Increasing income ?

[IberianHibernian]

Could add this to thread on season tickets or Petrie begging for more but thought it deserved a separate thread . Is our club really doing enough to increase income to improve team and general financial situation of club ?
I think everyone agrees that first priority is team - a winning team , preferably playing attractive attacking football means bigger crowds and therefore more money to improve squad . Present squad looks as bad or worse than last season`s but competition may be weaker with no Rangers and all other teams with financial restrictions too . We all understand there are financial restrictions but wonder how much time and money is going into improving squad . One example : while we are based in Netherlands this weekend there is a tournament there organised by players`unions with teams of players from Netherlands , France , Denmark , Spain , France and another country I can`t remember who are currently looking for new clubs - ie players with experience in strong leagues but unemployed - have we a representative at the matches ?
Realise there are numerous threads about season tickets etc already but again is club doing enough ? I`ve sent off money for Kicks For Kids but got the impression that club wouldn`t have mentioned programme if there hadn`t been pressure from fans (I have contributed to similar schemes in the past but would have done so more often if club had encouraged it ) . As an overseas fan I`m also affected by club`s decision to not offer live coverage of home games - in financially hard times I have to accept club`s decision that it`s not financially viable for club ( again I don`t agree with decision but this is not thread to discuss it ) .
In last decade or more there have been suggestions here and elsewhere about how to increase club income ( attract tourists , students , immigrants - was there any real follow up to campaign of a few months ago ? , ex Hibbies , distant Hibbies - invite fans from Ireland , Shetland etc ) - what efforts have been made ? Walking into club shop the day before cup final I felt I could have been walking into any sports shop on a quiet day in any part of Europe .
Don`t like to criticize club but don`t see anything to suggest club is moving forward and think we have an excellent manager who is not being given chance to show his worth ( not just in terms of signing new players but also in terms of being able to work in a club without perpetual doubts about future ) .

[madabouthibs]

If they're really that bothered about increasing income then they'd have the strips in the shop that people actually want, or at the very least be getting some in soon. :confused:

[NAE NOOKIE]

The one part of Iberian's post which cant be denied is our abject failure to successfully attract punters who are outwith our normal fan base.

The clubs data base policy is understandable for certain matches ... the derby for instance ... but apart from that it should be punted into the long grass ... during the months of August and September Edinburgh is awash with tourists from all over the world. We should be actively trying to get these folk through the gate .. not putting them off by turning them away coz they are not on our stupid bloody computer system.

We should be putting adverts in the dozens of festival events catalogues and even a big poster at Edinburgh airport to try to attract these folk.

We have tried recently to attract Edinburgh residents who dont go to the football. The leaflet drop in Leith being the most obvious. But before doing that did Hibs consult with representatives of those communities to find out exactly what would be the best way to attract Indian, Pakistani or Polish dudes to matches?

[Ray_]

The one part of Iberian's post which cant be denied is our abject failure to successfully attract punters who are outwith our normal fan base.

The clubs data base policy is understandable for certain matches ... the derby for instance ... but apart from that it should be punted into the long grass ... during the months of August and September Edinburgh is awash with tourists from all over the world. We should be actively trying to get these folk through the gate .. not putting them off by turning them away coz they are not on our stupid bloody computer system.

We should be putting adverts in the dozens of festival events catalogues and even a big poster at Edinburgh airport to try to attract these folk.

We have tried recently to attract Edinburgh residents who dont go to the football. The leaflet drop in Leith being the most obvious. But before doing that did Hibs consult with representatives of those communities to find out exactly what would be the best way to attract Indian, Pakistani or Polish dudes to matches?

:agree: They need to get their fingers out of their backside and start earning the wedge they are paid. If TF was ever as complacent in 1971, his tyre business would never have left Leith.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Another thing is this .... and it relates to the whole SPL.

Instead of puny little statements on official websites, why dont the SPL get together and stick an advert ( it would only have to run for a couple of weeks ) on STV ..... This ad could put it straight to the punters about how vital their support will be this season especially and at the same time make a pitch to attract new supporters from the immigrant communities.

