Football Sponsorship & Commerce
 
Introduction
Free Samples
Table of Contents
The Authors
Reviews
SECTION I: MARKET OVERVIEW
Chapter 10 - Portrait of a fan
Fan Attitudes Survey (p 65)

SECTION II: BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Chapter 23 - Database Marketing Plymouth Argyle (p 177)
    - Five Year Plan
    - Supporter Satisfaction Survey
          Survey's Method
          Survey's Analys
    - Recommendations
Print copy
 
Sample 1
Fan Attitudes Survey - page 65
 

A survey undertaken by International Marketing Reports in the summer of 2004 analysed the views of fans to some of the more controversial issues surrounding the game at present. The survey, based in towns and cities across England, looked at such areas as the cost of attending matches and how this contrasted with fans' views about player wages.

It also polled people on players' behaviour and whether footballers and clubs were really setting a good example and working to help their communities.

The first question analysed whether interest in the Premiership had grown in the past five years. Overall, respondents were fairly evenly divided between those who were more interested and those less so with a slight leaning towards being less interested.


Table 1.51   Premiership interest change in past 5 years

My interest in the Premiership has grown in the past five years
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
6%
33%
14%
40%
6%


Those who professed to be occasional attendees of live football, however, were the most likely to agree with the question. 76% of such respondents either agreed or agreed strongly. Those who fell into the category of 'supporter who doesn't attend live matches', however, disagreed with the statement in larger numbers with 39% disagreeing.

It is this group that the Premiership needs to continue to attract if it is to retain current TV revenue income and for clubs to target with merchandising offers. Since the survey was finished, the Premiership has seen a fall in live attendance figures in the first few months of the 2004/5 season and although this doesn't necessarily mean it is time to panic, there is a definite sense that football's popularity in England could well have seen a generational peak.

The fact that only three clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are now seen as contenders for the Premiership title, coupled with a more defensive style of play among several clubs is beginning to take its toll on interest levels


Table 1.52   Are traditional fans being priced out of football?

The traditional fan is being priced out of going to football.
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
10%
42%
41%
7%
0%


With only 7% disagreeing with this statement the clear answer, according to the public, is yes. The only good news for the football industry is that only 10% agreed strongly. Among occasional and regular (10 matches per season or more) attendees, the level of agreement with the statement was 72% and this backs anecdotal evidence that the fan base for Premiership football has seen a socio demographic shift towards the middle classes.

On the one hand this might be seen as good news from a revenue point of view, the middle classes can afford the higher ticket prices and might spend more on a matchday in bars and on catering. There is, however, a downside to such a premise. First, the standard of service provided by most clubs is not compatible with the expectations of such a socio-economic group. The speed and quality of service and product at football stadia, for food and drink in particular, is still below that experienced in the general retail environment. This part of the matchday experience is unlikely to generate loyalty so it is arguably only the hype surrounding football that has retained the interest of such a group.

Should the 'football product' start to falter, and the signs are that this could be happening, the socio-economic group that the Premiership now depends on could look to the numerous other options in an increasingly competitive and sophisticated leisure market. Even if fans retain their interest in football, it should, for example be borne in mind that the cost of attending English Premiership matches is so high that in some cases it is cheaper to take a low budget airline to Spain and buy a ticket to see Barcelona play than it is for a London-based fan to see one of the top London clubs.


Table 1.53 Is going to football too expensive?

Going to football is too expensive
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
26%
42%
27%
5%
0%


With only 5% disagreeing with statement, it is clear that all respondents believe the cost of tickets is too high and underlines the points made about traditional fans being priced out of football.


Table 1.54 Are professional footballers overpaid?

Professional footballers are overpaid
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
26%
42%
27%
5%
0%


Not surprisingly, given the responses regarding the cost of going to football, 79% of the sample agreed with the statement with only 14% disagreeing. The responses varied slightly depending on whether the respondent was a football fan or not, with occasional football fans being the most likely to disagree (25%) and non-fans least likely to disagree (8%).


Table 1.55 How much should footballers be paid?

What is the maximum that they should be paid per week?
Less than
£5,000 		£5,000 £10,000 £20,000 £50,000 £75,000 £100,000 More than
£100,000+
29%
18%
15%
14%
9%
2%
2%
6%


62% of respondents believe that footballer should earn no more than £10,000 per week and only 19% believe that they should earn more than £50,000 per week. The results are not surprising given the dissatisfaction with the price of attending football because most fans realise that ticket prices go almost exclusively towards paying wages.

