Making Hay While The Sun Shines

[The Adelaide Connection]

We won a cup. The media are scrambling for Bulldog stories. We are favourites to win the flag in many eyes. The list looks complete. People are getting on board. We. Have. Barry.

It seems like this is all unchartered territory and at least in my short time I have never seen the club in such a position. Some forumites are warning not to get too far ahead because it might all go wrong from here and it might. However I like to subscribe to the idea that it may all go right too. Regardless of either scenario I think that what we do have on our hands is a massive opportunity and one that we all know doesn't come around every day.

I think that the club needs to aggressively market itself and be really innovative in taking the current on field momentum, hype and enthusiasm to kick as many goals off field as possible.

Don't get me wrong, walking into the Western Oval for the first time last year and seeing where the club is (and knowing that they were rattling cans at one point to survive) I know that there has been a massive turnaround over many, many years and some amazing people have done and continue to do some amazing things. However there are always things that can be done and even on here from time to time there have been grumblings about some of the things the club does (such as phoning people for raffle tickets).

Oh, and do I need to remind people that North Melbourne came out of an 8 or so year period of very good on field performances still as one of the poorest clubs in the league?

So what do you think the club can do? How can we grow the brand? What ideas do you have to make money, save money or whatever?

[AndrewP6]

Hmm... good thread, very thought provoking - I may need a Scotch and Coke to come up with some good ideas...

[The Adelaide Connection]

My first suggestion is the website. I know it is linked to the AFL site and we probably don't have a lot of input at present but it is really quite underdeveloped, crap to navigate, has very little new content from week to week and, well, crap.

The next generation of fans will all be computer people, and obviously a huge chunk of this generation of fans are too. Turn the website into a real drawcard. Have member only areas that offer special content, galleries, have players like Murphy writing blogs and things like competitions for kids. No scrap that last part, have a completely different site for kids.

Seek out a major sponsor for the sites. Advertise. Sure we all hate banner ads etc but as long as they don't cheapen the site ("Get ripped in three minutes") and the club is making money I am sure we wont complain too much. Besides there are other ways to make money off websites.

Offer the Magazine and other correspondence electronically. 30,000 Bulldogs magazines four times a year is a lot of mailing and a huge number, like myself, would be very happy to receive it as an ebook.

Official facebook, Myspace and Twitter pages. Free advertisement and can all be linked to the website.

Other thoughts I had were:
-Bay advertisements. As I mentioned in another thread Port will be using up to 12 of these in a game (depending on likely crowds). Huge potential for games like the Freo fixture.
-Our players will be in demand, supplement their income like crazy. The AFL says its ok, so lets get a few of the boys some extra $$$ and stop any midseason offers sounding tempting. Coon cheese anyone?
-Not exactly a 'new' idea but what did they do with the jumpers from the grand final? I'd say if they have them they should put them in frames, sign them and auction them off. Even the newies like Easton Wood would fetch a fair price at auction and then there is Barry's (which should be packaged with a replica Tuck medal). Gold dust.

[LostDoggy]

My first suggestion is the website. I know it is linked to the AFL site and we probably don't have a lot of input at present but it is really quite underdeveloped, crap to navigate, has very little new content from week to week and, well, crap.

The next generation of fans will all be computer people, and obviously a huge chunk of this generation of fans are too. Turn the website into a real drawcard. Have member only areas that offer special content, galleries, have players like Murphy writing blogs and things like competitions for kids. No scrap that last part, have a completely different site for kids.

Seek out a major sponsor for the sites. Advertise. Sure we all hate banner ads etc but as long as they don't cheapen the site ("Get ripped in three minutes") and the club is making money I am sure we wont complain too much. Besides there are other ways to make money off websites.

Offer the Magazine and other correspondence electronically. 30,000 Bulldogs magazines four times a year is a lot of mailing and a huge number, like myself, would be very happy to receive it as an ebook.

Official facebook, Myspace and Twitter pages. Free advertisement and can all be linked to the website.

