[Archived] Rovers Re-Branding Aka Bringing The Pride Back Aka A Fresh Start

[BlueMonday]

Helmshore Blues, that brings back memories. Most of them being lifted by the West Midlands Corrupt Police at Fellows Dump.

Always got a round of "Helmshore Blues We Are Here!" on the old Blackburn End.

You just don't get that camaraderie anymore.

[the original david brent]

Charge £5 for adults and £1 for kids for either the Huddersfield or Bristol City home games which are Saturday 3pm games in April. I know they have this £30 for 3 games but it's no good when 2 of the games are midweek.

£5 for adults will result in the place packed. Huddersfield did a similar thing when we played them at the back end of last season yet charged our fans full whack. Do the same to them! Although we won't because the police will say no and the club will oblige (see other thread)

Last time we charged £5 was Leverkusen at home in the Uefa Cup ; I think over 25,000 were packed in.

In the last promotion season we charged £5 against sheff utd (att 26,000) and £5 against Huddersfield (nearly 30,000).

I read the Sun journalist Martin Blackburn's West Ham match report; he has always been quite positive about Rovers unlike a lot of the national media. Rather than criticising the 11,000 home attendance, he said the club need to do something to win the fans back.

To start with £5 one off tickets, fill the place, serve up a performance and get those fans interested again. It will also serve to remind Venkys, PL and the players that there is a decent fanbase here.

Surely an extra 8-10,000 walk ons spending money on merchandise, food and drink will make as much money as an extra 1000 paying full ticket prices?

This marketing malarkey is easy.

[ABBEY]

Always got a round of "Helmshore Blues We Are Here!" on the old Blackburn End.

You just don't get that camaraderie anymore.

Helmshore Mooes

[BlueMonday]

Helmshore Mooes

Drink You're Women and Sh*g You're Beer.

[Amo]

£5 for adults will result in the place packed.

Would it, though?

How many fans are staying away for financial reasons?

And if it fails, you've just completely devalued your product.

[Mattyblue]

I tend to agree.

The £5 worked in the UEFA Cup, because it was an 'event', knock out European football.

The £5 in 2001 worked because we were storming to promotion.

'Taking Back Ewood' worked because we were a PL outfit, suddenly much cheaper STs to watch top flight football and the thought of a packed out Ewood was motivation in itself to get involved.

There is currently no buzz around the club, at all. Make Rovers V Huddersfield a Fiver and how much busier is it going to be, really?

'Fiver? Is that to get in or is that what they are paying folk for going?' and so on.

Please don't get me wrong, I am all for promotions to try and fill the seats, but you have got to be realistic, no-one outside the hardcore is interested when we are languishing at 19th in the Championship- a sustained period of relative success is what will initially bring people back, and nothing else.

[Stuart]

How about a free match? For people with a database history.

A bit gimmicky but would you encourage a few who haven't been before to get down?

I think, given our current predicament, fans need to feel they are part of something though. A bit of local pride. Genuinely not sure how we will ever get the crowds back without promotion, or at least a promotion attempt.

[tomphil]

Free match sounds good but the club and every regular fan would have to work hard on that one. The mood is so low around the fanbase that we'd prob only get a couple of thousand extra on unless it was really pushed. There'd be national embarrassment at that one.

Maybe a bring a friend for free day for ST holders ? We've hardly any walk ups for most games anyway so it wouldn't hurt the takings much.

[Jock]

Free match sounds good but the club and every regular fan would have to work hard on that one. The mood is so low around the fanbase that we'd prob only get a couple of thousand extra on unless it was really pushed. There'd be national embarrassment at that one.

Maybe a bring a friend for free day for ST holders ? We've hardly any walk ups for most games anyway so it wouldn't hurt the takings much.

This one is better because ST holders will make the effort to bring a mate and its rewarding their loyalty.

[VinjayV4]

Said it before write to everyone on the database (or call/email them) and ASK them why. Offer them an incentive too for responding. It needs a staff member with initiative (not a comfort zone) and while it might not build a lot of bridges it might build a few.