Again it is those with no interest in football (47%) who believe most strongly that wages should be kept below £5,000 per week. Occasional supporters gave a very mixed response on the question with 38% believing wages should be below £50,000 per week and 54% believing that they should be either £50,000 or above. Regular supporters and season ticket holders, however, were less likely to believe that wages should be so high.


Table 1.56   Are there brand categories you don't want to see on club strip?

Are there any brand categories you don't want to see on a club strip?
Soft drink
Alcoholic drink
Sportswear
Technology
Finance
0%
53%
1%
1%
8%
Consumer goods
Confectionery
Children's brands
Fast food
No brand
1%
8%
23%
22%
9%


The analysis of attitudes towards commercialisation of football considered the brand categories that respondents felt comfortable with as team sponsors. By a significant margin alcohol, at 53%, was the category that people were most against seeing on players' shirts. Given that high profile English clubs, such as Liverpool, Leeds United, as well as the Carling Cup have alcohol as primary sponsors, it suggests that such rights holders might find a need to consider public opinion in future. Football, especially in the UK, has been tainted by alcohol related incidents concerning both fans and players, and endorsing alcohol brands is clearly not viewed by the public as a good way to set an example. Interestingly, the responses to this statement were very similar among football fans and non-football fans.

Respondents also felt a degree of unhappiness (23%) with teams' endorsement of childrens' brands and fast food (22%) although confectionery and soft drinks were not seen as a problem despite the fact that health concerns have been voiced about the high sugar content of such products.

In terms of an overall view on commercialisation of the game, only 9% stated that there should be no branding on club strips which suggests that sponsorship per se is now readily accepted among the public.

Table 1.57 Footballers set a good example to children

On the whole footballers set a good example to children
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
0%
40%
22%
34%
4%


The sample was split pretty much down the middle on this statement, but it is telling that when the figures were rounded up to the nearest percentage point, 0% agreed strongly with the proposition.

Non-supporters disagreed in much larger numbers (44%) than supporters (25%) which suggests that lurid tabloid reporting of incidents of questionable behaviour have influenced the views of those not particularly interested in the game overall. With 25% of football fans disagreeing, however, it is clear that football has no room for complacency on this issue if it is to appeal to a wider section of the community.

Table 1.58 Would you bring your family to a match?

I would bring my family to a match
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
1%
55%
19%
24%
1%


Overall respondents are happy with the idea of bringing their family to a match with the overwhelming majority of fans (95%) supporting the statement. Non-fans, not surprisingly made up the majority of those who disagreed with the statement.


Table 1.59 Daughter marrying footballer

I would be happy for my daughter to marry/live with a professional footballer.
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
9%
1%
21%
21%
6%


The sample was again split on the proposition of having their daughter marry a footballer. Nearly 50% agreed with the statement and 27% disagreed or disagreed strongly. There was not a major difference between fans and non-fans with 28% of non-fans disagreeing or disagreeing strongly with the statement, almost identical to the views of the fans. Interestingly only 14% of female respondents disagreed/disagreed strongly with the statement compared to 33% of males.


Table 1.60 Football clubs do enough for their community

Football clubs do enough for their community.
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
0%
20%
59%
21%
1%


The sample is split fairly evenly between those who agree and disagree with this proposition, but the most significant response is the high level of Don't knows (59%). This suggests that clubs, many of which have developed significant community programmes as seen elsewhere in the report, have failed to communicate the scope of those efforts.

Interestingly non-fans disagreed with the statement in relatively low numbers (14%) and it was the fans who don't attend live matches (30%) who disagreed/disagreed strongly more than any other category. A possible explanation for such a finding is that this group would not be exposed to the activities of the community programmes via attending matches. The group might be more likely to consume media via the television than, for example, local newspapers which are more likely to have information on community programmes. Dedicated fans and indeed non-fans might have a higher interest in local affairs than 'armchair football fans'.


Table 1.61 On pitch behaviour of players

The on pitch behaviour of footballers is worse now than it has ever been.
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
2%
22%
42%
32%
2%


The increased profile of football in the media has meant that the behaviour of players is under increasing scrutiny. The increasing number of cameras used to televise football also means that any foul play is much more likely to be picked up and screened. The combination of these facts has resulted in many controversial incidents being highlighted in both football programming and in national television news coverage. As a result, it could be assumed that there would be a high level of agreement with the statement. Surprisingly, however, this is not the case with only 24% of respondents agreeing or agreeing strongly.

Of those respondents above the age of 45 there were, unsurprisingly, fewer don't knows, with 50% disagreeing while 31% agreed. Such respondents would have experienced the days of footballers such as Tommy Smith, Norman Hunter, Ron Harris etc who played in the 1970's and had a reputation for 'taking no prisoners'.