Its time for our administrators to realise that not everybody reads the back pages of the papers or owns a computer or stays up until stupid O'Clock at night to watch the SPL highlights ( just as well I hear you cry :greengrin )

I will bore you further with a statement I have made loads of times on this site.

Everybody in the Universe knows who and what Coca Cola is ...... but every year they spend hundreds of millions on TV advertising. If the most recognised brand in the world thinks that is neccessary then surely a corner shop like the SPL could benefit from taking a leaf out of their book.

[VickMackie]

Free tickets to all under 16s.
No need for an adult if they're 12 or over.
Adult can bring up to 2/3 children under 12 for free.

With the cost of football I think the fan base at SPL clubs will diminish over every season and we will be having this conversation all the time.

It won't raise income now but it could, and should, increase our fan base and future income.

In the short term there's probably not too many people that can be sucked into being a football fan. If you want to go to the football you will seek it out so I think opportunities in that area are limited.

[GreenPJ]

I agree that more could be done to try and attract transient populations during the festival etc but that is not going to be long-term income albeit welcomed short term increase in gate receipts.

I do think that cutting prices for a number of games, remunerating season ticket holders with vouchers for the club shop and doing a lot more with the behind the goals is something that is a start that should generate some level of income. I don't know what Hibs still do with local schools etc but going way back when I was at a local primary we used to have Hibs offer tickets, the community officer would come round occassionally and stickers etc would be handed out. This gets kids onside and they can nag parents to take them to a game, again offer a voucher to the parent to either give free kid or discounted father and son ticket.

Ultimately we need to get back to developing and promoting youth players. This not only saves on wages and transfer fees but ultimately leads to sales of one or two players every season that could bring in anything from 500K-?? depending on the quality of the player but we need the conveyor belt concept in place so we can sustain the development and sales of a player or two every season.

[silverhibee]

The one part of Iberian's post which cant be denied is our abject failure to successfully attract punters who are outwith our normal fan base.

The clubs data base policy is understandable for certain matches ... the derby for instance ... but apart from that it should be punted into the long grass ... during the months of August and September Edinburgh is awash with tourists from all over the world. We should be actively trying to get these folk through the gate .. not putting them off by turning them away coz they are not on our stupid bloody computer system.

We should be putting adverts in the dozens of festival events catalogues and even a big poster at Edinburgh airport to try to attract these folk.

We have tried recently to attract Edinburgh residents who dont go to the football. The leaflet drop in Leith being the most obvious. But before doing that did Hibs consult with representatives of those communities to find out exactly what would be the best way to attract Indian, Pakistani or Polish dudes to matches?

And that is what happens, they get turned away, i had to buy a couple of tourists tickets last season because after trying to explain to the folk in the ticket office that they came from another country, it was getting them no where, the same answer came back each time, sorry but you are not on the data base so we can't sell you tickets, FFS they were a couple in there fifties and were only trying to take in a football game while on holiday and they get turned away, i stepped in and said i would buy there tickets(they still paid:greengrin) as i am on the data base and the folk in the ticket office didn't have a problem with me doing that for them. :crazy:

[kaimendhibs]

If they're really that bothered about increasing income then they'd have the strips in the shop that people actually want, or at the very least be getting some in soon. :confused:


The one part of Iberian's post which cant be denied is our abject failure to successfully attract punters who are outwith our normal fan base.

The clubs data base policy is understandable for certain matches ... the derby for instance ... but apart from that it should be punted into the long grass ... during the months of August and September Edinburgh is awash with tourists from all over the world. We should be actively trying to get these folk through the gate .. not putting them off by turning them away coz they are not on our stupid bloody computer system.

We should be putting adverts in the dozens of festival events catalogues and even a big poster at Edinburgh airport to try to attract these folk.