Other thoughts I had were:
-Bay advertisements. As I mentioned in another thread Port will be using up to 12 of these in a game (depending on likely crowds). Huge potential for games like the Freo fixture.
-Our players will be in demand, supplement their income like crazy. The AFL says its ok, so lets get a few of the boys some extra $$$ and stop any midseason offers sounding tempting. Coon cheese anyone?
-Not exactly a 'new' idea but what did they do with the jumpers from the grand final? I'd say if they have them they should put them in frames, sign them and auction them off. Even the newies like Easton Wood would fetch a fair price at auction and then there is Barry's (which should be packaged with a replica Tuck medal). Gold dust.


Haha, Coon cheese, I like it.

Good thread BTW but I dont see the AFL letting go of the website like that unfortunately.

[Bulldog4life]

Hmm... good thread, very thought provoking - I may need a Scotch and Coke to come up with some good ideas...

Why ruin a superb drink with coke.:)

[The Adelaide Connection]

Haha, Coon cheese, I like it.

Good thread BTW but I dont see the AFL letting go of the website like that unfortunately.

We don't need them to let go of it, we need to have more input in developing it. I checked out a few and Collingwood, for example, has flash ads that cycle through different sponsors. They can leave the Telstra crap on the very top, who cares, it is the rest of the site that we need to transform.

Look at some of the Premier League sites eg Man United. No I am NOT a fan by the way, just visited for research purposes. Well set out, easy to navigate, and the sort of thing you would frequent regularly if you were a fan.

Our site has the potential to be a HUGE income source if developed properly and in many ways is the front page of our resume to potential sponsors. It can be the difference in signing a member or another disgruntled, confused non-renewal. We have the state of the art complex, now lets nove with the times and get teh state of the art website.

Oh and a kids site has MASSIVE potential and could be another way to attract future members and a stack of cashed up kid related sponsors.

[LostDoggy]

And if you care to look at the Auctions section of the Bulldog Shop Website you too can have Barry's Gia's or Easton Wood's jumper. Why not kit out the whole family and have a new jumper for 6 games in rotation. You might need a bank loan though to pick them all up. =)

[The Adelaide Connection]

And if you care to look at the Auctions section of the Bulldog Shop Website you too can have Barry's Gia's or Easton Wood's jumper. Why not kit out the whole family and have a new jumper for 6 games in rotation. You might need a bank loan though to pick them all up. =)

Well you have kinda helped give weight to my point in my own head :)
Nowhere on the cluttered mess that is the WB site does it talk about the NAB guernseys being auctioned. There is mention of tshirts and posters in a news article and nowhere in the shop does it advertise them. I guess it's not a big deal because we win flags ALL the time.

They should be shouting from the rooftops that these are up for grabs. Framed etc could have meant lots more $$$ too.
Anyway I should stop derailing my own thread, surely there must be some good ideas out there?

[aker39]

Have member only areas that offer special content, galleries, have players like Murphy writing blogs and things like competitions for kids. No scrap that last part, have a completely different site for kids.


You mean something like this - http://www.k9club.com.au/

[stefoid]

Well, Ive said this before, and I think the fear might be that it will cannibalize existing memberships rather than create new ones, but:

What about a 6-game membership for the people who dont have the time to go to most of the home games, and dont have the money to pay for an 11-game membership that they wont make use of? You dont get finals tickets eligibility, however.

You could even make it so that two of the four games have to be against traditionally poor drawing interstate.

[Bulldog4life]

Well, Ive said this before, and I think the fear might be that it will cannibalize existing memberships rather than create new ones, but:

What about a 6-game membership for the people who dont have the time to go to most of the home games, and dont have the money to pay for an 11-game membership that they wont make use of? You dont get finals tickets eligibility, however.

You could even make it so that two of the four games have to be against traditionally poor drawing interstate.

Good idea. What's to say we offer people a 1 game membership or "become a member for the day". In that case they would buy that 1 game membership from the Bulldog tent prior to the game rather through the AFL ticketbox. All the monies would then go to the Bulldogs rather than the AFL. If other Clubs can offer 3 or 6 game memberships I'm sure that we can do this.

