Attention - CFC Membership Department

Pat's Fitztrick · **Posted:** Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:27 pm

I just came across this 2004 article from The Age newspaper.

It talks mainly about the revolution in the use of statistics, but I was struck by the last few paragraphs:

Supporters in the Bombsight

"Four years ago, Essendon* looked at the way football clubs interacted with fans and concluded they were the great untapped marketing resource. The club estimated it had a million supporters across the country, but that it had contact details for only a fraction of that potentially red-and-black-clad army.

Commercial operations general manager Mike McKenna wrote a business plan in 2001 to build a database of the 250,000 fans who would be the target of its direct-marketing campaigns, to overcome what he says was a "pretty flat, pretty mature" income stream.

He says only a very small percentage of fans become members.

The club created a system to funnel every contact with a fan into a database. Clubs could not survive by maintaining "very rudimentary" members' contact databases.

Essendon* implemented a system similar to that used by Port Adelaide's AFL franchise, the Power.

The club uses Comet software to produce a secure central marketing and ticketing database that has the details of 180,000 supporters. The 200 GB server is backed up every night using ARCserve, usually a Novell-based product but the club runs it on Windows 2000.

It also uses software such as MOSAIC and Roy Morgan Research's Asteroid, to create consumer profiles and analyse buyer behaviour, to target the direct-marketing campaigns.

McKenna credits the system with doubling the Bombers' junior membership base last year through a direct-marketing campaign.
(My emphasis)

The club's website is a vital tool to collect data because it is an inexpensive and unobtrusive way for fans to approach the club, he says."

This is what Essendon* were doing six years ago. I hope that we are at least trying to catch up.

Can anyone shed some light on our methods, aims and/or processes in this area?
StephenM perhaps?

I found the whole article interesting. Here's a link.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/ ... m=storyrhs

BrizzyBlue · **Posted:** Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:33 pm

Great get Tricky!

Jarusa · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2005 9:00 am **Posts:** 23123

Thanks Pat. This will be forwarded to the club. :wink:

camel · **Posted:** Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:23 pm

Jarusa wrote:

Thanks Pat. This will be forwarded to the club. :wink:

Figured you would be interested in ensuring our Navy Blue Army gets mobilised.

Car17on · **Posted:** Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:25 pm

I am a fully-paid interstate member but do not appreciate being cold-canvassed on my personal private phone.

Surely Marketing can approach its fans in a less intrusive manner?

And surely they can come up with better ideas than raffle tickets?

Just my thoughts, while we're on the way to securing more members and probably maintaining current members ...

Kaptain Kouta · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:41 pm **Posts:** 63509

I don't think it's about cold-calling, Peter.

Peter Jackson was on Talking Footy years back saying just that. That the website was considered the Bummers' first point of contact for fans across the world, and as such, the best way for Bummers fans to become members, and the best way for the Bummers to get to their fans.

This is why their "go alone" website is worth so much more to them than any ramshackle Telstra website it worth to us.

grrofunger · **Posted:** Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:26 pm

Its not really cold calling anyway - you are a member of the organisation/club and have provided them with your personal details - its more a lukewarm calling if your not interested.

cold calling is crappy indian call centres ringing to offer dodgy internet services right in the middle of dinner.

Car17on · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 6:00 am

Kaptain Kouta wrote:

This is why their "go alone" website is worth so much more to them than any ramshackle Telstra website it worth to us.

heheh .. ramshackle .. what's a website worth to set up, anyways? Agree that the CFC.telstra.afl site is just a mirror of the telstra.afl site ...

Jarusa · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2005 9:00 am **Posts:** 23123

Kaptain Kouta wrote:

I don't think it's about cold-calling, Peter.

Peter Jackson was on Talking Footy years back saying just that. That the website was considered the Bummers' first point of contact for fans across the world, and as such, the best way for Bummers fans to become members, and the best way for the Bummers to get to their fans.

This is why their "go alone" website is worth so much more to them than any ramshackle Telstra website it worth to us.