We have tried recently to attract Edinburgh residents who dont go to the football. The leaflet drop in Leith being the most obvious. But before doing that did Hibs consult with representatives of those communities to find out exactly what would be the best way to attract Indian, Pakistani or Polish dudes to matches?
Agree 100%

[down-the-slope]

personally think that during festival the Fri / Sat morning of a game should have a kiosk in city centre flogging match tickets - block off an area of the East thats not got ST's in and pre-print sell to anyone who parts with the cash...whats the risk (could even get supporters involved in this - I would do a couple of hours on a saturday morning - with card technology there should be no need for cash)

[Ray_]

And that is what happens, they get turned away, i had to buy a couple of tourists tickets last season because after trying to explain to the folk in the ticket office that they came from another country, it was getting them no where, the same answer came back each time, sorry but you are not on the data base so we can't sell you tickets, FFS they were a couple in there fifties and were only trying to take in a football game while on holiday and they get turned away, i stepped in and said i would buy there tickets(they still paid:greengrin) as i am on the data base and the folk in the ticket office didn't have a problem with me doing that for them. :crazy:

Last season :Ummm: I bet they went looking for you after the match.

That was ninety minutes they'll never get back :greengrin

[--------]

:agree: They need to get their fingers out of their backside and start earning the wedge they are paid. If TF was ever as complacent in 1971, his tyre business would never have left Leith.


:agree: Marketing needs to be much more aggressive. Friday evenings advertising slots around the evening news, 30 second ads telling people about the weekend's home game. Why not? Lots of other things could be done?

Walk-up fans should have life made easier - this season's walk-up could well be next season't ST holder. The more you have to plan your attendance - either buying an ST or contacting the ticket office and jumping through hoops to bet on the database (or failing to, as the case may be) is off-putting. People should be able to decide to go to the match that day - I know the authorities are trying to keep security tight, but it's an entertainment industry, for crying out loud. I can turn up at Cineworld or the Kings' Theatre, and if there's a seat available, pay my money a get in no hassle. Why not at ER?

And the club shop needs looking at - an awful lot of complaints on here about stuff not being available.

[Jack]

I know the club do actively try and attract tourists, may not actively enough, but they do and they do advertise to attract stag parties.

The database is ‘ditched’ for non Cat A games, so anyone can pitch up and buy tickets for most matches.

I do agree that their should be more involvement in raising the profile of the SPL (and SFA) and think they should have budgets for advertising in all sorts of media. I also think a co-ordinated effort by them with shops on the high streets / airports would be much better that individual clubs attempting this and losing money.

[gegs70]

[QUOTE=VickMackie;3302071]Free tickets to all under 16s.
No need for an adult if they're 12 or over.
Adult can bring up to 2/3 children under 12 for free.

With the cost of football I think the fan base at SPL clubs will diminish over every season and we will be having this conversation all the time.

It won't raise income now but it could, and should, increase our fan base and future income.

In the short term there's probably not too many people that can be sucked into being a football fan. If you want to go to the football you will seek it out so I think opportunities in that

We need to encourage the future support to go to games so decent idea.

[Speedy]

We could start selling unhappy fans, it seems to be quite the moneyspinner

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230827697915#description

[hibsmad]

The one part of Iberian's post which cant be denied is our abject failure to successfully attract punters who are outwith our normal fan base.

The clubs data base policy is understandable for certain matches ... the derby for instance ... but apart from that it should be punted into the long grass ... during the months of August and September Edinburgh is awash with tourists from all over the world. We should be actively trying to get these folk through the gate .. not putting them off by turning them away coz they are not on our stupid bloody computer system.

We should be putting adverts in the dozens of festival events catalogues and even a big poster at Edinburgh airport to try to attract these folk.

We have tried recently to attract Edinburgh residents who dont go to the football. The leaflet drop in Leith being the most obvious. But before doing that did Hibs consult with representatives of those communities to find out exactly what would be the best way to attract Indian, Pakistani or Polish dudes to matches?

