Open training miscommunication - another MFC unforced error

[Deeoldfart 8,061]

I emailed the club and they contacted me back today apologising,

The club has offered the kids that missed out yesterday a place in a guard of honour as the team runs through the banner, they also want to arrange the kids favourite player to give them a call and also offered to send a kids fun pack.

I thought that was pretty good of them.

That's a brilliant response from the Club. Keep up the good work MFC!

[1 red eye 1 blue eye 771]

The no merchandising or membership sales thing is mistifyin. You've got a bunch of die hard supporters out there, itching to give the club money. What a pathetic missed opportunity.

Bumped into a Freo supporting mate at Freo oval who at the end of the game said he was off to merchandising to get his 2015 jumper.

[DeeSpencer 26,082]

Worst part of the post - what do you want the Community Manager, the Graphic Designer and a trainee to do? Is Burgan supposed to be banging out Photoshop on one screen and setting up school visits in another while responding to tweets on an iPad and taking media calls on his phone?

Fair enough points otherwise but this is reaching way over the top to try and add to the argument.

I just saw this today, I've already apologised in a previous post for getting a bit personal. The point of highlighting the names in the team where to show it's a 10 strong line up in the department and if the manager couldn't get training at the right time then how do they manage a staff of 10? Whilst also being disappointed that none of the rest had provided anything towards the day in terms of meaning consumer engagement.

The club apology has addressed my main concerns. They didn't double check with the footy department and got caught out probably by the unusual training time. Could happen to anyone and they've been frank in saying that. It also seems that it wasn't a huge priority for the club in terms of beefing up club presence and instead was just a casual session. With the membership drive, family day etc I can understand that. Without being an expert in communications and sales I can't really speak to whether it was a lost opportunity that should've been capitalised on or not.

I certainly didn't mean to say these guys were lazy or unprofessional or that they don't do good work. I like what Burgo does with probably limited scope to work with. The twitter feeds beefed up it's presence I think since Anna Harrington came on board. The media manager gets Stevo down to training and gets us in the papers. Debbie Lee does great work in the schools. Just one pretty decent error yesterday had me a bit hot under the collar, particularly on the back of the Casey intraclub being substandard and the recent push to get members signed up before round 1.

[Rod Grinter Riot Squad 5,654]

I just saw this today, I've already apologised in a previous post for getting a bit personal. The point of highlighting the names in the team where to show it's a 10 strong line up in the department and if the manager couldn't get training at the right time then how do they manage a staff of 10? Whilst also being disappointed that none of the rest had provided anything towards the day in terms of meaning consumer engagement.

The club apology has addressed my main concerns. They didn't double check with the footy department and got caught out probably by the unusual training time. Could happen to anyone and they've been frank in saying that. It also seems that it wasn't a huge priority for the club in terms of beefing up club presence and instead was just a casual session. With the membership drive, family day etc I can understand that. Without being an expert in communications and sales I can't really speak to whether it was a lost opportunity that should've been capitalised on or not.

I certainly didn't mean to say these guys were lazy or unprofessional or that they don't do good work. I like what Burgo does with probably limited scope to work with. The twitter feeds beefed up it's presence I think since Anna Harrington came on board. The media manager gets Stevo down to training and gets us in the papers. Debbie Lee does great work in the schools. Just one pretty decent error yesterday had me a bit hot under the collar, particularly on the back of the Casey intraclub being substandard and the recent push to get members signed up before round 1.

They were unprofessional, that was what was so frustrating.

If you are going to widely advertise a time, cross check and make sure you get it right. At normal training sessions, I have been burnt by time changes and have not cared, but when they publicly push an open session as much as they do it is amateur hour to say the least.

Their response since has been great, but fact is they shouldn't be in the situation they are now in.

I hope like hell they learn a lesson from this, but I won't be holding my breath.

[SaberFang 7,151]

Credit to the club for trying to make amends, but gee whiz that explanation from PJ leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

$1000 and a permit? Sometimes these expenses are worth the goodwill alone, especially after spending weeks on a positive PR campaign visiting schools in our "abandoned heartland", from which many families decided to turn up to training en masse -- only to find nobody home or willing to take their money.

It's staggeringly inept from a business point of view, especially one such as ours trying to wipe the slate clean from a decade of misery. So let's hope they've learned a valuable lesson.

