Could the club be better marketed?

[Badgershrimp]

With the low attendances becoming a worry for the club, do you think CIFC could be better marketed. When you think about the big money that has been paid out during the conference years to one or two players who have not performed, do you not think it would have been better for the club to have splashed out on a good marketing manager who could have gone out there and forged better links with local people and companies as well as the likes of league clubs Southend, West Ham etc.

I've always felt that around the times of the Cup games with Blues, the likes of Dick Marshall burnt a lot of bridges with the Southend support who would watch the Gulls when Southend were away or not playing. As I've said in a previous post its important to the area that Canvey continue in this league but more so that they survive as a club. Perhaps switching games to Fridays when Southend are at home could be a start, I know a few of us would get along to Park Lane more often if matches did not clash. I'm not having a pop at the club in any way, I just don't want to see it fall by the wayside when there are people who care a great deal about it. Surely it would be better if the club could get in an extra few hundred even if they are Southend, West Ham supporters etc. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/boxing.gif" alt="" />

[Matt H]

Every pre-season the Club has volunteers down at the ground giving up their free Saturdays polishing up the paint work and helping with the pitch and everything through the Summer.

 

What we also need is more of those volunteers to promote the Club outside the ground. Being a Student I'll have the beginning of June to the beginning of September free to help the Club by canvassing fixture lists around my part of the island. Hell, I live five minutes from the town so I'll have no problem standing outside the Knightswick Centre wearing a Canvey shirt and handing out CIFC promotional material. The Club must decide on what deals to promote and who they want to attract by doing this though. The fans can distribute as much as is needed but the deal has to be worth it for the people we're trying to attract in the first place.

[ken]

There are so many simple things to do. Radio advertising is the most effective form of advertising yet there are no adverts on Essex fm. Most clubs have flyers that fans can download and print out (something that has been mentioned lots of times on this forum) and still there is nothing. We have two free newspapers that get delivered to every person on this island and how often is the club mentioned or even advertised. Ideas like a fun day before a game, cheaper drinks before a game, discount promotions in local papers, competitions that are aimed at the community rather than just the fans, the club sponsoring local ventures; these are just ideas that have been mentioned on this forum. Imagine the things that could be done if a professional PR company was brought in to market the club. It is more than being marketed better, we need to be marketed full stop!

[Matt H]

...Crap and basic I know, but I used Powerpoint to knock it up in about ten minutes. Now I'm not saying use this, but I wouldn't mind seeing something similar in the Echo or freebie papers, or even the Club programme. Could do with a good looking centre-fold <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 

[Ribbit]

People don't care about the community and they certainly don't care about Canvey Island. Asking them to pay to watch a football team in a town they're disinterested in is like asking me to support Chelmsford.

I think the club would be fighting a losing battle no matter what it tried to do, but you never know.

 

Somebody said before how there is no major business on Canvey and how virtually everyone commutes off of the Island. These people don't go out on Canvey. If they want to shop, they choose Basildon, Southend and Lakeside. If they want to club it's the same story. Canvey cinema is always empty and our pubs are banded as 'crap'... but that's up for debate.

 

I was in Louis Fish Bar the other day and saw an advert for the re-opening of Astairs Nightclub, albeit under a different moniker. That's a good thing, but people won't care about that either.

 

Our whole Island needs to be rejuvinated and there's so much the council could do. We've got to face facts - Canvey is just a place to live and the more and more houses they build here the less room there is for any entertainment complexes (and that includes CIFC) and the more and more people become distanced from their community.

 

It's a sad state of affiars as the government tries to cram as many people as it can into this fictional 'Thames Gateway' area.

 

I don't believe the responsibility of getting more people into Park Lane is soley the club's. Nor do I believe it is ours, as the fans. I believe it rests on the council and giving Canvey back to the people who live there. Creating a community for them. I do think that moving to Waterside - with all that space (corn fields) doing nothing and going to waste - is such an obvious idea it's ridiculous.

 

I don't blame anybody who has recently moved to Canvey for not wanting to stick around in their own time. I have always and will always love Canvey, because it's where I grew up and I'd move back in a flash if I were able, but it means nothing to most people and some even hate it.

 

When something is done to change that then CIFC will have a fanbase to be proud of. We shouldn't blame people though, 'cause that'll get us nowhere.

[YELLOW]

I agree Ribbit. There seems to be no respect for the community especially amongst the young. In the old days if Canvey was ridiculed in the media people would stand up and defend it. Half the time the people who live on the Island have nothing good to say about it.

 

As you said some even hate it and everything associated with it. Most of the college kids on my bus of a morning have not got a good word to say about Canvey. I honestly couldn't see them make the effort to turn up to a football match at Park Lane even if it was free!!!

[Ribbit]

There you go.

[A Non E Mouse]

Unfortunately I tend to agree with you Ribbit

[Ribbit]

I don't know if I appreciate that comment!

 

...But I know what you mean.

[YELLOW]

I've been brought up on Canvey all my life. It's not the nicest place to live but I do have pride in my community and I'm proud to represent Canvey Island when I follow the football team around the country.

[richard sparkes]

i know longer live on the island but love the place and its football club and tend to stick up for both a lot from other people.so people of canvey stand up and be proud of your island and its football club

[The_Master]

This is a copy of my post to the "Club Review" thread.

 

As part of a Business of Football Masters Degree, I recently did a study of the impact of promotion form the feeder leagues into the Conference. With a few exception the normal average crowd can be expected to increase by 30%.

 

I also did a marketing mock up for a club, based on Canvey's position and demographics, and even offered to do my dissertation on any aspect of football business and marketing that the club was interested in, asking only for access to the basic information.

 

No-one seemed interested in talking up my offer. Suprising really as I could have conducted a survey in local perceptions of the club, or the views of fans and likely success of marketing activities, for which I would now charge £10k plus to do. Still, suppose they know best.

[Leo]

You know things must be bad when even Gulliver wasn't at the game last night... <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Matt H]

I do hope the Club have something up their sleeve for the Kidderminster game at least.

[Phil Old Boy]

Quote:

Leo said:
You know things must be bad when even Gulliver wasn't at the game last night... <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Just remember to give him the bird the next time you see him. Sorry!

[Leo]

Perhaps he heard about this outbreak of bird flu in Scotland and decided not to risk it eh?

[Paddy.c]

perhaps we could have cardboard cut outs with moving arms which make it look like we have support or we could paint people on the new stnd to make it look like there are people there

[Ribbit]

That's not even a bad idea, just for decoration...