Table 1.62 Off pitch behaviour of players

The off pitch behaviour of footballers is worse now than it has ever been.
Agree strongly Agree Don't know Disagree Disagree strongly
9%
43%
28%
20%
0%


Perhaps more instructive of the image of the game among the public is the off pitch behaviour of players where 52% of respondents found that behaviour is worse than ever with only 20% disagreeing. 58 -12

58% of respondents above the age of 45 agreed with the statement whereas only 12% of the group disagreed. This is, again, in line with anecdotal evidence in the media about how the effect of money has changed the lives of players. Most ex-professional players point out that they used to be part of the local communities in which they played and they would visit local bars and mix with fans and live in those communities.

Professional footballers are now courted by upmarket night clubs, which encourage them to attend free of charge to use their celebrity status to attract other customers. The players no longer live among the local 'fan' communities because their salaries mean that luxury housing is easily within their grasp. As such players have little to connect them to a normal lifestyle for someone under 35 years of age and the trappings of money and fame mean that temptations are thrown at them at every turn. Mix these factors with the fact that footballers tend to be fit, energetic and at an age when testosterone levels are at their highest, and it is little wonder that incidents of 'misbehaviour' are considered to be on the increase.

It should, however, be borne in mind that any misbehaviour by players is now much more likely to attract the attention of the tabloid media in particular. A good story involving a top player can significantly boost sales of a tabloid paper and those who inform the paper have a high financial incentive to do so.


Table 1.63 Subscribers to football on pay-TV

Do you subscribe to football on pay-TV?
Yes
No
25%
75%


25% of respondents subscribed to football on pay-TV suggesting that the sample was representative of the national population.


Table 1.64 Opinion regarding the price of pay-TV

Opinion regarding the price of pay-tv
Too high
Fair
Low
Don't know
36%
17%
2%
45%


The overall impression regarding the price of football on pay-TV is that, like actual match tickets, it is too high with 36% claiming that it is too high and only 19% expressing that it is either fair or low. When football fans were analysed, however, the picture changes.


Table 1.65 Attitudes to subscription pricing among non-attending fans

Supporters who don't attend live matches
Too high
Fair
Low
Don't know
34%
20%
5%
39%


Supporters who don’t attend live matches and, therefore, have a high propensity to use television as their primary means of football consumption, find that subscription levels are too high (34% of respondents). 20% believe that the price is fair while 5% believe that it is low. The 39% who do not know are likely to be casual fans who have not really considered taking out a subscription because their commitment is not high enough.


Table 1.66 Attitudes to subscription pricing among attending fans

Supporters who attend live matches
Too high
Fair
Low
Don't know
47%
29%
6%
18%


Among fans who attend matches, there is an even greater sense that television subscription prices are too high with 47% agreeing with the statement. Interestingly, however, 29% believe that the price is fair, a much higher proportion of fans than think that ticket prices to live matches (see Table z3) think is a reasonable cost.


Table 1.67 Attitudes to subscription pricing among subscribers

Respondents who subscribe to televised football
Too high
Fair
Low
Don't know
52%
36%
4%
8%


Among those who subscribe to televised football, there is a majority (52%) who believe that prices are too high with a large number (36%) who believe that prices are fair. Very few (4%) believe that prices are low and ‘don’t knows’ run at a low level (8%). This suggests that there is a danger that should the ‘product’ of football lose its appeal, there is a case that price sensitivity could trigger a significant drop in subscriptions.

Survey conclusion

Overall the survey points to a lot of negative feelings among the public about football. The game is seen as overpriced in terms of both live attendance and subscription television packages and there is a definite sense that traditional fans are being priced out of going to football. Players are seen to be overpaid and, off the pitch, they are behaving worse than they ever have. Football has either failed to make an impact in terms of the work it does in the community or the perception is that this is the case.

The findings offer some crumbs of comfort in that most people feel happy with the idea of taking their family to a match suggesting that the scourge of hooliganism has largely been defeated. A significant number of people still believe that footballers set a good example to young people and on the whole, on pitch behaviour is not considered to have got worse. Finally, there is little opposition to the prospect of having a daughter marrying a footballer – but then with the wealth that footballers have, many people would suggest that their daughters should jump at the opportunity.

The survey does suggest that those involved in football, be they associations, clubs, broadcasters or players, need to have a serious review of where the game stands at present. The game has been through a golden period in terms of exposure and income. Claims that the financial bubble has burst are exaggerated, certainly among the top clubs, which have generally increased turnover year on year despite racking up losses. The real danger, however, is that the popularity bubble will burst and the survey points to a number of factors that could give momentum to such a scenario.

