familiar...
This kid was recruited from Japan...no expectation..doubts as to whether he would make it. He's been good..not necesarily great..but good, but almost instantly became a cult figure in the US (well Mariners supporters)...so the club thought we'ld better pitch some mercahndise (Shirts with Ichiro on the back and with Ichiro in Japanese on the back) and see about trying to sell some into Japan. Last I heard from some die hard supporters, the club probably couldn't drop him (which they don't want to) from the team because of the marketting revenue alone....so which is the first bobblehead..Ichiro of course...(wonder if the Japanese love those cute little things...I'm betting there's a container ship on its way over as we speak.)

Any ideas as to wether we could do anything similar...

(Kevin Bohane may wish to contribute...)

Now...risk to club with nay of these venture = just about zero...possible return ...well Not billions but can be quite a lot.

I know it's still not "outside" the traditional footy revenue stream...but it is thinking outside the square...


...oh and most importantly...it works

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

I think the club should provide a large number of free guernseys and caps to the immigrant assistance groups within Victoria for our future members. Also give a free day at the football supporting Carlton to the children and their families. Perhaps invite them along to training to meet the players, tour the rooms, and have a sausage sizzle afterwards. Get a spokesman in the Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, British, and New Zealand groups to suggest ways in which the club could become more involved with them. It's about time we started to climb back up that membership ladder.

Pretty much any supermarket stocks it. Just ask.

It's usually stocked next to the Ichiro Bobbleheads

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If you'd given me the choice of going out and beating four men and smashing a goal in from thirty yards against Liverpool
or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice. Luckily, I had both. - George Best

http://carltonfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=aroundtheclub:


Which is all lovely if you're a family, but what about me?
(It isn't fair, I don't have enough and I want my share. Can't you see, I want to live, but... flower, sorry, forgot the mic was on, won't happen again)

So what about a carlton singles ball?
A classy event, black tie, with a swing band and DJs.
Champagne and finger food.
Limited tickets, to ensure an equal number of guys and gals.
Cheaper for members.
Optional dancing lesson beforehand.
Invite some of the eligible players, and eligible daughters of past players.

Could work?

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don't ask me, I'm just a lizard

This is a great idea.
I think I read somewhere here that NAB sponsor the Bullants.
You'd think that Ahmed Fahour* would be able to set something like this up.


*Am I spelling that right?

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don't ask me, I'm just a lizard

well as i've previously posted i have asked several sports stores in cork city if they would sell carlton gear ... Big yes from all the major city centre stores. replica guernseys are €65 over here through on some iron on numbers free of charge & im sure they would sell as a lot of people are still interested in the Ó hAilpín boys doing well down under. We could also take off Mau U etc with half blue half red t-shirts etc with 17/45 at back pic of boys on front. CFC caps could also sell well esp if you have one of the big guns come over to launch the gear with the boys. we could get the vening echo/irish examiner both based in cork involved as well.

The Game/Ryan 2000 pre election also wanted a cork/sydney exhibbition game during the summer.

"I've always wanted to hold a match between Carlton & Sydney in Dublin (ie:- Setanta Vs Kennelly) and make a 'doco' on it.

Have got the name of the guy who controls the AFL media department and have always dreamed of pitching the idea to him, cause i think i could really be something special.

Not just the game itself, but pre & post match footage too (could you imagine the footage of the player of Carlton & sydney getting on the guieness @ some Irish pub in Dublin with Carlos & Kenelly 'showing' em how it's done!)

Hell i'd film it for free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Tadhg being from Kerry Setanta/Aisake from Cork id say the match would be better off in Killarney(Kerry) or in Cork City.

"(could you imagine the footage of the player of Carlton & sydney getting on the guinness @ some Irish pub in Dublin with Carlos & Kenelly 'showing' em how it's done!) " would be better with them in Kennellys in Listowel or else Na Piarsaigh clubhouse in Cork."

Definitely an opportunity to market the club.

