Marketing focus groups

[Ford Fairlane]

Here's the chance to have your say.

http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/tabid/6038/Default.aspx?newsid=63941

Marketing focus groups
12:46 PM Wed 23 July, 2008

The Port Adelaide Football Club will be holding marketing focus group sessions next Thursday, July 31 in SuiteOne at AAMI Stadium.

The club is looking for a cross-section of members to give feedback and discuss the future marketing and membership plans as we strive forward into 2009.

Sessions will run for approximately 90 minutes and the following times have been planned.

9am-10.30am
11am-12.30pm
1pm-2.30pm
3pm-4.30pm
5pm-6.30pm

If you would like to be involved in one of these focus groups, please e-mail customer_relations@pafc.com.au or phone 1300 GO POWER (1300 467 693) by 5pm on Tuesday, July 29.

This is your chance to have a say and shape the future of the club you love.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

I've got next Thursday off so I might give the club a call

 

[S.Patrol.G]

Fantastic idea but seems to exclude those people that work!

 

[Steve Dore]

Fantastic idea but seems to exclude those people that work!

The timing of those sessions really says a lot about who the club sees as their target demographic. People who work "9 to 5" are excluded

 

[Spadge]

i would definitely go but im in the same position as above...
i work 8:30-5 and have no way of getting to these sessions

maybe i'll ring the club and mention that they are excluding way too many people with these times and there really needs to be a 7-8:30 option as well as i know i would definitely go if i could

way to exclude your average full time worker!

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Hey guys, I've put my name down on the list to attend one of the sessions next Thursday. Nick the guy that took my call said I was more than welcome to come with some questions so I thought if anyone has any questions they would like for me to ask on the boards behalf, well I'm more than happy to do so.

 

[Steve Dore]

.... if anyone has any questions they would like for me to ask on the boards behalf, well I'm more than happy to do so.

OK, I'd like you to ask this question;

Which of the following do you believe the majority of supporters would rate as providing the greatest level of enhancement to their game day experience?

(a) Planet Teal face painting
(b) A pumping fist doing a lap of the oval pre-game
(c) Funk dancing kiddies running around with fabric offcuts pre-game
(d) Four quarters of totally committed Port Adelaide style football from the players.

 

[Papa G]

Well just got back from this. Probably about a dozen people in the group, no real idiots that went down silly paths about the team, coach, playing style etc. Essentially the talk was about 2 things, firstly membership packages and secondly about the Port Adelaide Brand.

Tony Saulter took the first part and essentially it was about simplifying and easily differentiating between the levels of membership and entitlements. The big thing from their research and what supporters wanted was Grand Final ticket allocation. They basically are going to try to implement a system whereby you can guarantee a Grand Final ticket by paying a small premium. Not a huge difference in the current arrangement but one that is much simpler to understand. This session went on for about an hour which I thought was too long but it was obviously very important to other members in the group.

The second part was run by Jehad Ali and was about the Port Adelaide brand. Let me say this was very encouraging. He basically said the club had drifted far too much away from it's traditional roots, had a bit of a schizoprhenic marketing campaign over the last few years and going forward there would be a much larger emphasis on the Port Adelaide tradition of old. To this he recieved a round of applause from all of us there. The club it seems is finally listening and pretty much what all of us have been saying here. I think the penny has finally dropped.

 

[Black 18]

The second part was run by Jehad Ali and was about the Port Adelaide brand. Let me say this was very encouraging. He basically said the club had drifted far too much away from it's traditional roots, had a bit of a schizoprhenic marketing campaign over the last few years and going forward there would be a much larger emphasis on the Port Adelaide tradition of old. To this he recieved a round of applause from all of us there. The club it seems is finally listening and pretty much what all of us have been saying here. I think the penny has finally dropped.

There is indeed a God!

Now all I need is for the coach to come out and say the same about how we actually play the game and I will be fully convinced about the power of prayer.

Thanks Papa G, good stuff.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

I was at a session too and reinforce those thoughts. Jehad was actually very passionate about strengthening the emphasis on the Port Adelaide tradition. You did get the impression if he had his way, it will be a very strong focus in marketing the club.

 

[Papa G]

I was at a session too and reinforce those thoughts. Jehad was actually very passionate about strengthening the emphasis on the Port Adelaide tradition. You did get the impression if he had his way, it will be a very strong focus in marketing the club.

Jehad kind of reminded me of a Middle Eastern George Fiacchi. But your right, Jehad seems to think very much the way most the rest of us feel and quite passionately.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

If this is true then 2008 has not been a waste. This is the most exciting thing i have heard all year.

As far as the playing side goes it would be very hard for them not to take it on board if they are continually hearing references to the tradition etc. And if they dont they will be quickly reminded about the incongruence by the media/cow fans etc. and will be forced to have a good look at themselves. Either way it will be a plus.

