Help me do my job, pt1: A question for non-members

[Red.]

I've lived in the Eastern Suburbs all my life and I am extremely proud of where I come from, it is the very reason I am an Easts supporter and it is why I buy season tickets every year.

I am happy to stand corrected but I can't ever remember the Roosters putting a concerted effort into converting residents of the East into members.

No door knocks, no letter box drops, nothing that comes easily to mind.

Now I know a lot of people believe that Eastern Suburbs residents aren't interested in League and on the surface that is probably true but we've never given them a reason to engage.

Someone mentioned merchandise. The Eastern Suburbs is the fashion hub of Sydney we should have an exclusive line of supporter apparel that is the envy of every other club in the league and that people would be happy to wear anytime. The ISC stuff just doesn't cut it, the only time it can be worn is match day.

Our games should be marketed as events where friends get together to support the local area whilst enjoying the best in food and drink. Some of the finest food in Australia is created right here in the Eastern Suburbs but when we go to a game we are subjected to horrible hot dogs, processed pies and god knows what else. Why don't we have a local chef, like the bloke from the Four In Hand, create a menu for the game against Souths and then get the Raw Bar to create a menu for the next home game etc.. How about a cocktail bar at the SFS?

I know the club has deals in place with caterers and clothing suppliers but the Roosters represent the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney a highly aspirational location. The club needs to think differently to everyone else and SG I hope you get an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the growth of our brand.

Fire away.

[Guest]

Hey mate,

you should be able to pull some geo-data from those people who like you on your facebook page. This could be done through your admin access and will give you a good idea as to where some of your fan base is located. you would also be able to pull some other stuff in regards to gender, age, very top line info but this could give you a base to build from.

[milanja]

I know money is tight in this day and age for a lot of people. I think the club should just have a $20 membership option which just gets you a membership card and a scarf or something. And the right to say you are a member. Most people (well me anyway) join because they just want to feel like they are making a contribution to thier club/helping out etc. All the frills/benefits/merchandise don't really mean much to me.

they have a $39 pack with scarf stickers and cap,keyring etc etc, pretty cheap just to say you are a member.

With the club also giving you a option of monthly payments, u cld get the bronze pack for $2 a week, cant beat that.

[stephenj]

i now live outside the area, one of my main turnoffs is the parking situation, can get very expensive at fox, id prefer to pay my old school sydney high anyway, why cant roosters do a deal with sydney high get a cheaper rate for members? swans used to do that!
i renewed anyway but considered it rfor while?
might start trying the train club bus way, problem is getting a club bus back to the club. many non members also fighting to get on! i often walked back to bondi junction
i made the mistake of buying the roosters t shirt along with my package, wore it once washed not dried once, now unwearable, last piece of clunb merchandise i will buy this year! i feel ripped off?

[milanja]

Totally agree. you pay enough for a dried out cheap franfurt and crappy chips as it is, im sure another couple of bucks to get a gourmet hot dog or beer battered fries or wedges wld be the go.

The burgers they serve are an abomination and should not be call food, should make jamie oliver a chooks fan and let him make up some tasty alternatives for not much more than what u pay for slop now.

Be nice to have some nice jumpers or tops with nothing more than a very suttle chook on there somewhere, sort of like the la coste alligator!

I've lived in the Eastern Suburbs all my life and I am extremely proud of where I come from, it is the very reason I am an Easts supporter and it is why I buy season tickets every year.

I am happy to stand corrected but I can't ever remember the Roosters putting a concerted effort into converting residents of the East into members.

No door knocks, no letter box drops, nothing that comes easily to mind.

Now I know a lot of people believe that Eastern Suburbs residents aren't interested in League and on the surface that is probably true but we've never given them a reason to engage.

Someone mentioned merchandise. The Eastern Suburbs is the fashion hub of Sydney we should have an exclusive line of supporter apparel that is the envy of every other club in the league and that people would be happy to wear anytime. The ISC stuff just doesn't cut it, the only time it can be worn is match day.

