Nearly 7,500 Season Tickets Sold

[JJpool]

Surely the whole point of having a deadline (and ideally sticking to it) is to create momentum, by giving people a compelling reason to act now, rather than simply remain apathetic and under no particular pressure to act at all?

Of course, you might lose a certain amount of the momentum when the deadline ends, but that's just natural (in fact it's actually the object of the exercise)... If the deadline wasn't in place then the momentum wouldn't have been created in the first place..

It seems to me we have done OK as far as sales are concerned, so I'm not convinced increasing the price after deadline would be necessary either, but if enough people had not purchased before deadline, then that would certainly be an avenue that I would explore. You only have to look at Blackburn (which as I have said has been a complete shit show for all the reasons already mentioned), but in their case there simply isn't enough difference between the Early Bird price and the Full Price (7.5% increase compared to an 11% increase at Blackpool).... Of course their prices are slightly higher than ours too, so arguably, they should have made the EB price cheaper, but the difference simply isn't enough, which has then resulted in this faffing around with a deadline that was a) too early in the first place and b) is not respected by their fanbase as it isn't actually perceived as a genuine deadline, but rather something that the owners will regularly change on a whim.

Not sure the deadline creates much momentum, more focuses people, it's more a good price, good positive news and PR, seeing others buying and the total going up.

They haven't announced 8k yet even though it's apparently been hit.

Well, that's where my idea of the deadline being for the bonus things you get for buying early.

So the hardcore ST holders wouldn't need to be told to renew early maybe 5k would with no prompting. Once you get to 4k announcing up in 500's generates some interest.

As said off the top of my head you could have a points system for away games priority and other things.

Buying a st early get you x points and in prime position for away games, (you earn points per game so don't have to, but this puts you in a strong position) plus you get to keep your seat, after the deadline you it's not reserved. Also give some other bonus for buying early. After the deadline same price no same seats, no points, no bonus.

I reckon you'd get a decent amount sticking to it.

Then after the deadline you're still as affordable as possible for the masses, the idiots who can't stick to deadlines but also people who save over a few months.

Yes they don't get the bonus things but they will pay no more and be welcomed in for the same price, keeping momentum going.

Just an idea, I wonder how it would do? But when the club is doing positive things like this its so easy to promote and generate a buzz, get fans talking to new fans, casuals etc.

But tbh just a well placed early bird can work if you get the dates right and the pr right.

 

[BFC_BFC_BFC]

Not sure the deadline creates much momentum, more focuses people, it's more a good price, good positive news and PR, seeing others buying and the total going up.

They haven't announced 8k yet even though it's apparently been hit.

Well, that's where my idea of the deadline being for the bonus things you get for buying early.

So the hardcore ST holders wouldn't need to be told to renew early maybe 5k would with no prompting. Once you get to 4k announcing up in 500's generates some interest.

As said off the top of my head you could have a points system for away games priority and other things.

Buying a st early get you x points and in prime position for away games, (you earn points per game so don't have to, but this puts you in a strong position) plus you get to keep your seat, after the deadline you it's not reserved. Also give some other bonus for buying early. After the deadline same price no same seats, no points, no bonus.

I reckon you'd get a decent amount sticking to it.

Then after the deadline your still as affordable as possible for the masses, the idiots who can't stick to deadlines but also people who save over a few months.

Yes they don't get the bonus things but they will pay no more and be welcomed in for the same price, keeping momentum going.

Just an idea, I wonder how it would do? But when the club is doing positive things like this its so easy to promote and generate a buzz, get fans talking to new fans, casuals etc.

But tbh just a well placed early bird can work if you get the dates right and the pr right.

Of course the deadline creates momentum ... Without the deadline, there would be less of a need for people to act and buy their tickets. It's obvious.. That's why we've had around 8,000 tickets sold before the deadline and why (if you looked at the purchases leading up to it, you'd likely see acceleration).

Beyond the deadline, the only compelling reason to buy a Season Ticket would be to have one before the first day of the season or in the event of extremely high demand.

You can obviously do a whole range of other things to create momentum, but the fact that other methods exist doesn't suddenly mean that the method that the Club has chosen doesn't do so.... You might argue that other methods might be more successful, but I very much doubt if the over-complicated systems you suggest, relating to points would hit the mark.... If I've learned anything about incentives in business, it's to keep them as simplistic and to the point as possible.

From what I can see, the system ain't broke and so there's no need to fix it.... The Early Bird solution is used in all manner of ticket events, where early cashflow is beneficial (Festivals for example) and it's widely used for Season Tickets in Football and other sports. t's so widely used because it's easy and it does the job well.

Your last sentence sums it up perfectly....There's no need to try and re-invent the wheel...

There have been a few things that might have let us down this year


1. The PR & Marketing around the ST's has been absolutely woeful...
2. A Payment Plan Option may have generated higher sales
3. Cheaper prices might have generated higher sales

The timing of the deadline is absolutely fine as it is.. A few days here or a few days there is going to have no significant impact whatsoever.. As for Payment Plans & Cheaper Prices (and even improved marketing), the Club has to wrestle with the down sides and any cost associated and then try to make a decision. Ultimately it's their budgets and their revenue streams and I'd like to think that (by and large) they have a better grip on that then we do.... And TBH with 8,000 already sold, I'd say that they don't appear to be too far off the mark... Especially when you consider the increased revenue we are likely to see from Matchday (Away Fans in particular)

 

[ainscow73]

With a payment plan the club loses money if they start playing badly as some people would just knock it on the head, as shown by the fickle supporters we see posting everyday

 

[BFC_BFC_BFC]

With a payment plan the club loses money if they start playing badly as some people would just knock it on the head, as shown by the fickle supporters we see posting everyday

That depends how you manage the payment plan really.

There’s certainly a cost to provide a scheme, but I suppose you build that into the cost of the facility.

 

[JJpool]

Of course the deadline creates momentum ... Without the deadline, there would be less of a need for people to act and buy their tickets. It's obvious.. That's why we've had around 8,000 tickets sold before the deadline and why (if you looked at the purchases leading up to it, you'd likely see acceleration).

Beyond the deadline, the only compelling reason to buy a Season Ticket would be to have one before the first day of the season or in the event of extremely high demand.

You can obviously do a whole range of other things to create momentum, but the fact that other methods exist doesn't suddenly mean that the method that the Club has chosen doesn't do so.... You might argue that other methods might be more successful, but I very much doubt if the over-complicated systems you suggest, relating to points would hit the mark.... If I've learned anything about incentives in business, it's to keep them as simplistic and to the point as possible.

From what I can see, the system ain't broke and so there's no need to fix it.... The Early Bird solution is used in all manner of ticket events, where early cashflow is beneficial (Festivals for example) and it's widely used for Season Tickets in Football and other sports. t's so widely used because it's easy and it does the job well.

Your last sentence sums it up perfectly....There's no need to try and re-invent the wheel...

There have been a few things that might have let us down this year


1. The PR & Marketing around the ST's has been absolutely woeful...
2. A Payment Plan Option may have generated higher sales
3. Cheaper prices might have generated higher sales

The timing of the deadline is absolutely fine as it is.. A few days here or a few days there is going to have no significant impact whatsoever.. As for Payment Plans & Cheaper Prices (and even improved marketing), the Club has to wrestle with the down sides and any cost associated and then try to make a decision. Ultimately it's their budgets and their revenue streams and I'd like to think that (by and large) they have a better grip on that then we do.... And TBH with 8,000 already sold, I'd say that they don't appear to be too far off the mark... Especially when you consider the increased revenue we are likely to see from Matchday (Away Fans in particular)

Well a deadline doesn't create a buzz, excitement. For me its just the framework but I've said you need a deadline as people wait for it before parting with cash. I'd say the momentum is people buying and the total building, surrounded by positive pr and signings etc.

It was just an idea, I'd like to see a bit more thinking outside the box like we see with some club in areas.

As said we probably wouldn't be having this discussion if not for a website launch with issues and a deadline missing a key pay day, which would have helped a few. Get the timing right on that and its even better. Next season if we finish well and lauch then you're onto a winner potentially.

But I certainly wouldn't grumble if the club did decide to try something creative or that made it more affordable to the masses and so got more in.

It's been a fairly decent number, with a relatively poor summer. Imagine what we could do if things didn't conspire against us and the things in our control, small or not, get those extra people here and there to renew or involved.

We have to remember the last season early on was post covid and some were still wary, concern has died down a lot since and plus another season in the championship, I expected growth and glad to see it looks like happening, a shame the summer didn't really go our way to create a feelgood factor too.

Anyway should probably switch discussion to the other thread as this total is old news now.

 

[BFC_BFC_BFC]

Well a deadline doesn't create a buzz, excitement. For me its just the framework but I've said you need a deadline as people wait for it before parting with cash. I'd say the momentum is people buying and the total building, surrounded by positive pr and signings etc.

It was just an idea, I'd like to see a bit more thinking outside the box like we see with some club in areas.

As said we probably wouldn't be having this discussion if not for a website launch with issues and a deadline missing a key pay day, which would have helped a few. Get the timing right on that and its even better. Next season if we finish well and lauch then you're onto a winner potentially.

But I certainly wouldn't grumble if the club did decide to try something creative or that made it more affordable to the masses and so got more in.