 

[PowerKat]

Nice to hear that JJ's comments regarding this shift in marketing focus wasn't just waffle

 

[Francis Soyer]

I'll believe it when i see it. This "traditional" marketing must flow on and reflect how we present ourselves as a club. This goes right from the guernsey we wear and the logo that represents us. Anyone who thinks what we currently have is traditional in any way shape or form has no idea.

The front of the guernsey is an abomination - who gives a shit if we won a premiership in it - wear something that represents the traditions of the club – as mentioned and illustrated many times by others; silver or teal prison bars on black guernsey.

The logo is also untraditional - get rid of that stupid hand holding the lightning bolt and just have the black and white prison bars for a logo or a colour variation of that design eg. silver prison bars on black background. Or at least promote the fact the club was established in 1870 on the logo.

 

[S.Patrol.G]

The second part was run by Jehad Ali and was about the Port Adelaide brand. Let me say this was very encouraging. He basically said the club had drifted far too much away from it's traditional roots, had a bit of a schizoprhenic marketing campaign over the last few years and going forward there would be a much larger emphasis on the Port Adelaide tradition of old. To this he recieved a round of applause from all of us there. The club it seems is finally listening and pretty much what all of us have been saying here. I think the penny has finally dropped.

Absolutely F**KING BRILLIANT! About time!....and there would be more of these but apparently 7 is the limit.

 

[Macca19]

The second part was run by Jehad Ali and was about the Port Adelaide brand. Let me say this was very encouraging. He basically said the club had drifted far too much away from it's traditional roots, had a bit of a schizoprhenic marketing campaign over the last few years and going forward there would be a much larger emphasis on the Port Adelaide tradition of old. To this he recieved a round of applause from all of us there. The club it seems is finally listening and pretty much what all of us have been saying here. I think the penny has finally dropped.

Did it seem like it was mainly the JJ influence that led to the lack of tradition in the marketing, and now that hes left they wil go back to the roots more?

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Did it seem like it was mainly the JJ influence that led to the lack of tradition in the marketing, and now that hes left they wil go back to the roots more?

From my POV it seemed Jehad was trying to suggest the 'teal' influence has been a gradual thing but now the club basically wants to go back to where it was in 1997 with even more emphasis on the PAFC 1870 brand. That's how it sort of came across to me.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Jehad's view from the session I attended was that we bounced back and forth between the traditional and the new whenever it suited, never really settling on a position. It was something he said the crows did well, they took a position and stuck with it until it became entrenched in people's minds.

We on the other hand never appeared sure who we wanted to be - and that was part of the reason in drift of our support (he conceded there are many factors contributing to variable support and crowd numbers, but this was a significant one). Now I think they will stick their flag in the ground and fly it.

It's really unfair to continually bag JJ for the shifting position. He's the front man for a marketing department and board that ultimately makes the decisions, and he's the one that has to present them. I've been fortunate enough to meet with him and exchange the odd email and when you get past the corporate image, he's as passionate a Port supporter as any of us. He wouldn't have taken the job if he wasn't.

The difference between him and us is, we can be all care and no responsibility, but he has to face up to walking the tightrope between ideals and pragmatism when dealing the Vic-centric AFL, the big power AFL clubs (eg Collingwood) and our wavering supporter base that by never turning out consistently in numbers reduced any influence we might have.

 

[PowerKat]

Agree FF. JJ as CEO is not the marketing dept. Whoever is managing that area is responsible for determining a strategy and presenting it to the board. There are some new people in there in recent times, as I understand it, and I'd suggest that this is a key reason for the coming 'brand shift'. It doesn't matter who is now responsible for this, whether it's board driven or some new blood in the marketing area or a combination, the key issue is that it is happening now,

 

[Ford Fairlane]

That's right PowerKat. And the impressive thing about the focus groups was the way Jehad put it to us - very passionately - that the club has got it wrong in the past with this vacillating approach to marketing and needed to adopt a strong position - based on our tradition - and market that.

I was expecting going there armed with views on marketing Port Adelaide as the PAFC est 1870, being asked what we thought, and sage nodding and qualified agreement with some sort of return to traditional Port values. And wondering if anything would come of it. Instead, they pro-actively and decisively pushed that barrow from the outset, and as Papa G said, scored a round of applause from those present.

 

[Natman]

Jehad's view from the session I attended was that we bounced back and forth between the traditional and the new whenever it suited, never really settling on a position. It was something he said the crows did well, they took a position and stuck with it until it became entrenched in people's minds.

We on the other hand never appeared sure who we wanted to be - and that was part of the reason in drift of our support (he conceded there are many factors contributing to variable support and crowd numbers, but this was a significant one). Now I think they will stick their flag in the ground and fly it.