Edited March 10, 2015 by Lamashtu

[Moonshadow 17,677]

The club does not have a bottomless bucket of funds, so it takes commercial decisions, I would rather this approach than to put us in massive debt again

I normally skim past your posts Saty but had to correct you on this. I understand you take this club criticism personally chap, but try not to speak on behalf of the club. You miss the point, so I'll type it slowly. The club would have made far more from the day than what it cost to get a permit and fund $1000 for a membership/merchandise tent. I would have easily covered about a quarter of that with a new kid's membership and merch sales. Judging by other parents spoken to, I was clearly not alone. My young one was disheartened, but if the desire is still there of course I'll buy a first membership. The lack of vision and poor communication within the club cost it financially and more importantly in terms of goodwill. It's ameteur, not professional, definitely not a good commercial decision and does little to esteeme the club to young supporters. New, young supporters are the future of our club, not you, not me. MFC can definitely put funds into the FD and engage with young supporters at the same time. Time to stop making excuses.

[obbafan 128]

Just on the advertising at the Paddock. The sponsor agreements would be based upon exposure across a range of physical and electronic sites.

Preaching to the converted (that have the opportunity to attend training in limited numbers) or hoping for a glimpse from an harassed passing motorist is not going to earn MFC a cent in sponsorship negotiation. Chuck in an extra $1000 (or more or less) on the off chance someone buys a car through you because they were driving on Punt Road and noticed the signs? Really?

Instead all we have is yet more visual pollution.

Personally I very much enjoy the training photos (and many thanks to those who post them) without the background distraction of signage.

[dworship 3,342]

I normally skim past your posts Saty but had to correct you on this. I understand you take this club criticism personally chap, but try not to speak on behalf of the club. You miss the point, so I'll type it slowly. The club would have made far more from the day than what it cost to get a permit and fund $1000 for a membership/merchandise tent. I would have easily covered about a quarter of that with a new kid's membership and merch sales. Judging by other parents spoken to, I was clearly not alone. My young one was disheartened, but if the desire is still there of course I'll buy a first membership. The lack of vision and poor communication within the club cost it financially and more importantly in terms of goodwill. It's ameteur, not professional, definitely not a good commercial decision and does little to esteeme the club to young supporters. New, young supporters are the future of our club, not you, not me. MFC can definitely put funds into the FD and engage with young supporters at the same time. Time to stop making excuses.

I agree with your comments about missed opportunities. However, I think you both missed the point of my post.

I can't really see PJ making the comments being attributed to him and if he did say that then he has diminished his standing in my eyes. $1000 really?

[Moonshadow 17,677]

Just on the advertising at the Paddock. The sponsor agreements would be based upon exposure across a range of physical and electronic sites.

Preaching to the converted (that have the opportunity to attend training in limited numbers) or hoping for a glimpse from an harassed passing motorist is not going to earn MFC a cent in sponsorship negotiation. Chuck in an extra $1000 (or more or less) on the off chance someone buys a car through you because they were driving on Punt Road and noticed the signs? Really?

Instead all we have is yet more visual pollution.

Personally I very much enjoy the training photos (and many thanks to those who post them) without the background distraction of signage.

So Collingwood got it wrong and we are getting it right? I guess that's why they struggle to make much from sponsorships. Yeah, nah....

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

I emailed the club and they contacted me back today apologising,

The club has offered the kids that missed out yesterday a place in a guard of honour as the team runs through the banner, they also want to arrange the kids favourite player to give them a call and also offered to send a kids fun pack.

I thought that was pretty good of them.

just quoting this so it doesn't get lost in all the crud

[obbafan 128]

So Collingwood got it wrong and we are getting it right? I guess that's why they struggle to make much from sponsorships. Yeah, nah....

So explain how it makes commercial sense.

What is the market?

Where is the exposure? Why would they give us a cent for such minimal opportunity?

Collingwood do blanket coverage because they can.

[dee-luded 2,959]

It's those that took their young kids along that I feel most angry for. As TDI has witnessed, I've taken my little ones many times and it's hard to keep them entertained even with training happening.

That said, it's also a great way to get the kids hooked, particularly with the players being so good with them generally.

To leave such families waiting 90 minutes from the advertised start time is just deplorable. I would be livid if they treated my family like they have treated others today.

As for not having a membership tent, maybe like with Casey, it was a bit far for them to travel.

I feel sorry for me, (& I wasn't there) the fans who went to these events that are NoN. the kids who get very disappointed, But mostly I feel sorry for the club itself, (what is the club)

..... this thing that we all Love that is wrapped up in a Red'n'Blue jumper... this IMO is encompassed by all those who have gone before us, the Checker Hughes's, the Smithy's, all the stars who have left us, the administrators who worked their butts off to get the club success, all past players, volunteers, honorary staff members who have all sacrificed their time & spirits to encourage the club onward.

now they say we have to earn back respect; they mean on the field. well this club is worse off than needing on-field respect... how about starting with the grass-roots supporters; first & foremost......starting not with the children (skeptical marketing exercises),, but with the oldest & most loyal of all AFL Supporters, surely.... for they have literally gone thru HELL for nigh over 50Yrs.

this is where you start to earn your stripes first-off, the ones who have hurt the most... then, when they give the thumbs up, & give their hearts yet again, then we can start to rebuild the family.