You are wrong.

The main thing stopping Essendon* joining with Telstra is their massive 3 sponsorship. If that is not renewed when it expires at the end of 2007 then you watch them sign onto the Telstra deal. They are not going to forgo $2.4M for the remaining 4 years of the deal.

Car17on · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:23 pm

Kaptain Kouta wrote:

The main thing stopping Essendon* joining with Telstra is their massive 3 sponsorship.

Maybe we should go back to our Orangemen roots .. that would assure us of a better site! For the same reason!!

Kaptain Kouta · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:41 pm **Posts:** 63509

Jarusa wrote:

Kaptain Kouta wrote:

I don't think it's about cold-calling, Peter.

Peter Jackson was on Talking Footy years back saying just that. That the website was considered the Bummers' first point of contact for fans across the world, and as such, the best way for Bummers fans to become members, and the best way for the Bummers to get to their fans.

This is why their "go alone" website is worth so much more to them than any ramshackle Telstra website it worth to us.

You are wrong.

The main thing stopping Essendon* joining with Telstra is their massive 3 sponsorship. If that is not renewed when it expires at the end of 2007 then you watch them sign onto the Telstra deal. They are not going to forgo $2.4M for the remaining 4 years of the deal.

Well why doesn't our Optus sponsorship do the same?

I don't think you know enough to say categorically I'm wrong, but I am happy to be proved otherwise.

I guess we'll see.

SHHH! · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:44 pm **Posts:** 890

Speaking of things for the Membership dept.

PLEASE Bring back The Age deal.
I loved it arriving every Fri - Mon last year.

Robert Heatley · **Joined:** Sun Feb 27, 2005 8:04 pm **Posts:** 615

When my Age deal ran out recently, the newsagent told me that St Kilda had done the deal for 12 months.

Also are we still having to pay $5 for a cap or have we moved away from that poverty mindset with all the positive changes?

Jarusa · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2005 9:00 am **Posts:** 23123

Kaptain Kouta wrote:

Jarusa wrote:

Kaptain Kouta wrote:

I don't think it's about cold-calling, Peter.

Peter Jackson was on Talking Footy years back saying just that. That the website was considered the Bummers' first point of contact for fans across the world, and as such, the best way for Bummers fans to become members, and the best way for the Bummers to get to their fans.

This is why their "go alone" website is worth so much more to them than any ramshackle Telstra website it worth to us.

You are wrong.

The main thing stopping Essendon* joining with Telstra is their massive 3 sponsorship. If that is not renewed when it expires at the end of 2007 then you watch them sign onto the Telstra deal. They are not going to forgo $2.4M for the remaining 4 years of the deal.

Well why doesn't our Optus sponsorship do the same?

I don't think you know enough to say categorically I'm wrong, but I am happy to be proved otherwise.

I guess we'll see.

The CFC Optus sponsorship is small in comparison to the Essendon* 3 sponsorship. Also, Optus are of course not happy, but it all comes down to money and they are obviously not prepared to offer anything near what Telstra has offered with respect to a website so the club (like 14 others have) have gone with what is a fantastic deal.

If Essendon* finish bottom four again this year 3 might not renew, if that is the case if they do not replace them with another telecommunications company then I reckon they will sign up with the Telstra deal.

There is no way a slightly better website would make a $600,000 difference every year. That is a lot of money to make specifically from a website.

I know how difficult it is to make a buck with websites these days. The market is much tougher now than it has ever been.

BlueWorld · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:28 pm **Posts:** 3768

The Essendon* site is provided by 7 network. Not sure what involvement 3 have.

Siegfried · **Joined:** Fri Jun 24, 2005 12:30 pm **Posts:** 2864

Robert Heatley wrote:

Also are we still having to pay $5 for a cap or have we moved away from that poverty mindset with all the positive changes?

