St. Mirren v Celtic, 26th December 2019

[oaksoft]

25 minutes ago, BuddieinEK said:

The very youth that are completely cast aside for the games against the OF when all Panda club activities are totally abandoned!

So our primary source of future income is, by your admission, abandoned.

What incentives have we ever tried? Bring a friend for a fiver, for example? Even once?

You are of course correct about the first bit. We aim marketing at the kids and then the club engages in a collective brain fart when it comes to the bigot pound.

I would say though that the last sentence I don't agree with because it's a Sales technique without an enthused audience in place first so it's a waste of time. We could really do with people on the board who understand the difference between Sales and Marketing and who especially know how to build an audience through social media. It's a long term strategy which involves less thinking about ticket sales and more thinking about creating a story around the club which young people want to engage with. We need someone who understands how to get an audience through original content creation. I know this sounds like shite but I promise you it isn't.

For example. Youtube is full of people who have f**king millions of followers and who have enormous influence through a genius level aptitude for original content which millions want to actively engage with. If we can persuade even one of them to visit the ground and create a compelling video about us that would get us more publicity than almost anything I can think of and it would cost almost nothing. We could do a lot worse than telling one of them about Div's foodbank campaign and asking them to create a video showing that entire story right through to the distribution of the food itself. They get an original story and we get access to an audience of millions.

Edited December 29, 2019 by oaksoft

[faraway saint]

3 hours ago, oaksoft said:

BuddieInEK is right about this.

There is next to no marketing strategy and that is certainly one massive reason why we have gaps in the stadium.

Anyone who runs any sort of company knows you can't survive with almost no marketing at all so why don't you understand this very basic principle?

Oh wait I think I might know the answer.......

Isn't there?

No attempts at all to increase the attendances?

You think we have massive gaps because we give OF fans seats approx 4 times a season?  

Since you know nothing about football I'll let you into a secret, the best "marketing strategy"  is the team winning games.

It's been discussed many times, a football club is not the same as running a company that makes doughnuts. 

You're full of "basic principles" (shite) and no knowledge of football supporters..........................but you know this, right? 

PS This dramatic image of youngsters crying at home because they are thrown out of seats for an OF game really is best left to LPM. 

Edited December 29, 2019 by faraway saint

[shull]

I used to cry when my dad took me to Love Street..

Loved playing football, not watching it. 

[faraway saint]

3 minutes ago, shull said:

I used to cry when my dad took me to Love Street..

Loved playing football, not watching it. 

And you've never stopped. 

[shull]

It's still shite.

Was a horrible addiction to have for 50 years.

Now free and cleansed.

What a fecking waste of time and money.

 

[Lord Pityme]

The argument that not giving the racists two stands means losing some money is redundant really.
If... generating maximum income from the family stand is the only priority then the club could make a whole lot more by closing it, saving on the running costs and renting it out as a storage facility.
But that would take thought, effort and leadership... lol

[St.Ricky]

4 hours ago, oaksoft said:

You are of course correct about the first bit. We aim marketing at the kids and then the club engages in a collective brain fart when it comes to the bigot pound.

I would say though that the last sentence I don't agree with because it's a Sales technique without an enthused audience in place first so it's a waste of time. We could really do with people on the board who understand the difference between Sales and Marketing and who especially know how to build an audience through social media. It's a long term strategy which involves less thinking about ticket sales and more thinking about creating a story around the club which young people want to engage with. We need someone who understands how to get an audience through original content creation. I know this sounds like shite but I promise you it isn't.

For example. Youtube is full of people who have f**king millions of followers and who have enormous influence through a genius level aptitude for original content which millions want to actively engage with. If we can persuade even one of them to visit the ground and create a compelling video about us that would get us more publicity than almost anything I can think of and it would cost almost nothing. We could do a lot worse than telling one of them about Div's foodbank campaign and asking them to create a video showing that entire story right through to the distribution of the food itself. They get an original story and we get access to an audience of millions.

Not bad. Not bad at all. 