[w3design]

Well done TAC, our web site unfortunately is an absolute waste of time in its present form. Even to one not of the computer generations, it is seriously disappointing, and does absolutely nothing to develop or enhance the clubs image. You are correct that it could and should be another area where we are a league front runners and innovaters, not followers.
In its present format it will be doing little or nothing to draw or hold young fans within the Bulldog fold. The club should look at a major overhaul and upgrade, cutting itself loose from the AFL generic model as a priority. I am sure [particularly from reading some of the forum contributions] that there is an abundance of talent within the Doggies community that could and would be both capable and willing to contribute time and skills to make an inclusive and upgraded site something special and a real posative for the club/dog community going forward.

[LostDoggy]

I hear ya Pauly I do agree. I don't think I ever knew what was online through the Auctions on the Bulldog shop website. In fact another point is that they are selling last years "Players" Diadora jumpers at the Sydenham Bulldog shop which I picked up four of for $50 each, which is an absolute bargain and I've never seen any hoopla anywhere about them being flogged off. I must say I had to get Minson's, Lake's and Hudson's and a 22 in smaller size to get another home game colour due to my size to wear comfortably.

[Cyberdoggie]

The supporters that jump on the bandwagon are by nature fickle, and will eventually disappear when our next cycle begins, such is the nature of building and re-buildings teams with the draft choices.

The club next to be clever with how it spends it's money, and not go on splurges and expect the money to keep coming.

How often have we heard the words "5000 members from last year haven't signed up, that's why we made an operating loss".

It's ok to say that as an excuse when you are struggling but when you have success there is no excuse. I really hope the club is smart with it's decisions in the near future, as i'm sure they will be with Smorgan and Rose at the helm.

[LostDoggy]

The supporters that jump on the bandwagon are by nature fickle, and will eventually disappear when our next cycle begins, such is the nature of building and re-buildings teams with the draft choices..

This is where the loyal supporters come in..I know ill be putting my money towards the club still when this rebuilding phase happens. Like many people, to me footy is a huge part of my life and when we're up you stick with it, when we're down you still gotta stick with it. It sucks just knowing not everyone will be / can be (maybe due to financial circumstances) in the same boat :( and this is when a club has troubles..

[The Adelaide Connection]

You mean something like this - http://www.k9club.com.au/

Actually, no I don't. Have you visited this site? I think you should probably go check it out and think back to a time when you were a kid. This site is, in my opinion, almost counter-productive. That is a nice way to say that it is balls.

I mean something like this:
http://www.planetteal.com.au/

This site is still far from perfect but it is about 7 million times better than the K9 site. It should be abundantly clear why the Port site is infinitely more attractive to kids than the K9 site and if the developers can't see it (sorry to be critical) but they have no business designing a site for kids.

[aker39]

This site is still far from perfect but it is about 7 million times better than the K9 site. It should be abundantly clear why the Port site is infinitely more attractive to kids than the K9 site and if the developers can't see it (sorry to be critical) but they have no business designing a site for kids.


Sorry, I'm not a developer, but why is it so much better.

[The Adelaide Connection]

I am not a developer either but working with kids I know that 99% of the target age group wouldn't make it past the homepage and would certainly never bother coming back. You have buckleys of attracting new kids (as in non-WB supporters).

The K9 site actually looks like it has been designed for parents to tell them about the great things the K9 club do (and it does sound excellent). The homepage is saturated in print, the site is a tangle of small menus, and while the content is well intentioned it is delivered like a lecture.

Kids don't want to be greeted with a page full of writing. Kids want visual, interactive and fun. There is still a place for the profiles and accounts of k9 news but these can also be delivered via media such as video. The healthy lifestyle conent is important but needs to be presented in a dynamic, activity based way.

The Power site is still a work in progress but they have the basics. The menus and links are large, visual buttons, print is kept to a minimum (with larger fonts), and the site is full of games and activities. A non-power supporting kid could go on and have fun and will want to go back even just for the games. It is this sort of positive experience that you have to aim for that will lead to increased exposure, not a webpage that almost looks like a newspaper.

[The Adelaide Connection]

Apologies if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but I have just stumbled across this:

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/myfreeticket

Basically the club are giving away free double passes to the round 1 game v Freo. Whilst I know (hope) most on here are members and have tickets anyway, maybe we could all get on the promo train and try to drag as many neutrals/disgruntled Essendon fans ;) along as possible. Just need a ticketmaster account, so anyone could potentially get as many tickets as they want. Maybe we could run a comp to see who gets the most "extras" along to the game?