Membership Tally 2020

[3183 Dee 2,853]

16 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

If our loss to the Swans costs us a place in the finals ( and it likely will ) then I reckon our 2021 membership could take a nasty whack!

Footy back in Victoria and the ability to attend might mitigate this to some extent but , that is a big unknown at this stage

Possible disaster warning!!

I agree - I think that it will be an exceptionally hard sell after this year. Unfortunately, with the concentration of fixturing, the spotlight is even brighter on clubs this year and our 3 putrid performances are getting the widespread attention they deserve. 

[At the break of Gawn 4,460]

Melbourne's membership dropped by almost a qtr (22.6%) between 2019 and 2020

The biggest drop in the AFL this year.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-membership-ladder-numbers-2020-afl-club-membership-west-coast-eagles-record-essendon-decline/news-story/c0b4ad1847f1dfd511f80de5f9b0ed37#:~:text=The AFL on Wednesday morning,for the third straight season.&text=Instead%2C it was the Eagles,with a total of 100%2C776.

A lot of clubs had drops due to Covid, although the saints increased their's by 13% so it shows some clubs still had growth.

Edited September 9, 2020 by At the break of Gawn

[58er 6,402]

On 9/4/2020 at 9:46 AM, 3183 Dee said:

I agree - I think that it will be an exceptionally hard sell after this year. Unfortunately, with the concentration of fixturing, the spotlight is even brighter on clubs this year and our 3 putrid performances are getting the widespread attention they deserve. 

 Freo  Swans and  ??? Port or Dogs??
 

Funny if we win our last 2 and scrape into Finals and win vs Eagles in Elim  Final???

Woukd we get a spike in membership  in 2021??

[3183 Dee 2,853]

1 hour ago, 58er said:

 Freo  Swans and  ??? Port or Dogs??
 

Funny if we win our last 2 and scrape into Finals and win vs Eagles in Elim  Final???

Woukd we get a spike in membership  in 2021??

Ha! My post was before the Freo game, so make that 4 putrid performances!

If we won our last two and then beat the Eagles in an Elimination Final, I would buy 5 memberships myself!

Edited September 9, 2020 by 3183 Dee

[Demon Disciple 12,073]

21 minutes ago, 3183 Dee said:

If we won our last two and then beat the Eagles in an Elimination Final, I would buy 5 memberships myself!

Nope nope nope. Even if that were all to happen, if Goodwin is in charge next year I refuse to support such a decision

[Lucifers Hero 39,662]

Anyone have any insight into the latest figures for 2021?

[FlashInThePan 1,893]

I'm going to put it out there that a big part of our membership drop is club incompetence. I have rarely experienced a poorer purchasing experience than for my club membership. Every year I buy a family membership, I do not want them to store my credit card, I work in IT and I have had a fair bit to do with ticket master, i wouldn't trust them to hold my beer much less my credit card deets.

Every year I try to buy online and am unable to purchase without going on a payment plan which involves ticket master storing my details. Every year I end up calling the club and asking why they don't have a simple purchasing experience and why I am forced to call them in order to buy. Every year they say they will look into it, blah, blah, blah. this year you can't seem to even get through to the club so how are you going to buy?

How I feel is not really relevant but the above hurdle alone will likely drop about 10% of applicants. I have done a fair bit of shopping cart optimisation over the years and payment method is massive source of cart abandonment, 10% for this kind of thing is conservative. For a target of 50,000 members that is 5,000 lost memberships. Some people will be loyal or keen enough to follow up on the phone but a fair whack will not, for a $230 membership the full 5000 lost memberships is about  $1.1m in lost revenue. Wake up demon administration!

[Clintosaurus 7,839]

I think the Ticketmaster etc applies to all AFL clubs. A lot of that is managed by HQ.

[Ugottobekidding 1,183]

I am a member, they just debit your credit card every year. They say there is an opt out function but they hit you in October just after the season finishes.

[FlashInThePan 1,893]

Yes, my point is that many people want to have control over their finances and so don’t want automatic debit. Others are naturally cautious that a company that can barely keep their website up to sell finals tickets is not to be trusted even if they are comfortable with automatic debit. Lastly, as so many businesses have discovered, the least bit of friction in online sales can cause people to reevaluate their purchase. This will absolutely lead to a loss of revenue.

 Of course we loyal few will find a way to sign up and give the club our money anyway but that is not how you grow a business. The idea that we could formulate such an aggressive growth strategy as a club and not have online sales as our number one priority makes me seriously question our administration. It would be generous to call their approach amateurish. You can’t wish your way to 70+ thousand members, even huge onfield performance will struggle to convert into financial success if this is not dealt with.