One completely out of box/not sure if its feasible but could carlton get involved with tv networks/TG4 over here to show delayed coverage of Carlton matches/live. Before the swans premiership so many irish viewers emailed TG4 about GF that they got it live. Thats how strong the potential market over here is

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Setanta Ó hAilpín 64 AFL Games 45 Goals

Up the Rebels All-Ireland Hurling Champions 2004/2005

Something in essence like this was floated by at least 2 directors of the Club late 2006, to NAB, but I'm not sure how it went down at NAB. I'd have thought it likely that they would be pushing again on all the recent ideas given the new leadership.

I would love to see the club develop a range of cheeky slogans to drive home the optimism and get back the swagger on the back of the recent positive changes, Sell them as a merchandising items especially before and after games on match days.

Some thing to make supporters feel proud, hold their head up high and help restore some of the typical Carlton attitude while further refueling traditional rivalries and irritating opposition supporters.

It may even inspire some of the supporters that abandoned the club of late to get back on board.

Print on bumper bar stickers, Tshirst adhesive iron ons, Office Coffee cups laminates, Banners even on mini stickers that can be placed on opposition supporters backs when they re not watching or after a win against their own club.

Something like "Pay back Time" ( perhaps this one can wait until after the loan is payed back ) or "Your team has just been Recycled by Pratts Blues"

Whatever the catch phrases just something that reflects pride, optimism and attitude.

What about some sort of partnership with Melbourne Victory (perhaps this has been mentioned elsewhere?)

A Carlton membership gets you discounts on Victory merchandise & vice versa.

Great thread...I really like your idea amazonstud.

Collingwood at their family day had time when around 10-20 top players were in a tent and you/your friends/ and family could get a picture taken with them for 15 dollars.... I hate taking ideas from the scum but imagine if you could have a proffesional photo with kouta, fev, murph, stevo, walks, lance, gibbs, etc... gawd I'm drooling at the thought!!

Thanks for your support Mrs C!

Hey Mrs C , do you know if Stephen or any others have checked the ideas thread you created for them?

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

*cue banjo playing music from Deliverance*

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Wherever you go, there you are.

Yes...I believe they have. Stephen is very happy that it has been created.

What about getting in partnership with a winery somewhere to produce a 2007 wine that has either all our young guns on it, or one per bottle. The club could market as buying a young wine and letting it mature, which would coincide with us winning premiership No 17.

It could be like an adult version of footycards, Gibbs has a great first game and in the excitement you drink the Gibbs bottle of 2007 Shiraz, so you have to buy another ....

With Dan Murphy's as one of our main sponsors this could work really well.

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when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth

Feelgood Hit of the Winter - GHRP-2, GHRP-6, CJC-1295, AOD-9604, Humanofort and Hexarelin

I totally agree with Denin Undies on the quirky statements. I was suggesting in my merchandising email that we need cool simple t-shirts, not the bogan ones we currently have. Statements that bring a smile to your face ala "vote for pedro" type t-shirts would no doubt sell, and would make opposition supporters laugh. Have the emblem on the side.

"Who needs Viagra when you've got a billion-dollar Dick?"

" "Well keep our end up" with Dick's backing."

"Is your Dick worth 5.2b?"

"How far does your Dick get you?"

"Billion-dollar Dick" Have a funny photo of Pratt with his thumb up.

"Carlton's Dick on the rise."

"Pull out your Dick and watch your fortunes rise"

"Most expensive Recycled Recruit - 5.2b" or "Pagan's $5.2b Recycling Recruit!" Photo.

I'll get off Richard...

"Visy - recycling wooden spoons for silver spoons"

"Carlton Membership - beat the Bryce rise"

"Kadence clearwater revival"

"dah dah-dah dah-dah"...Remember that f$%king song?"

Gotta work, I can think of a bucketload of these, it's dead easy...

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--------------------------------------------------------"The only one that could ever love me..."

Thanks Mrs C - great to hear !

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.