The ultimate test for football fans is the quality of their experience. If the standard of play deteriorates, or indeed becomes less exciting (not necessarily the same thing), and the fans consider that they are being overcharged, this in itself represents a danger. Major aggravating factors are the sense that they are paying for inflated salaries of footballers who give poor value for money and abuse their position in society. In any other business, such a situation would cause alarm bells to ring, in football the powers that be have tended to turn a blind eye and have assumed that the good times will continue, this could be a costly mistake.


 
Sample 2
Plymouth Argyle
  

Executive Summary

Plymouth Argyle, now an English First Division football club, based in the south-west of the country, was languishing in Division Three at the time of a takeover by a new board in 2001. The incoming directors took the view that it was unrealistic to throw money at the team to create a strong business on the back of sporting success. Lack of funds also meant that this was not an option. Instead, they decided that the realistic way forward was to get the management right both on and off the field.

The board felt that in Paul Sturrock they had the right team manager, so they focused their efforts on the business side of the organisation. The starting point was the publishing of a five-year plan which set out the club objectives. The medium-term aspiration was to reach the First Division and consolidate the team's position there. The club did not expect on-field success to come so quickly, so aimed for promotion to Division Two and to be in a position to challenge for Division One within five seasons of the plan being announced.

The directors also aimed to establish Plymouth Argyle as the West Country's pre-eminent football club; the undisputed leader in football terms, and a strong differentiated, customer-focused brand in its own right. A key part of the plan was to undertake research into the views of fans. This comprised quantitative and qualitative elements and was designed to provide input on supporter satisfaction with club facilities, to understand the fans' views about the club and to provide feedback on what drives season ticket sales in order to increase uptake. Overall, the research delivered encouraging news, showing that fans were loyal, that support was long-term and that there was a high proportion of frequent attenders. There were also good levels of satisfaction with many aspects of the club's facilities.

However, there was relative dissatisfaction with stewarding, pre-match/half-time entertainment and food. In terms of fan communication, the picture was mixed, with transactional contact rated relatively highly, but other communication not faring so well. The surveys also demonstrated that the club had an ageing fan base, which was an issue that needed addressing.

The survey results led the club to introduce a series of initiatives to give it greater exposure in the city of Plymouth and to create new season ticket holding and membership schemes. This included a particular emphasis on recruiting children and young adults to become loyal fans.

It is difficult to isolate the financial success of the five-year plan because of the club's rapid on-pitch success. This alone is certain to have led to increases in ticket and merchandise sales. The club has, however, seen a dramatic increase in season ticket sales and club shop receipts, and has now been profitable for several years. There is good reason to suppose that a significant level of commercial success would have happened regardless of the position of the team, because of the implementation of the planned commercial improvements.

Background

At the time of development of this case study, Plymouth Argyle Football Club (PAFC) was among the leaders in the English Second Division. It has subsequently been promoted to the First Division. (Plymouth Argyle was champion of the Second Division at the end of the 2003/04 season, during which the first team manager, Paul Sturrock, left to join English Premiership club Southampton.)

Like its rivals, PAFC knows the impact that on-pitch performance can have on the club overall. What makes it a case worth studying is the way that a change of board brought it out of the red and into profit. The club has managed this through the adoption of an imaginative and hard-headed approach to its marketing strategy, engineered by the six board members.

 
Five-Year Plan
  

The starting point was a consultation exercise, followed by the publication of a five-year plan. Its 10-strong list of objectives included only two relating to football, the most important being to build a winning team at Plymouth. The discussion paper, published in the match programme in September 2001, is reproduced on page 179.

Implementation

Peter Jones, a former group managing director of advertising agency Grey Worldwide, London, is the club's vice- chairman and a branding expert. He was only too aware of the challenges facing him at Plymouth. “I knew full well that if you didn't get the internal audience on board, both intellectually and emotionally, then things wouldn't work out,” he said.

He opened the lines of communication with local people, telling them that the club recognised its responsibili- ties to the community and voicing support for local initiatives and charities. Jones also firmed links with local media, particularly the Plymouth Herald, recognising the importance of coverage on the sports pages and elsewhere in the title in winning over the community.

Research played its part too: Jones set up focus groups and a customer satisfaction survey to find out what fans thought of the club, of its product offering and what more it could do. This was circulated on matchday and was made available online. The results were analysed and provided sufficient feedback for Jones to devise a raft of offerings that would appeal to both fans and the club's bank balance. “One of the issues I have found is that in the lower divisions there is always a terrible squeeze on money, but also that expenditure on marketing and communi- cation strategy is regarded as a cost rather than an investment,” he said. “The trouble is that in this particular world, the type of people running the clubs are a long way behind modern business thinking.”