There are many ways that the club could be expanding. Most notably for me is experimenting with various ticketing price schemes. I would love the club at the start of one season to say - "ok you all feel that Scottish football is over priced, well this season we are going to slash the cost of season tickets by 30%-40% but in order for this to work we NEED to sell 12K or next season the prices will return to normal". Give the fans a chance to make a commitment to Hibs without having to fork out £400+ for the privilege of watching a poor product. I would be really interested to see the response this would get and if it doesn't work out whats the worst that could happen? At the very least we would sell an extra couple of thousand which would mean the shortfall wouldn't be disastrous.

As for Bovrils post, the bit in bold is just so simple and obvious. It would not cost a lot to advertise in one of these magazines so why not give it a go and see how it turns out? We could advertise for one game in particular where there could also be some pre game and HT entertainment lined up.

There is no way of knowing what will work and what won't but surely it can't hurt to just try things like this out.

[Peevemor]

There are many ways that the club could be expanding. Most notably for me is experimenting with various ticketing price schemes. I would love the club at the start of one season to say - "ok you all feel that Scottish football is over priced, well this season we are going to slash the cost of season tickets by 30%-40% but in order for this to work we NEED to sell 12K or next season the prices will return to normal". Give the fans a chance to make a commitment to Hibs without having to fork out £400+ for the privilege of watching a poor product. I would be really interested to see the response this would get and if it doesn't work out whats the worst that could happen? At the very least we would sell an extra couple of thousand which would mean the shortfall wouldn't be disastrous.

As for Bovrils post, the bit in bold is just so simple and obvious. It would not cost a lot to advertise in one of these magazines so why not give it a go and see how it turns out? We could advertise for one game in particular where there could also be some pre game and HT entertainment lined up.

There is no way of knowing what will work and what won't but surely it can't hurt to just try things like this out.

Livingston tried this

http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/news/article/livingston-we-sell-more-you-pay-less-scheme-looks-like-a-winner/

Although it doesn't look like they achieved the 700 ST mark to enable the reductions to kick in.

http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/commercial/commercial_season_ticket_signup_2012_13.php

However I do think it's a good idea, especially given that the difference in crowds between "big" and normal games is much less these days due to tv coverage.

[hibsmad]

Livingston tried this

http://www.scottishfootballleague.com/news/article/livingston-we-sell-more-you-pay-less-scheme-looks-like-a-winner/

Although it doesn't look like they achieved the 700 ST mark to enable the reductions to kick in.

http://www.livingstonfc.co.uk/commercial/commercial_season_ticket_signup_2012_13.php

However I do think it's a good idea, especially given that the difference in crowds between "big" and normal games is much less these days due to tv coverage.

I think that if Hibs tried something similar then it would be a good idea not to try to make any extra money from it initially, but rather just make sure that the extra tickets we sell cover what we would be losing from the first 6 or 7 thousand not paying the higher premium.

That way we would be building a larger fan base which the club would benefit from in the long term. Also, we would have the added benefit of having more bums on seats which would help the players and would also make the whole day out at ER a more enjoyable experience for the fans.

[blackpoolhibs]

I think that if Hibs tried something similar then it would be a good idea not to try to make any extra money from it initially, but rather just make sure that the extra tickets we sell cover what we would be losing from the first 6 or 7 thousand not paying the higher premium.

That way we would be building a larger fan base which the club would benefit from in the long term. Also, we would have the added benefit of having more bums on seats which would help the players and would also make the whole day out at ER a more enjoyable experience for the fans.

:agree: I remember Hartlepools attempt was a huge success, as you say if we could get 12k in with the income of 9k, although we get the lesser sum, we'd have other benefits straight away, and hopefully in future too?

[Lucius Apuleius]

Change the catering to in-house. Sack Azure and hire me and Saudi Hibby on tax free wages and we will pass on our great expertise and many years in contract catering.

2nd bit was in jest, but first bit serious. In-house caterers with a catering manager and all the profit is ours.

[silverhibee]

Last season :Ummm: I bet they went looking for you after the match.

That was ninety minutes they'll never get back :greengrin


:tee hee: