Help Wanted! Let Hibs know what you think of club merchandise!

[marcegan]

Hi Everyone!
My name is Marc Egan and I am a 4th year Honours student at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. I am currently attempting to carry out some field research on my chosen dissertation topic which is associated with Hibernian FC and the SPL and for this reason I would much appreciate the help and opinions of my main subject areas.. You the fans!

For my research I am trying to gain a greater picture of the merchandising trends at football clubs and in particular, Hibs. This constitutes a number of different areas of merchandising such as how women fans feel their merchandising needs are catered for by the club as well as the general consumer behaviour of fans such as the amount of money spent on club merchandise in a typical year.

The objective of this research is to enhance the relationship between the fans and the club and improve the already strong family ethos that the club prides itself on. By gaining invaluable primary research from the most important people at a football club, the fans, this will enable their needs to be better catered for in the future by the club.

I am looking to conduct my research in the form of focus groups. This will be an informal discussion group where fans are encouraged to get across the biggest issues they have regarding the topic in question, no holding back!

The focus groups will be held this Sunday, 6th of December, both before and after the free-to-attend under 19s Scottish cup match with Falkirk at Easter Road (Kick-off 1pm). Hibernian FC have been kind enough to allow the use of their executive facilities for this research. Also, free drinks and snacks will be provided to the participants!

Ideally I am aiming to conduct 3 focus groups, with approximately 5-6 participants in each and places awarded on a first come first chosen basis. Details of the types of question’s being asked will be sent out via email to each participant prior to the group taking place. Ideally, I aim to have each group finished within one hour. Outline details of each focus group are outlined below.

For anyone interested, please contact myself at marc.egan@strath.ac.uk before Thursday 3rd December. Alternatively, I can be contacted on my mobile at 07816537044. Please let me know in your email if it is just yourself that is interested or if you are bringing a friend. I will send out further details after you have declared your interest!

1st Focus Group: Female supporters between the ages of 18-65. (Time: 11.45am)

2nd Focus Group: Season Ticket holding Hibs FC fans between the ages of 18-65. (Time: 3pm)

3rd Focus Group: General Fans who do not regularly(less than 5 games a season) attend games between the ages of 18-65. (Time: 4.15pm)

Any suggestions for the groups would also be appreciated.

Thanks for all your help!

Marc

[Mikey]

Any takers for this? The merchandise quite often gets the blood boiling. Now's your chance to have a say!

If no-one turns up it's hardly going to encourage the club to listen to us!

[marinello59]

Free drinks and snacks? Wish I lived closer.

Seriously, there have been cracking ideas for merchandise on here over the years. A good chance for some of the clever people to put their ideas to the club.

[jabis]

would like to help,but genuinley don't fall into any group !

[marcegan]

Hi guys, just to say, there will now only be groups on at 11.45am and 3pm.

The responses have been good guys and are much appreciated but there are still spaces. In order to try and ensure full participation, i have decided to make the second focus group open to a wider range of fans, both season ticket holders and fans who maybe don't attend games as regularly or participate in the club as regularly as others.

So get your responses in as quick as possible, and ask your mates (who are also Hibs fans) if you don't fancy coming along yourself, and let me know !

email: marc.egans@strath.ac.uk

[Mikey]

This has now been whittled down to one focus group at 11:45am. If you're going to the U19's cup game can you make it along?

If so please contact Marc direct.

[marcegan]

and it can be a mixture of female/male fans, only requirement is you are a hibs fan.

And, my mistake above, my email address is marc.egan@strath.ac.uk

Thanks