It's been a fairly decent number, with a relatively poor summer. Imagine what we could do if things didn't conspire against us and the things in our control, small or not, get those extra people here and there to renew or involved.

We have to remember the last season early on was post covid and some were still wary, concern has died down a lot since and plus another season in the championship, I expected growth and glad to see it looks like happening, a shame the summer didn't really go our way to create a feelgood factor too.

Anyway should probably switch discussion to the other thread as this total is old news now.

No... A deadline doesn't necessarily create a buzz, but a buzz is quite different to momentum...

As I've said JJ, I think you're overly focused on the minute detail of the deadline and the individual... It's as important (if not moreso) that the timing suits the Club than suits every single fan... It has clearly suited the overwhelming majority of fans, because they have renewed before the deadline... Let's just appreciate that it's largely a job well done and hope that more join the party before the Season Starts (either way, it's a great platform to build on, especially if Appledog can win some games at home and please the crowd).

There's loads of things we might have changed... A couple more days might have meant a few more fans might have signed up, but would they have done so anyway? Who knows? If you were to make the price a bit cheaper, that might have encouraged a bigger take up, but would it have been big enough to overcome the financial downside?

I just don't see the value in all of the woulda, coulda shoulda stuff that's all based on assumptive and largely idealised outcomes. Fact is the Club and Board have to deal with reality...They have to make real decisions that have real impacts and they actually survive or fall by the decisions they make...

In AVFTT world it's always a case of "If Critchley had only played Yates & Madine, then we'd have won 4-0 instead of losing 5-1" or "If we'd extended the deadline by 2 days we'd have had another 1,000 Season Ticket holders"...

 

[JJpool]

No... A deadline doesn't necessarily create a buzz, but a buzz is quite different to momentum...

As I've said JJ, I think you're overly focused on the minute detail of the deadline and the individual... It's as important (if not moreso) that the timing suits the Club than suits every single fan... It has clearly suited the overwhelming majority of fans, because they have renewed before the deadline... Let's just appreciate that it's largely a job well done and hope that more join the party before the Season Starts (either way, it's a great platform to build on, especially if Appledog can win some games at home and please the crowd).

There's loads of things we might have changed... A couple more days might have meant a few more fans might have signed up, but would they have done so anyway? Who knows? If you were to make the price a bit cheaper, that might have encouraged a bigger take up, but would it have been big enough to overcome the financial downside?

I just don't see the value in all of the woulda, coulda shoulda stuff that's all based on assumptive and largely idealised outcomes. Fact is the Club and Board have to deal with reality...They have to make real decisions that have real impacts and they actually survive or fall by the decisions they make...

In AVFTT world it's always a case of "If Critchley had only played Yates & Madine, then we'd have won 4-0 instead of losing 5-1" or "If we'd extended the deadline by 2 days we'd have had another 1,000 Season Ticket holders"...

As I've said I think the little things do help and are worth doing, for minimal effort you can reach out to as many people as possible, with a bit of forward thinking and it doesn't really hurt to include all. A club for me should do that as much as possible. Especially one that suffered hardships like we have. The quicker we get more people back the better, so making it as easy and attractive as possible is key. It may seem like at times pandering to the few, but if the club did do things like that people wouldn't criticise, they'd praise.

Sometimes you need to try things, if they don't come off, you tried and fans appreciate that, plus you have actual data for next time, rather than basically guessing like we are.

I'm not the only one that thinks whilst the club has done well in some areas, it's lacked a little bit of imagination in some ways, how to really capture fans or hit that killer price. Someone even said football run by numbers on a spreadsheet. The 30 quid a game was a prime example of a miss, not a price anyone would have picked when they mentioned a membership coming in. I understand balancing the books but there's also understanding the area and how new fans attend.

Whilst we have hit 8k it seemed like we could have done more, it was likely to rise post covid as that put a strain on the start of last season for some.

But we've done well I suppose given all the issues we've had this summer. Hopefully the 40 quid rise doesn't put people off and when a buzz is created some more people decide to buy.

But I suppose the main annoyance is there's been very little buzz and you want the st deadline to coincidence with the big positive pr campaign, signings etc a few days before the end and a few days after the main paydays ideally. Thats why I wanted an extension, just to give a little more time for the club to work on some undecided, a bit more time for money to hit the banks and people to renew etc, a bit more time for the Appleton turnaound in opinion, which has happened, to reach more casual fans who don't hear much news apart from the big news maybe.

But it wasn't to be, so ahh well.

 

[Henshman]

I initially thought that we could've kept the early bird option for season tickets open until the Rangers friendly, but two weeks before the Reading match is too close to next season.