[Ugottobekidding 1,183]

2 hours ago, FlashInThePan said:

Yes, my point is that many people want to have control over their finances and so don’t want automatic debit. Others are naturally cautious that a company that can barely keep their website up to sell finals tickets is not to be trusted even if they are comfortable with automatic debit. Lastly, as so many businesses have discovered, the least bit of friction in online sales can cause people to reevaluate their purchase. This will absolutely lead to a loss of revenue.

 Of course we loyal few will find a way to sign up and give the club our money anyway but that is not how you grow a business. The idea that we could formulate such an aggressive growth strategy as a club and not have online sales as our number one priority makes me seriously question our administration. It would be generous to call their approach amateurish. You can’t wish your way to 70+ thousand members, even huge onfield performance will struggle to convert into financial success if this is not dealt with.

In the current environment, not everyone can continue to pay memberships, especially families. So you would expect a drop off with the dire economic situation many face.

[58er 6,402]

On 4/24/2020 at 5:47 PM, ding said:

So at this stage we are 10k members down on this time last year.

I know we couldnt have predicted it, but last year was the worst season possible to have a shocker.

Lucky to be where we ar

[58er 6,402]

3 hours ago, FlashInThePan said:

Yes, my point is that many people want to have control over their finances and so don’t want automatic debit. Others are naturally cautious that a company that can barely keep their website up to sell finals tickets is not to be trusted even if they are comfortable with automatic debit. Lastly, as so many businesses have discovered, the least bit of friction in online sales can cause people to reevaluate their purchase. This will absolutely lead to a loss of revenue.

 Of course we loyal few will find a way to sign up and give the club our money anyway but that is not how you grow a business. The idea that we could formulate such an aggressive growth strategy as a club and not have online sales as our number one priority makes me seriously question our administration. It would be generous to call their approach amateurish. You can’t wish your way to 70+ thousand members, even huge onfield performance will struggle to convert into financial success if this is not dealt with.

Didn't you read the response re the procedure as an AFL one?

Or is that not true?

Stop being a drama queen How much has COVID Resulted in more/less sales In the market place as a result of in many instances cash only or no cash only card.

For instance where I sit in the members at the Gabba the food and drink sales would appear by numbers in the queue to have plummeted over 2020 and at the cricket last week.

Method is card only!! So explain that please FITP?.

BTW I have never found the membership Dept hard to contact or difficult to deal with.

They are always Polite and above helpful, especially last season with the tickets for all the Qld games.

i am not sure what some people expect and the criticism of Finals  tickets please explain your comments? 

[58er 6,402]

For information of D/L I was in touch with the membership Dept last week and our membership is about 1,500 behind last year at this stage.

From  memory 28,000 was mentioned as a figure Last week.

Easily matched or beaten with 1 or 2 good wins in the first few rounds.

I have a good feeling for 2021 both on and off the field so let's get signing up Dees fans, there is a lot to like ie. BBB Jacko Kossie Riv snd the newbies Bowery Laurie and Rosman plus a rejigged  Tommy Mac and our A and B graders led by Trac Maxy and Clarry all under the new Coaches Ooze and Chocco!

[4_Kent_Watts 869]

I so badly wanna see a Melbourne Demons game live. I miss interaction. 

[FlashInThePan 1,893]

1 hour ago, 58er said:

Didn't you read the response re the procedure as an AFL one?

Or is that not true?

Stop being a drama queen How much has COVID Resulted in more/less sales In the market place as a result of in many instances cash only or no cash only card.

For instance where I sit in the members at the Gabba the food and drink sales would appear by numbers in the queue to have plummeted over 2020 and at the cricket last week.

Method is card only!! So explain that please FITP?.

BTW I have never found the membership Dept hard to contact or difficult to deal with.

They are always Polite and above helpful, especially last season with the tickets for all the Qld games.

i am not sure what some people expect and the criticism of Finals  tickets please explain your comments? 

I’m not being a drama Queen, I’m just explaining how online selling works. I make no criticism of the people on the phones, they are usually very nice. The fact remains that if people can’t easily buy online using a payment method that they are comfortable with a percentage of them will drop off and not purchase. This is not an opinion by the way, this is one of the most heavily researched and documented subjects in online sales and marketing.

I’m sure that Covid is a very big factor this year, both for the inability to get to games and the effect on many people’s finances. I am saying that the purchasing experience is also a factor and not just this year. Our incredibly aspirational membership goal will need every little thing to line up in order to be realised, and a user friendly online purchase of membership is a big part of that.