[Sonny]

St Mirren could improve their marketing and there is no doubt about that. However to state that there is 'no attempt whatsoever' to increase support is plainly incorrect.

For children there are free season tickets, cheap tickets (£56 ST for those up to 17) and free tickets given to youth groups. There is pre-match entertainment for children (and sometimes for adults).

Outwith those kids regularly attending games, St Mirren run many Community activities aimed at helping children which markets the Club and hopefully may see some of those kids start attending games. These initiatives include the Community Football centres located in outlying areas of Renfrew, Ralston, Lochwinnoch and Houston. There is also Street Stuff which is held every day of the week covering 17 venues across Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone. (Last Easter holidays 1200 kids attended Street Stuff sessions). And there is the Panda Club held before all Home games.

The St Mirren Charitable Foundation markets the Club over the local area. It has an initiative for kids as Future Entrepreneurs; the Men's Shed; Football Fans in Training and Festive Friends with plans for more outreach projects. There is also the Business Club and the Memories group for people with dementia.

There is now the Women's football team that may encourage more young women to attend games.

These are the sort of initiatives that may attract long term supporters. Letting a pal in for 10p did not make any difference to ICT's gate receipts or increase in support so us letting in a friend for a fiver for a one-off game would have little impact. There are 12 of us that are season ticket holders and some guys due to work commitments cannot attend some games. They cannot get takers offering their tickets to family and friends for nothing.

The Club in my opinion is going about it the correct way - target kids and the wider community through involvement. There are a lot of people helping to market St Mirren on a daily basis.

Of course they can improve on that. For example we raised £25k for the local foodbank. The foodbank say some of that money will be used to run their van. It would be a useful marketing tool to have the van sponsored by St Mirren fans. But the Club are doing something about their marketing.

[Lord Pityme]

St Mirren could improve their marketing and there is no doubt about that. However to state that there is 'no attempt whatsoever' to increase support is plainly incorrect.
For children there are free season tickets, cheap tickets (£56 ST for those up to 17) and free tickets given to youth groups. There is pre-match entertainment for children (and sometimes for adults).
Outwith those kids regularly attending games, St Mirren run many Community activities aimed at helping children which markets the Club and hopefully may see some of those kids start attending games. These initiatives include the Community Football centres located in outlying areas of Renfrew, Ralston, Lochwinnoch and Houston. There is also Street Stuff which is held every day of the week covering 17 venues across Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone. (Last Easter holidays 1200 kids attended Street Stuff sessions). And there is the Panda Club held before all Home games.
The St Mirren Charitable Foundation markets the Club over the local area. It has an initiative for kids as Future Entrepreneurs; the Men's Shed; Football Fans in Training and Festive Friends with plans for more outreach projects. There is also the Business Club and the Memories group for people with dementia.
There is now the Women's football team that may encourage more young women to attend games.
These are the sort of initiatives that may attract long term supporters. Letting a pal in for 10p did not make any difference to ICT's gate receipts or increase in support so us letting in a friend for a fiver for a one-off game would have little impact. There are 12 of us that are season ticket holders and some guys due to work commitments cannot attend some games. They cannot get takers offering their tickets to family and friends for nothing.
The Club in my opinion is going about it the correct way - target kids and the wider community through involvement. There are a lot of people helping to market St Mirren on a daily basis.
Of course they can improve on that. For example we raised £25k for the local foodbank. The foodbank say some of that money will be used to run their van. It would be a useful marketing tool to have the van sponsored by St Mirren fans. But the Club are doing something about their marketing.

Missing the point. What are kids & families to make of a deal to get them in one week, then telling them they aren't welcome the next week?
It is sheer lazy lunacy. And is actively turning current and future fans away

[shull]

15 hours ago, shull said:

I will be in Dumbarton or East Kilbride all afternoon.

She aint decided which yet.

So fecking naw to Paisley.

East Kilbride it is, at Zone 74. 

Good to see the place very busy with folk not watching that sectarian shite from Glasgow or wasting money on any other football in Scotland. 

