When too much info isn't enough



An interesting read that highlights the need for an overhaul in attitude from our club towards its communications with its members.

CFC must embrace the outside world, not hide from it.

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There's so much I could say...

Agree

I am an expert in this field and we are a dead set mile off many clubs.

Starts with our website, stale and boring

How obsessive do you wanna be and what more do you wanna know.

Honestly, i think those who twitter have way to much time on there hands or are not that busy. I couldn't care less if Greg Swan had a ham sandwich for lunch or Marc Murphy is tired after a hard training session.

I'd rather or people do the best they can and not be distracted updating there twitter sites every time they go to the loo.

aido, Companies world wide are now employing Social Media & Marketing positions to further enhance their brand - especially to new demographics who are surrounded with new technologies and expect certain information to be delivered a certain way. Website content management and online communication isn't rocket science but you can't leave your digital media in charge of amateurs.

Marc Murphy is eating an Apple

Chris Judd Likes this


oh wait thats facebook

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*(grow - fun - gah)

Yeah but whatabout your whataboutism.

You can't slap a sponsors logo on your twitter page so why waste resources on it when they can be used in other ways.

I don't know anyone who has a twitter page and when it comes up in conversation most people don't even know what its about.

Twitter is a fad. It will die!

Actually you can (and your facebook page) and I've requested the club create a Carlton 'twibbon' to better promote the club.



I'd love to have a wager with you, however I feel you'd be well placed to do some research on this. You might be surprised. Do some research and you'll discover that Twitter is a hell of a lot more than 'Facebook updates' as many people (including myself) thought before giving it a go. Remember too that about one in twenty people are actually posting from the Twitter webpage. Most are posting from mobile clients or desktop software. Very different from Facebook. Think outside the square. In 2010, when everyone is receiving information from mobile sources - how could such a service be of benefit to a professional football club with over 40,000 members and over 100,000 supporters?

I said to a few people the other day that I remain almost perplexed by the communications at the club. It's almost like they are still trying to be in the 1970's.

The club is reactive in terms of communications, and that is not the way it should be in this day and age. I don't use twitter, but that's not the point. I am a 34 year old married man. What about if I am a 16 year old kid and my mate is getting tweeted by Melbourne and I get stuff all from Carlton? Many of these communications in the new age are low cost and need to be systematically explored. Likewise, I believe very strongly that the club should be looking at creating a national brand (a la Hawthorn). Yet we let our interstate supporter groups atrophy and almost waste away with neglect.

Finally, the club should have looked to turn the booze cruise into a plus. Go on the offensive. A game for an alcohol and drug abuse charity against a club like St Kilda would have immediately turned a minus into a plus. Hell, even create a responsible drinking ambassador in the club as a path to a leadership role for one of our young players.

Anyway, I won't say anymore... but both in terms of technology and message we are just so reactive. I remain bemused given the marketing experience of some on the board that nothing has been done to overhaul the area.

I don't get it...

http://twitter.com/Carlton_fc

Is that shit twittering?

Yes you do!

And am I the only one having a chuckle at the irony of someone posting on a footy forum that Twitter is a fad and a niche medium.

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Yes Verbs and they do a reasonable job at it. But it could be better...it and the website could be a hell of a lot better.

Agree entirely with Molly, and Doc.

The Club is eons behind in communications.

Many years ago, Peter Jackson from Essendon* was on Talking Footy on Seven - I'm thinking that was probably 2002-3. He stated that it was Essendon*'s intent that the Web was the first point of contact for many many interstate and overseas fans, and as such, they wanted to have the official website reach out to the fans, rather than the fans have to go hunting for information about the club. That was the reason behind their decision to be the only club to break from the hideous Telstra/official AFL website deal.

The Telstra based website has been one of Carlton's stumbling blocks in communications. It was bewildering to me that a company sponsored by Optus would willingly be tied into a Telstra website. I believe the Club went along with the Telstra deal as a path of least resistance, ie: it was the easy and cheap thing to do. Well, we got what we paid for.

Add to that, the utter lack of ideas coming from the club to contact long distance/interstate members, let alone supporters, and try and convert them to members. Not to mention the 'communications' department's unwillingness to even entertain thoughts of supporter/member input when it is offered, even at cost, by professionals in their fields (photographers, designers, etc).

I would go on, but I know you've heard this from me before. So I'll shut up for now.

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And so while others miserably pledge themselves to the pursuit of ambition and brief power, I will be stretched out in the shade, singing.

I agree the communications at the club could be improved greatly. It seems odd to me that this appears to be one area at the club that hasn't/wasn't given a major boost in the Pratt era. Not sure if I'm missing anything, but Mr Pratt's mantra was don't get the best person available, get the best person...

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What's so wrong with Carlton's twittering? I can imagine it's never going to be as good as Melbourne's, but what makes Carlton's tweets part of the dark ages and rooted in the 70s?

Isn't it true that we have no control over the website, given that its an AFL run Telstra site. Therefore, they try to make it similiar to all the other clubs sites - boring.

The Bombers were the smart ones who opened up an "independent" site - similar to what we have with The Blueseam .. only theres is about the current squad.

I think the CFC - AFL site gives Carlton the ability to add some club-specific items, and tinker with appearance, but otherwise its set. The contract for content is set, the stats section set....and the Telstra technical team get to your issues eventually.

Given the club's lack of funding to many important posts, I think setting up our own website whilst of quality merit, is still probably down the pecking order. i mean do we have a fully functional membership and communications team yet?

As for the Blueseum, its nothing like the Bombers site which is EFC* funded, managed and sourced. it was a directive of the management there and well done to them. The Blueseum is a volunteer run site where the volunteers have tried for years to get Club support - this takes the shape in 2009/2010 as a link from the main site and the occasional reference in InsideCarlton.

I would have thought that Mr Pratt wouldn't have been a fan of the media after his troubles with the mistress and the price fixing, so it no doubt slipped his mind.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.

Yep, Visy isn't the sort of organisation that's needed to embrace consumer communications - so I wouldn't be at all surprised if comms were at the bottom of any list Mr. Pratt had.

Doing comms properly will only come when the management of the club has been thoroughly modernised... and it's a long way from that at the moment.

I think the guys down there pine for the good old days with Lou and Jack and Bobbie on League Teams, and quite frankly hate the thought that younger generations fully expect all kinds of inclusiveness from the club.

Guys like Coutts are from the Mushroom School of Consumer Communications (keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit) and this has to change.

Don't the players thru the Telechoice sponsorship, all have iphones?

I wonder if that was the club's initiative or Telechoice's.

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“It is a state of mind, a system of belief, a way of seeing the world, a deep faith that, because you are Carlton, you belong to something great.” - Mike Fitzpatrick articulating what Out of the Blue means.