It's really unfair to continually bag JJ for the shifting position. He's the front man for a marketing department and board that ultimately makes the decisions, and he's the one that has to present them. I've been fortunate enough to meet with him and exchange the odd email and when you get past the corporate image, he's as passionate a Port supporter as any of us. He wouldn't have taken the job if he wasn't.

The difference between him and us is, we can be all care and no responsibility, but he has to face up to walking the tightrope between ideals and pragmatism when dealing the Vic-centric AFL, the big power AFL clubs (eg Collingwood) and our wavering supporter base that by never turning out consistently in numbers reduced any influence we might have.

Well put Ford - JJ is the face and mouthpiece of the backroom decision makers and an inherited position. I also know JJ and have stood near him on the mounds at Alberton in the old days - as passionate as any supporter that I know. I think he has been unfairly judged.

I think we did make some mistakes early on and in a completely different market from the SANFL those mistakes come back to bite you. We are still between a rock and a hard place - our 'tradition' position will only appeal to the converted (who are diminishing), but the AFL market is so much wider than that, so that is where we need to infiltrate - that is why some of the new image has to be used in any marketing strategy.

On the issue of focus groups - I believe that while some good comes from them, usually the committed and interested supporters attend (the converted), but not the lukewarm ones - those that we are trying to get on board. So maybe the real issues do not come out. I'm not sure if already posted, but were there many 'non-converts' at the focus groups?

Sure the crows got it right, but their opportunity and position was more advantageous than ours - an uncontested market crying out for a new direction (SANFL crowds and interest dropping badly).

Maybe our slogan should be "The Team for the Rest of South Australia"

 

[bomberclifford]

...I was expecting going there armed with views on marketing Port Adelaide as the PAFC est 1870, being asked what we thought, and sage nodding and qualified agreement with some sort of return to traditional Port values. And wondering if anything would come of it. Instead, they pro-actively and decisively pushed that barrow from the outset, and as Papa G said, scored a round of applause from those present.

Hearing that sends shivers down my spine. Good ones.

Dealing with adversity and failure often creates incredible strength and resolve. We may end up looking at the GF disaster of '07 as a turning point in the clubs history.

 

[Portia]

Maybe our slogan should be "The Team for the Rest of South Australia"

Yeah, absolutely not. We should not let our club be defined as the anti-Crows.

 

[PowerKat]

Well put Ford - JJ is the face and mouthpiece of the backroom decision makers and an inherited position. I also know JJ and have stood near him on the mounds at Alberton in the old days - as passionate as any supporter that I know. I think he has been unfairly judged.

I think we did make some mistakes early on and in a completely different market from the SANFL those mistakes come back to bite you. We are still between a rock and a hard place - our 'tradition' position will only appeal to the converted (who are diminishing), but the AFL market is so much wider than that, so that is where we need to infiltrate - that is why some of the new image has to be used in any marketing strategy.

On the issue of focus groups - I believe that while some good comes from them, usually the committed and interested supporters attend (the converted), but not the lukewarm ones - those that we are trying to get on board. So maybe the real issues do not come out. I'm not sure if already posted, but were there many 'non-converts' at the focus groups?

Sure the crows got it right, but their opportunity and position was more advantageous than ours - an uncontested market crying out for a new direction (SANFL crowds and interest dropping badly).

Maybe our slogan should be "The Team for the Rest of South Australia"

I don't agree that the tradition only appeals to the converted and believe there will be opportunities to attract people with our history and tradition. There does have to be some balance to the approach but there's been plenty of sound argument on this board that you can leverage off that key factor to appeal to people.

I agree that the focus groups will be 'weighted' with committed people in this case, and so these particular groups are clearly being used for that exact reason - to gauge the reaction of the committed member.

I would expect that there would also be broader research in the 'general marketplace' to refine the plan in an effort to appeal to the 'possible to convert' segment. No point trying to win people who will never ever come. The value is in continuing to target youth before they make up their minds; also people who have a passing interest in AFL; people who say they follow Port but don't buy memberships etc etc

 

[Steve Dore]

.....The second part was run by Jehad Ali ....

Barack Hussein Obama reckons he has an unfortunate name

.....and was about the Port Adelaide brand. Let me say this was very encouraging. He basically said the club had drifted far too much away from it's traditional roots, had a bit of a schizoprhenic marketing campaign over the last few years and going forward there would be a much larger emphasis on the Port Adelaide tradition of old. .....

Great news

Maybe our slogan should be "The Team for the Rest of South Australia"

Yeah, absolutely not. We should not let our club be defined as the anti-Crows.

Exactly. We don't want to give them any relevance.

That sounds like the type of marketing slogan the Australian Democrats would use.