..... start with the great grand parents first. they have bled out, & need the resuscitating.

the rest will fall into place behind them. give 'em back their dream.

.

Edited March 10, 2015 by dee-luded

[binman 43,779]

The club does not have a bottomless bucket of funds, so it takes commercial decisions, I would rather this approach than to put us in massive debt again

TDI,I'm guessing your last job was in the public service not the private sector. I hope PJ is a more attuned to basic market pricipals

[obbafan 128]

TDI,I'm guessing your last job was in the public service not the private sector. I hope PJ is a more attuned to basic market pricipals

Basic market principles dictate that income exceeds expenditure. Merchandise would have been the winner.

Sausages are a fund raiser and clearly more administrative awareness would have helped the volunteers.

Mistakes are a disaster unless attention is applied to make sure they don't happen again.

Up to you PJ.

[Yossarian 1,820]

Where is that quote from?

[Henrietta Lumbago 331]

How many people attended training roughly?

[The Devil Inside 2,147]

I normally skim past your posts Saty but had to correct you on this. I understand you take this club criticism personally chap, but try not to speak on behalf of the club. You miss the point, so I'll type it slowly. The club would have made far more from the day than what it cost to get a permit and fund $1000 for a membership/merchandise tent. I would have easily covered about a quarter of that with a new kid's membership and merch sales. Judging by other parents spoken to, I was clearly not alone. My young one was disheartened, but if the desire is still there of course I'll buy a first membership. The lack of vision and poor communication within the club cost it financially and more importantly in terms of goodwill. It's ameteur, not professional, definitely not a good commercial decision and does little to esteeme the club to young supporters. New, young supporters are the future of our club, not you, not me. MFC can definitely put funds into the FD and engage with young supporters at the same time. Time to stop making excuses.

How do you know? The membership and merchandising staff have stats that tell them what sells and where and so does membership.

How many junior memberships would they have had to sell to cover the $1000?

I don't speak on behalf of the club, I just try and add a bit of non carping

Copying my sarcasm shows a lack of original thought, I would have thought chap

On the question of attendance, I would say a couple of hundred max, and a lot were in team colours of some sort, and the latest gear, so merchandise sales may have been a bit slow

TDI,I'm guessing your last job was in the public service not the private sector. I hope PJ is a more attuned to basic market pricipals

Actually it wasn't, not everybody can be experts can they..although some seem to think they are

And GRRM, you last post says more about you than the club

[Dr John Dee 1,057]

Well, you were right Saty in predicting that this topic would generate pages and pages of pointless bickering. Maybe you should have predicted your part in that as well.

[whatwhat say what 22,948]

The perception is what is killer here - that we are an amateur shambles of a club with poor communication between internal departments.

Whether or not it's true that merchandise and membership should have been more involved, surely what can be recognised is that it's a compounding of errors that gives a perception of amateurism to those both inside and outside the club.

[Moonshadow 17,677]

Anyone who thinks we would have not covered $1000 on Monday through sales or that signage at the ground wouldn't create income for the club needs to take some viagra eye drops and have a good hard look at themselves.

[Yossarian 1,820]

Can we quit using the $1000 as gospel until we know it's an actual quote from Peter Jackson?

No offense intended to the guy who posted it, but he has five posts on here and given no reason to suggest he is a reliable source of direct quotes from the club.

[beelzebub 23,383]

Just on the advertising at the Paddock. The sponsor agreements would be based upon exposure across a range of physical and electronic sites.

Preaching to the converted (that have the opportunity to attend training in limited numbers) or hoping for a glimpse from an harassed passing motorist is not going to earn MFC a cent in sponsorship negotiation. Chuck in an extra $1000 (or more or less) on the off chance someone buys a car through you because they were driving on Punt Road and noticed the signs? Really?

Instead all we have is yet more visual pollution.

Personally I very much enjoy the training photos (and many thanks to those who post them) without the background distraction of signage.

A lot of the point of sponsorship is access to the consumer base. Just like these events.

it is often about getting in the faces of the converted.

[Dr John Dee 1,057]

Anyone who thinks we would have not covered $1000 on Monday through sales or that signage at the ground wouldn't create income for the club needs to take some viagra eye drops and have a good hard look at themselves.

Now there's a marketing opportunity.

[daisycutter 29,738]

Now there's a marketing opportunity.

think you'll find biffo already has that market cornered, djd

[Dr John Dee 1,057]

think you'll find biffo already has that market cornered, djd

I thought things were a little more ... err, hands-on in Biffo's world. I was thinking rather about marketing potential for scopophiliacs.