Our games should be marketed as events where friends get together to support the local area whilst enjoying the best in food and drink. Some of the finest food in Australia is created right here in the Eastern Suburbs but when we go to a game we are subjected to horrible hot dogs, processed pies and god knows what else. Why don't we have a local chef, like the bloke from the Four In Hand, create a menu for the game against Souths and then get the Raw Bar to create a menu for the next home game etc.. How about a cocktail bar at the SFS?

I know the club has deals in place with caterers and clothing suppliers but the Roosters represent the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney a highly aspirational location. The club needs to think differently to everyone else and SG I hope you get an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the growth of our brand.

Fire away.

[kurtsherlock6]

I've lived in the Eastern Suburbs all my life and I am extremely proud of where I come from, it is the very reason I am an Easts supporter and it is why I buy season tickets every year.

I am happy to stand corrected but I can't ever remember the Roosters putting a concerted effort into converting residents of the East into members.

No door knocks, no letter box drops, nothing that comes easily to mind.

Now I know a lot of people believe that Eastern Suburbs residents aren't interested in League and on the surface that is probably true but we've never given them a reason to engage.

Someone mentioned merchandise. The Eastern Suburbs is the fashion hub of Sydney we should have an exclusive line of supporter apparel that is the envy of every other club in the league and that people would be happy to wear anytime. The ISC stuff just doesn't cut it, the only time it can be worn is match day.

Our games should be marketed as events where friends get together to support the local area whilst enjoying the best in food and drink. Some of the finest food in Australia is created right here in the Eastern Suburbs but when we go to a game we are subjected to horrible hot dogs, processed pies and god knows what else. Why don't we have a local chef, like the bloke from the Four In Hand, create a menu for the game against Souths and then get the Raw Bar to create a menu for the next home game etc.. How about a cocktail bar at the SFS?

I know the club has deals in place with caterers and clothing suppliers but the Roosters represent the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney a highly aspirational location. The club needs to think differently to everyone else and SG I hope you get an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the growth of our brand.

Fire away.

Some very good ideas there mate. Should get a job in Roosters marketing.

[Salvatori Grubber]

No demographic data? Looks like there's huge room for improvement.

That's for sure.

I know we've all been lavishing praise on Roosters Marketing in general – and in many ways it's appropriate (the internal culture and general marketing campaigns are a thousand times better this year than in previous) – but in my dealings with them both now (where I'm pitching them) and back in 2004/5 (when I last partnered with them) I see LOTS of room for improvement.

IMO, there is a systemic short-sightedness with regard to their marketing outlook, ultimately rooted in lack of cash (I think). The football club operates at a loss, and I think that as such budgets are super tight. They like to minimise their retention of third-party suppliers (the converse of which means that they like to take care of all activities in-house), and when they do use external agencies, etc they like to squeeze the price down (contra-deals are not uncommon), and as you all know: if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

I'm a partner in an advertising agency and businesses like The Roosters fit our profile beautifully, ie their size, profile, revenue, etc means that they should look to retain an agency to augment their internal skill-set with broader strategy, execution and analysis (that senior guys like TH just don't have the time/resources to do themselves, while the rest of the staff are just not senior enough).

Unfortunately they just don't see it like that (or their hands are tied - dunno).

[Salvatori Grubber]

Hey mate,

you should be able to pull some geo-data from those people who like you on your facebook page. This could be done through your admin access and will give you a good idea as to where some of your fan base is located. you would also be able to pull some other stuff in regards to gender, age, very top line info but this could give you a base to build from.

Now that is a great idea - well played, sir. And thanks.

[Salvatori Grubber]

I've lived in the Eastern Suburbs all my life and I am extremely proud of where I come from, it is the very reason I am an Easts supporter and it is why I buy season tickets every year.

I am happy to stand corrected but I can't ever remember the Roosters putting a concerted effort into converting residents of the East into members.