[oaksoft]

7 hours ago, faraway saint said:

Isn't there?

No attempts at all to increase the attendances?

You think we have massive gaps because we give OF fans seats approx 4 times a season?  

Since you know nothing about football I'll let you into a secret, the best "marketing strategy"  is the team winning games.

It's been discussed many times, a football club is not the same as running a company that makes doughnuts. 

You're full of "basic principles" (shite) and no knowledge of football supporters..........................but you know this, right? 

PS This dramatic image of youngsters crying at home because they are thrown out of seats for an OF game really is best left to LPM. 

I made the mistake of thinking you understood what the qualifiers "next to" and "almost" meant.

[oaksoft]

3 hours ago, Sonny said:

St Mirren could improve their marketing and there is no doubt about that. However to state that there is 'no attempt whatsoever' to increase support is plainly incorrect.

For children there are free season tickets, cheap tickets (£56 ST for those up to 17) and free tickets given to youth groups. There is pre-match entertainment for children (and sometimes for adults).

Outwith those kids regularly attending games, St Mirren run many Community activities aimed at helping children which markets the Club and hopefully may see some of those kids start attending games. These initiatives include the Community Football centres located in outlying areas of Renfrew, Ralston, Lochwinnoch and Houston. There is also Street Stuff which is held every day of the week covering 17 venues across Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone. (Last Easter holidays 1200 kids attended Street Stuff sessions). And there is the Panda Club held before all Home games.

The St Mirren Charitable Foundation markets the Club over the local area. It has an initiative for kids as Future Entrepreneurs; the Men's Shed; Football Fans in Training and Festive Friends with plans for more outreach projects. There is also the Business Club and the Memories group for people with dementia.

There is now the Women's football team that may encourage more young women to attend games.

These are the sort of initiatives that may attract long term supporters. Letting a pal in for 10p did not make any difference to ICT's gate receipts or increase in support so us letting in a friend for a fiver for a one-off game would have little impact. There are 12 of us that are season ticket holders and some guys due to work commitments cannot attend some games. They cannot get takers offering their tickets to family and friends for nothing.

The Club in my opinion is going about it the correct way - target kids and the wider community through involvement. There are a lot of people helping to market St Mirren on a daily basis.

Of course they can improve on that. For example we raised £25k for the local foodbank. The foodbank say some of that money will be used to run their van. It would be a useful marketing tool to have the van sponsored by St Mirren fans. But the Club are doing something about their marketing.

A lot of what you have described is Sales not Marketing.

[faraway saint]

10 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

I made the mistake of thinking you understood what the qualifiers "next to" and "almost" meant.

Nice body swerve...............no time to point and laugh, football, you do remember that don;t you, is on right now. 

[BuddieinEK]

St Mirren could improve their marketing and there is no doubt about that. However to state that there is 'no attempt whatsoever' to increase support is plainly incorrect.
For children there are free season tickets, cheap tickets (£56 ST for those up to 17) and free tickets given to youth groups. There is pre-match entertainment for children (and sometimes for adults).
Outwith those kids regularly attending games, St Mirren run many Community activities aimed at helping children which markets the Club and hopefully may see some of those kids start attending games. These initiatives include the Community Football centres located in outlying areas of Renfrew, Ralston, Lochwinnoch and Houston. There is also Street Stuff which is held every day of the week covering 17 venues across Paisley, Renfrew and Johnstone. (Last Easter holidays 1200 kids attended Street Stuff sessions). And there is the Panda Club held before all Home games.
The St Mirren Charitable Foundation markets the Club over the local area. It has an initiative for kids as Future Entrepreneurs; the Men's Shed; Football Fans in Training and Festive Friends with plans for more outreach projects. There is also the Business Club and the Memories group for people with dementia.
There is now the Women's football team that may encourage more young women to attend games.
These are the sort of initiatives that may attract long term supporters. Letting a pal in for 10p did not make any difference to ICT's gate receipts or increase in support so us letting in a friend for a fiver for a one-off game would have little impact. There are 12 of us that are season ticket holders and some guys due to work commitments cannot attend some games. They cannot get takers offering their tickets to family and friends for nothing.
The Club in my opinion is going about it the correct way - target kids and the wider community through involvement. There are a lot of people helping to market St Mirren on a daily basis.
Of course they can improve on that. For example we raised £25k for the local foodbank. The foodbank say some of that money will be used to run their van. It would be a useful marketing tool to have the van sponsored by St Mirren fans. But the Club are doing something about their marketing.