Asked this before...how far does the database go back since the new ticketing website was launched? Is there still a full record going back years even if a lot of purchase history has been cleared?

At the Fulham game I wasn't even asked for my postcode (usually buy online but had to buy the 3 game series in person) the club needs as large a database as possible. I know most people probably have a previous purchase history but still minor things count.

Unfortunately with Venkys/Championship status, etc only so much you can do. It does not help when the owners clearly consider people like Liz Windsor more important than Rovers fans.

[tomphil]

This one is better because ST holders will make the effort to bring a mate and its rewarding their loyalty.

If only around half the regulars can get someone along then that could be an extra 4 thousand on the gate.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

The only problem with bring a friend for free is that no one wants to go, I can't go tomorrow and I can't give my season ticket!

The only way to create interest is for the team to win games and start a band wagon rolling that people will jump on.

[Stuart]

Free match sounds good but the club and every regular fan would have to work hard on that one. The mood is so low around the fanbase that we'd prob only get a couple of thousand extra on unless it was really pushed. There'd be national embarrassment at that one.

Maybe a bring a friend for free day for ST holders ? We've hardly any walk ups for most games anyway so it wouldn't hurt the takings much.

Good point. It could be embarrassing if the press got hold of it as we certainly wouldn't have a full stadium. Maybe kids go free for certain games?

Bring a friend is a good idea but where would you put them? I know there are a lot of empty seats but there's no seats next to us so they'd have to sit on their own, which might defeat the object.

A lot of the initiatives require PL income to implement to offset the losses but FFP puts paid to that. I think our 'recent' success has made anything else look like failure. We've been spoiled. Which is why we need to start over again and stop reminding people that we are a shadow of the club we used to be and go about rebuilding our image as a competitive unfashionable northern football club.

[VinjayV4]

Suppose I might as well post this here since its just come up on the site...

http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/blackburn-with-darwen-boundary-signs-2971408.aspx

[Iceman]

Does anyone recall the time when some American fella rocked up on here talking about the Dan Williams (I think) proposed takeover? He said that the plan was to market the club to America as the underdog. The club who were fighting against all odds. He seemed to think they'd lap that up. Anyway, not really sure if or how that relates to this thread, but it always stuck with me that. Struck a chord. I quite like the idea of a real working man's club with small crowds but a never say die attitude. I think people might just go for that. The only trouble I can see I'd getting an eleven out on the pitch witch typifies that.

but we use to be that PV, we use to be the underdog causing the bigger boys problems. Nobody liked playing against us, because we rattled them. We didnt get call bullyboys for nothing. The current squad is just a bunch of soft cats.

[VinjayV4]

Its not just major rebranding but sometimes there's minor things as well. Something like the Jack Walker fascia clearly having some unsold advertising spaces needs to be looked at. Not referring just to the task of gaining advertising but appearance as well. If you can't sell it at the moment then why not cover it up with a free advertising space or promote a charity? Anything is better than just leaving bare spaces. NOTHING is too trivial when it comes to marketing and branding.

Sometimes its just minor little things that start to make a difference. If you can't take care of minor matters how can we expect people to take care of the big ones?

[Mattyblue]

Its not just major rebranding but sometimes there's minor things as well. Something like the Jack Walker fascia clearly having some unsold advertising spaces needs to be looked at. Not referring just to the task of gaining advertising but appearance as well. If you can't sell it at the moment then why not cover it up with a free advertising space or promote a charity? Anything is better than just leaving bare spaces. NOTHING is too trivial when it comes to marketing and branding.

Sometimes its just minor little things that start to make a difference. If you can't take care of minor matters how can we expect people to take care of the big ones?

Indeed.

Why not do what Arsenal do at the Emirates and list all our trophy wins throughout our history? 10 major trophies, will fill plenty of unused space

[tkturner]

I tweeted the club about the ending of a free ticket to a match for season ticket holders when it was your birthday...

I didn't get one this year and past seasons looked forward to a birthday match/pint and drag a mate along, it just stopped this season with no explanation...

There wasn't a solid answer as to why from the club/twitter account...