No door knocks, no letter box drops, nothing that comes easily to mind.

Now I know a lot of people believe that Eastern Suburbs residents aren't interested in League and on the surface that is probably true but we've never given them a reason to engage.

Someone mentioned merchandise. The Eastern Suburbs is the fashion hub of Sydney we should have an exclusive line of supporter apparel that is the envy of every other club in the league and that people would be happy to wear anytime. The ISC stuff just doesn't cut it, the only time it can be worn is match day.

Our games should be marketed as events where friends get together to support the local area whilst enjoying the best in food and drink. Some of the finest food in Australia is created right here in the Eastern Suburbs but when we go to a game we are subjected to horrible hot dogs, processed pies and god knows what else. Why don't we have a local chef, like the bloke from the Four In Hand, create a menu for the game against Souths and then get the Raw Bar to create a menu for the next home game etc.. How about a cocktail bar at the SFS?

I know the club has deals in place with caterers and clothing suppliers but the Roosters represent the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney a highly aspirational location. The club needs to think differently to everyone else and SG I hope you get an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the growth of our brand.

Fire away.

Thanks dude.

Lots of great ideas in there, too.

[The Axe]

I am a Gold Member at the SFS so I don't need tickets to matches. I'd love some good quality merchandise without costing the world simply to say I support the Roosters and perhaps a cap.
Happy to chat further offline. Perhaps there already is a package but the site potentially could be user-driven by asking a few questions and recommending a package....
Hope this helps Salvo

[Gary Worthless]

I would like a country family membership. 2 adults 2 juniors for 4 home games for $150. My neighbour has this membership with the Bulldogs.

[Guest]

I've lived in the Eastern Suburbs all my life and I am extremely proud of where I come from, it is the very reason I am an Easts supporter and it is why I buy season tickets every year.

I am happy to stand corrected but I can't ever remember the Roosters putting a concerted effort into converting residents of the East into members.

No door knocks, no letter box drops, nothing that comes easily to mind.

Now I know a lot of people believe that Eastern Suburbs residents aren't interested in League and on the surface that is probably true but we've never given them a reason to engage.

Someone mentioned merchandise. The Eastern Suburbs is the fashion hub of Sydney we should have an exclusive line of supporter apparel that is the envy of every other club in the league and that people would be happy to wear anytime. The ISC stuff just doesn't cut it, the only time it can be worn is match day.

Our games should be marketed as events where friends get together to support the local area whilst enjoying the best in food and drink. Some of the finest food in Australia is created right here in the Eastern Suburbs but when we go to a game we are subjected to horrible hot dogs, processed pies and god knows what else. Why don't we have a local chef, like the bloke from the Four In Hand, create a menu for the game against Souths and then get the Raw Bar to create a menu for the next home game etc.. How about a cocktail bar at the SFS?

I know the club has deals in place with caterers and clothing suppliers but the Roosters represent the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney a highly aspirational location. The club needs to think differently to everyone else and SG I hope you get an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the growth of our brand.

Fire away.

Great post Red, as I stated in my earlier post the club needs to do more in the Eastern Suburbs. Any club would love to have the area we have yet our club seems to do nothing to promote the club or try to get more fans in the area.Bondi is the most famous area in sydney yet its only associated with the club in the papers. In my shock horror Souths held a training session at a park in double bay over the off season then a lunch to promote a sponsor at the double bay sailing club which now promotes that club instead of ours. They are trying to take more of our area and our club is letting them, suppose they are too busy at Berkley...

[Guest]

This is a really interesting discussion though it's disappointingly one that the membership department have not engaged in.