Sonny...

You highlight a lot of good initiatives and a lot of good work that is being done.

For me, it makes it all the more upsetting that, as I have always maintained...

There was no attempt whatsoever to build our home support for the games against Rangers and Celtic before deciding to give them the family stand.

Was there? Did I miss something?

It only serves to undermine the good initiatives that you have highlighted.

[sally02]

1300 More Saints fans turned up to watch the game against Killie yesterday,  than on Boxing Day against a team who reputedly have the best players in the country!

Says it all, really!

[oaksoft]

4 hours ago, sally02 said:

1300 More Saints fans turned up to watch the game against Killie yesterday,  than on Boxing Day against a team who reputedly have the best players in the country!

Says it all, really!

We would historically have expected about 6200 to 6500 at home to Celtic prior to giving them the Family Stand and  posted attendance figures for this on another thread a while back.

At the weekend we got 6800. It's the same story against Rangers.

Nobody will ever convince me that this increase of 300 to 600 per match comes anywhere close to 10% of our playing budget. You'd really need to have a zip right up the back of your head to believe that. I can accept that we make more money doing this but what really f**ks me off is being treated like a bloody idiot over a bit of school level arithmetic.

Edited December 30, 2019 by oaksoft

[oaksoft]

17 hours ago, cockles1987 said:

He forgot to delete the space between the 'and posted.'

Couldn't believe how MAD he'd have been to have MADE such a stupid spelling mistake.

PS their is plenty I make all the time, but not when I'm calling out others intelligence.

Whit? 

Edited December 31, 2019 by oaksoft

[waldorf34]

If it's just money then surely  having the stadium empty for 90%of the year is something  we could work on?

Falkirk has music concerts etc.

But if Smisa were to sell their current shares to give the cash to the club ,provided they stopped the current situation to continue,would we be happy? They do not need these shares to take control as the shares they ate buying from GLS is over 50%

[Lord Pityme]

Falkirk have AstroTurf. We can’t hold concerts in the summer as the pitch is dug up and replaced in the close season.

We could hold concerts, plenty grass pitch stadia hold them. You re-turf/re-used after the concerts. So you're d be looking at late May/mid June.

[oaksoft]

3 hours ago, cockles1987 said:

Whooooosh

I honestly didn't think they're was anyone MAD enough to fall for that one.

Most other times there are not deliberately MADE.

"they're"?

Your third sentence makes as much sense as most of your other posts. Early drinking?

[Lord Pityme]

You know more than Tommy Docherty our excellent groundsman. Is there no limits to your talents?

Has Tommy said you cant re-turf the pitch?
Ffs man have some dignity

[St.Ricky]

On 12/29/2019 at 12:51 PM, Lord Pityme said:

Missing the point. What are kids & families to make of a deal to get them in one week, then telling them they aren't welcome the next week?
It is sheer lazy lunacy. And is actively turning current and future fans away

There is truth in what both of you write. We have improved. We have become more involved with the community. But.. Yes.. We can improve further. Suggestions? 

[waldorf34]

15 hours ago, Yflab said:

You know more than Tommy Docherty our excellent groundsman. Is there no limits to your talents?

Hampden is not astro turf,but holds concerts

[FTOF]

35 minutes ago, waldorf34 said:

Hampden is not astro turf,but holds concerts

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/hampden-pitch-relaid-third-time-8506424

 

[Lord Pityme]

Hampden is not astro turf,but holds concerts

Aye but only if Tommy the groundsman says they can lol