I didn't pay the $5 for a cap, yet I received one in the mail.

number 10 is cursed · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 10:10 pm

I did pay $5 and it arrived.....a lot quicker than my voting forms!!! Had Smorgon survived by one vote there would have been carnage.

Mordan · **Posted:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 11:32 pm

Jarusa wrote:

The CFC Optus sponsorship is small in comparison to the Essendon* 3 sponsorship. Also, Optus are of course not happy, but it all comes down to money and they are obviously not prepared to offer anything near what Telstra has offered with respect to a website so the club (like 14 others have) have gone with what is a fantastic deal.

If Essendon* finish bottom four again this year 3 might not renew, if that is the case if they do not replace them with another telecommunications company then I reckon they will sign up with the Telstra deal.

There is no way a slightly better website would make a $600,000 difference every year. That is a lot of money to make specifically from a website.

I know how difficult it is to make a buck with websites these days. The market is much tougher now than it has ever been.

Jarusa, while I absolutely agree that the deal with Telstra is a fantastic financial deal, it's certainly not a fantastic deal all round. To say a properly developed independent website would only be slightly better is rubbish. I'm not having a go at any of the Carlton staff or volunteers who contribute, all involved do a wonderful job with what they have to work with. Nor am I saying that an independent site, no matter how well run would bring in $600,000 in direct revenue.

But the website could be so much better.

Jarusa · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2005 9:00 am **Posts:** 23123

Mordan wrote:

Jarusa wrote:

The CFC Optus sponsorship is small in comparison to the Essendon* 3 sponsorship. Also, Optus are of course not happy, but it all comes down to money and they are obviously not prepared to offer anything near what Telstra has offered with respect to a website so the club (like 14 others have) have gone with what is a fantastic deal.

If Essendon* finish bottom four again this year 3 might not renew, if that is the case if they do not replace them with another telecommunications company then I reckon they will sign up with the Telstra deal.

There is no way a slightly better website would make a $600,000 difference every year. That is a lot of money to make specifically from a website.

I know how difficult it is to make a buck with websites these days. The market is much tougher now than it has ever been.

Jarusa, while I absolutely agree that the deal with Telstra is a fantastic financial deal, it's certainly not a fantastic deal all round. To say a properly developed independent website would only be slightly better is rubbish. I'm not having a go at any of the Carlton staff or volunteers who contribute, all involved do a wonderful job with what they have to work with. Nor am I saying that an independent site, no matter how well run would bring in $600,000 in direct revenue.

But the website could be so much better.

Agree with that, it is a great financial deal but it comes with a raft of restrictions which hold the website back.

I can tell you that right now there are people at the club looking at the contract. There may be ways and means available to implement some exciting online initiatives for the club despite the Telstra contract. Hopefully in the next few weeks it will get sorted.

Mordan wrote:

Nor am I saying that an independent site, no matter how well run would bring in $600,000 in direct revenue.

Just one thing I want to emphasise is I am not saying an independant site would not be able to make $600,000 full stop, I am saying it would not be able to make an extra $600,000 compared to an out of the box Telstra site.

Big difference.

Kaptain Kouta · **Joined:** Mon Feb 28, 2005 12:41 pm **Posts:** 63509

Jarusa wrote:

Just one thing I want to emphasise is I am not saying an independant site would not be able to make $600,000 full stop, I am saying it would not be able to make an extra $600,000 compared to an out of the box Telstra site.

Big difference.

I agree with that, Jars.

Part of the problem, IMO, is that our site not only is an "out of the box" site, but it has the look, and feel of same.

Like Mordan, I'm not having a go at anyone at the Club for the time and effort they put into the site.

BUT, surely there must be some way that the site can be upgraded with a minimum of time and effort to take it to a level higher than the run-of-the-mill Telstra sites.

Think of it as adding some nicer tyres, tinted windows, a spoiler, and a chunky exhaust on a new $14990 Hyundai Excel (or should I mean a $24990 Subaru Impreza) to make it look and handle a bit better than the cheapie.

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