At its core membership is about passion and pride; it's a financial investment that bellies a greater emotional investment already established. Tribalism, particularly in the NRL is quite critical and as a club it does feel like we've lost a bit of our soul when we're marketed as the 'Sydney' Roosters. Any rusted on fan of this club refers to us as Easts and rightly so. In trying to project greater inclusion we've actually compromised on being proud of who we are and where we've come from. To invoke passion in a fan you need to be able to connect them to some identity. The glamourised, latte sipping, pretty boy, transit lounge version of us makes me a little sick; its snobby, commercialised elitism is a complete turn off. However our old Eastern suburbs history is something to utilise - an incredibly successful, foundation club where many of the best players who emerged from the sport wore our jersey. Since our 100th year anniversary that important historical connection is slowly coming back and I'm quite glad to see the full V on our home jersey, but IMO we need to utilise it more.

To further my argument, might I also add that our rivalry with the Rabbitohs is one of our greatest assets and a further example of how we need to keep promoting tradition-based passion for this team. Games against them are some of the most anticipated, most attended and most closely fought games through our H&A season. Why, becasue no two teams hate each other more in the sport. It's bitter and intense and has been brewing for more than a 100 years. Honestly when do you ever feel more like a Roosters fan than in the days leading up to a game against Souths? The point is that that feeling of attachment to the club needs to be replicated year round - do that and members will come.

Unfortunately our club is one that has a rather small membership base supplemented with a notoriously large contingent of bandwagoners. I will say though the club is largely responsible for a lot of the disinterest over recent years. I don't know anyone who would have proudly announced their allegiance during 2009 when we were the laughing stock of the league - a week without embarrassing ourselves was seemingly a godsend. The fact of the matter is that acquiring membership is a two-way game. Don't expect people to hand over their hard earned when the team inspires little confidence. That is not to say that we should abandon our club during harder times, but if the team doesn't respect the effort of fans with their own handwork and commitment to the club don't expect us to keep showing up and trusting you.

Apart from that their are many practical reasons why one might not take out a membership (people have already discussed them), but in terms of real membership growth my opinion is that the above reflects key inhibitions. We need to bring back the soul of this club.

[Salvatori Grubber]

Great post, well written and sensible.

Just to play devil's advocate for a sec: if we changed our name back to Easts and reverted to our silhouette logo, how many extra members do you honestly think we'd sign-up?

IMO - as much as I'd wet myself if we did revert - I'd be surprised if it brought in an extra 300 members.

It seems to me that if you can't bring yourself to commit $40 to your beloved team just because of their name, then your reasons are more complex (if you know what I mean).

[Guest]

Great post, well written and sensible.

Just to play devil's advocate for a sec: if we changed our name back to Easts and reverted to our silhouette logo, how many extra members do you honestly think we'd sign-up?

IMO - as much as I'd wet myself if we did revert - I'd be surprised if it brought in an extra 300 members.

It seems to me that if you can't bring yourself to commit $40 to your beloved team just because of their name, then your reasons are more complex (if you know what I mean).

That's the point, how 'beloved' are we?

It's not so much the name for me as our identity as a whole and what it brings with it. IMO there is a vagueness to the way we are marketed - there is no notion of what we represent. It's not that there are people sitting on their hands over the fact we aren't Easts anymore, it's that people are not caring as much about the club as a whole. What about our football team can resonate with people? What values do we represent? How does our club engage more with our direct community?

I think people who waste their time writing about their team on interest forums are the exceptions; we're a passionate dedicated bunch and sometimes blind to the perceptions of our club that exist on the outside. My ideas on the Roosters needing to build more passion in their fans (and over the last few years even within their players) is in reflection of my own feelings about our failings. Community mindedness, pride and identity have always been at the centre of my support to any of my chosen teams. They are non-tangible quantities and probably not as useful to you as 'this membership package doesn't work for me', but they are fundamentals I think we have lapsed in.

Membership is aspirational, no? 'Hey, I'm proud of my team - I'm more special than the everyday fan becasue I'm a member.' The Roosters need give the public something they desire; they need to feel a certain degree of privilege and importance regarding their membership status. Perhaps this is an NRL wide weakness. Certainly in the AFL you aren't considered any real fan if you aren't card-carrying. It's an attitudinal thing that I think is attached to degrees of passion.