 But hey, you go ahead and stick your head in the sand and resort to name calling, that is quite a common approach here.

[Pates 9,660]

COVID will surely have a massive impact on our membership this year (I’d be keen to know overall how membership is looking across the AFL). It’s easier to retain the memberships once they’re paid for but this season we’re going in with a lot of unknowns. How many people will be allowed into stadiums? Should there be a big reduction in allowed capacity will being a member guarantee you a seat for home matches? After backing up a woeful season with a mediocre (at best) season will be see our players back their best?

And those are just the footy related questions, there’s so much more about the world we done know. It makes committing to a membership for this year a tricky proposition. Personally I think they should be offering the option to opt out for a year but still remain in the tier you’ve been in (gold, silver, bronze). We need a really strong pre-season for confidence for the fans and players. 

[58er 6,402]

13 hours ago, FlashInThePan said:

I’m not being a drama Queen, I’m just explaining how online selling works. I make no criticism of the people on the phones, they are usually very nice. The fact remains that if people can’t easily buy online using a payment method that they are comfortable with a percentage of them will drop off and not purchase. This is not an opinion by the way, this is one of the most heavily researched and documented subjects in online sales and marketing.

I’m sure that Covid is a very big factor this year, both for the inability to get to games and the effect on many people’s finances. I am saying that the purchasing experience is also a factor and not just this year. Our incredibly aspirational membership goal will need every little thing to line up in order to be realised, and a user friendly online purchase of membership is a big part of that.

 But hey, you go ahead and stick your head in the sand and resort to name calling, that is quite a common approach here.

Well you didn't bother to comment on my questions FITP ?

My post was indicating that if it's a VFL rather than a MFC accounting and paying matter then ALL Clubs are affected and why single us out for implied criticism!! 
 

You haven't even acknowledged if you agree or not that this is crucial in this process having been posted alternative information.

Surely paying via monthly is a personal choice ( I do it) and direct debit is as common as any a method in time payment transactions over many years.

If I get my Electricity and Private Health paid by DDebit  what  is the Extra security issues with a MFC membership?

Pray tell oh wise one ?? 

[FlashInThePan 1,893]

1 hour ago, 58er said:

Well you didn't bother to comment on my questions FITP ?

My post was indicating that if it's a VFL rather than a MFC accounting and paying matter then ALL Clubs are affected and why single us out for implied criticism!! 
 

You haven't even acknowledged if you agree or not that this is crucial in this process having been posted alternative information.

Surely paying via monthly is a personal choice ( I do it) and direct debit is as common as any a method in time payment transactions over many years.

If I get my Electricity and Private Health paid by DDebit  what  is the Extra security issues with a MFC membership?

Pray tell oh wise one ?? 

I haven’t heard any facts to dispute that the club controls their sales channels just a vague ‘I thought that...’. The club clearly controls the non-online sales such as phone sales, telemarketing and sales at the ground, I see no reason why online sales would be any different but it is likely the AFL provide the generic ticket master option. I am suggesting that they invest in something better because it is very important to the clubs growth.

Many people are comfortable with monthly direct debit but many people are also not comfortable with it. Selling in volume is about removing real and perceived obstacles. If 80000 people visit the membership page, losing even 1% of them due to something you can control means a very big drop in revenue - 800 sales.

 Lastly, companies like ticket master that have a reputation for dropping transactions and having site outages during high volume periods such as selling finals tickets ( see the news for what happened during the 2018 finals series) are not where I feel comfortable putting my financial details. The reason it is different to say your power bill is that you have a choice, it is discretionary spend and there are other options; pay at the gate, watch on TV and go to less games, or even choose another club if you are not a dedicated supporter already.

 The reason I am critical of the administration (not the club as a whole) is that everything I have mentioned is well understood and basic 101 in online sales. If we aspire to being a powerhouse club we need to not only get it right on the field, we need to understand how to market and sell effectively as well. And for that, the online channel is absolutely key.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,202]

I agree the ticket sales etc are abominable but these are done through Ticketmaster something the club has limited control over

[58er 6,402]

17 hours ago, FlashInThePan said:

I haven’t heard any facts to dispute that the club controls their sales channels just a vague ‘I thought that...’. The club clearly controls the non-online sales such as phone sales, telemarketing and sales at the ground, I see no reason why online sales would be any different but it is likely the AFL provide the generic ticket master option. I am suggesting that they invest in something better because it is very important to the clubs growth.

Many people are comfortable with monthly direct debit but many people are also not comfortable with it. Selling in volume is about removing real and perceived obstacles. If 80000 people visit the membership page, losing even 1% of them due to something you can control means a very big drop in revenue - 800 sales.

 Lastly, companies like ticket master that have a reputation for dropping transactions and having site outages during high volume periods such as selling finals tickets ( see the news for what happened during the 2018 finals series) are not where I feel comfortable putting my financial details. The reason it is different to say your power bill is that you have a choice, it is discretionary spend and there are other options; pay at the gate, watch on TV and go to less games, or even choose another club if you are not a dedicated supporter already.

 The reason I am critical of the administration (not the club as a whole) is that everything I have mentioned is well understood and basic 101 in online sales. If we aspire to being a powerhouse club we need to not only get it right on the field, we need to understand how to market and sell effectively as well. And for that, the online channel is absolutely key.

Thanks FITP 

Under the AFL ticket sales are either Ticketec or Ticketmaster depending upon the state of Australia  you are in.

To change from either Is impossible as I don't know if an alternative or as you do glibly suggest create a new agency !

Yes occasionally there are glitches like 2018 but to be realistic sales of 70,000 tickets over a short period put great pressure and strain on any online purchase system Look at Govt agencies and Depts.

i feel that your criticism appears to be a long held ( 3,years later) grudge or dissatisfaction and in addition are pointing to this as a security issue when all Clubs are using the same base resources along with arts and entertainment over a very long time.

The AFL has not been in the news for any widespread security issues with either agency and if you are still Pointing to our Club  admin Asserting we are losing fans and memberships widespread due  to Our Direct   Debit Options ( by choice) I am one who uses it then it must be the same at all Ckubs.

I agree that any real difficulty or delay or process can be a negative in sales but these days so much felxibility and option is paramount and I haven't ever heard on supporters forums etc. that our Admin  are Shooting them selves in the foot by not delivering in this aspect of marketing.

Prrhsps D/L is not  the right forum to complain but contact with the CEO or membership guru to allay your personal campaign thdtbyou ssy will kill our chances Of reaching 75,000 members within3 years.

I can honestly say that the majority of members are far more concerned with the security of our defence ( and any leaking) than a very small or minor issues you have IMO scaremongererd in your post which seems more an individual preference than Club based.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,202]

On 1/26/2021 at 1:45 AM, Pates said:

COVID will surely have a massive impact on our membership this year (I’d be keen to know overall how membership is looking across the AFL). It’s easier to retain the memberships once they’re paid for but this season we’re going in with a lot of unknowns. How many people will be allowed into stadiums? Should there be a big reduction in allowed capacity will being a member guarantee you a seat for home matches? After backing up a woeful season with a mediocre (at best) season will be see our players back their best?

And those are just the footy related questions, there’s so much more about the world we done know. It makes committing to a membership for this year a tricky proposition. Personally I think they should be offering the option to opt out for a year but still remain in the tier you’ve been in (gold, silver, bronze). We need a really strong pre-season for confidence for the fans and players. 

Obviously we are the "hardcore" supporters on here but for me it is times like these when I would take out a membership without hesitation. Once the dust settles can rethink things but for me signing up means becoming a member, not just a season ticket holder.

[Jaded No More 68,867]

Anyone with a digital membership able to access it online yet?

I regret going digital this year. I only did it for the free tickets so I can bring my husband along. We planned to get him a membership, but Covid means it's an unjustifiable expense.

I assume lots of people will be in the same boat.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,710]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Obviously we are the "hardcore" supporters on here but for me it is times like these when I would take out a membership without hesitation. Once the dust settles can rethink things but for me signing up means becoming a member, not just a season ticket holder.

It would be good if the club could come up with a tangible benefit for all the members that have stuck with the club as fully paid up members over the last 12 months. I haven't got any firm ideas as to what that ought to be and I accept it needs to be something that costs next to nothing. Perhaps something like inviting these members into the clubrooms after a game (once we're back to both games at the MCG and post-Covid behaviours)? Obviously the club can't invite everyone all at once, but a rolling program over time might be welcomed. Personally, I don't want the invitation, but I suspect there are many others who would jump at the opportunity.  

[faultydet 7,594]

Canned the auto renew on my 3 memberships for this season.

Nothing to do with Covid. Just a protest against the insipid season we dished up. First time in 20 years I will enter a season without a membership. Won't impact me because I've attended 2 games in the past 10 years.

For the first time in 2 decades they will earn it before I spend a cracker.