 
Draft Strategic Plan For Discussion
  

The new board of Plymouth Argyle assumed formal control August 2001.The directors feel that it is important to define a clear set of objectives for the club, together with a set of strategies to be deployed in the pursuit of those goals, over a set time period.

This brief paper sets out our initial thinking, and covers the period September 2001 to May 2006. Before we set the plan in stone, we would appreciate comments from anyone with any interest in the club, and a point of view they would like to put forward. We are aiming to finalise the document in early October. Any feedback, therefore, should be submitted by the end of this month.

Start-point

The lower half of the Third Division is not a good place to be - especially for a club such as Plymouth Argyle. Our view is that we need to build the foundations for long-term success. That will take time, and patience. We do not apologise for adopting an approach that some may interpret as cautious. Indeed, we refuse to over-promise. Our aspirations are high; the objectives we set ourselves must be achievable, and therefore realistic. And there are already some real positives. The long-awaited stadium redevelopment is now under way, a new chief executive is in place, and the football side of the equation is beginning to show real promise again. Furthermore, Plymouth Argyle continues to enjoy enormous latent goodwill, as evidenced by the support at the ’96 Play-off final, and the ’98 Derby cup game. That goodwill is there to be activated.

Objectives

Our aim is to establish Plymouth Argyle as the West Country's pre-eminent football club. The undisputed leader in football terms, and a strong differentiated, customer-focused brand in its own right. In football terms, our medium-term aspiration is to reach the first division, and consolidate our position there. Over the coming five seasons, however, we believe it is prudent to set our sights firmly on promotion to Division Two, and then the establishment of PAFC as a leading side in that league, strongly positioned to challenge for the next step up. That, in and of itself, represents a major task.

Strategies

1.  We will look to build a unified team at Plymouth Argyle. One that recognises that each and every member of the staff has a role to play, whether they are working in the club shop, coaching the young players, sitting on the board, manning the catering facilities or playing on a Saturday afternoon. Successful clubs are characterised by everyone on the payroll working together as an extended integrated team. Plymouth Argyle will be no different.

2.  We will do all we can to increase income (whilst maintaining a commitment to providing good value). Better product on the pitch, improved marketing, greater customer focus. In turn, we are committed to investing as high a proportion as possible of our revenues in the playing squad. Our policy will be one of constant improvement.

3.  We will work hard to open lines of communications for the fans, who are and always will be the lifeblood of the club. We will seek ways of increasing the supporters' formal opportunities for active participation, including, ultimately, a share issue (see point 6).

4.  We will also increase accessibility to the club - particularly through enhanced leisure facilities at the stadium, and more initiatives such as an improved Junior Greens, and more one-off events.

5.  We firmly believe that we now have the right manager in Paul Sturrock, and we will give him as much support and that most precious commodity of all – time – as he needs to bring success on the field. (Indeed, to make this a concrete reality rather than a mere aspiration, we are pleased to announce that we have offered Paul Sturrock an extension to his contract, to last the entirety of the five-year period under discussion, and that he has accepted our offer in principle.)

6.  We will continue the stadium redevelopment programme.

7.  We will, wherever possible, look to enter into strategic alliances with businesses located in our catchment area, and we will have a preferred supplier policy built on seeking to source products and services locally. 8.  We recognise our responsibilities to the community in which we live, and which we represent. We will do all we can to support relevant local initiatives and charities.

9.  We will expand our commitment to nurturing young players, with a particular focus on providing opportuni- ties to promising young footballers in Devon and Cornwall.

10.  We will work with the media in as transparent and co-operative way as possible. We believe that there is much mutual benefit to be derived from a spirit of maximum accessibility and co-operation. Next Steps

Once we have received all the feedback, we will refine this five-year plan. It will then be launched formally to the entire team at Home Park, prior to external publication

 
Supporter Satisfaction Survey
  

The PAFC supporter satisfaction survey (page 180), conducted in the spring of 2003, continued the club's drive to learn more about fans and help it to plan future strategy. The research was designed to inform marketing and management decision-making for 2003/2004 by:
  • providing input on supporter satisfaction with club facilities
  • understanding the fans’ views about the club and their relationship with it.
  • investigating season-ticket holding and ways of packaging membership to add value and  increase uptake.
The form asked for a mix of views about the club and its activities along with data about the fans themselves which, in the long term, could be used for database marketing.

 
PAFC Supporter Satisfaction Survey
  

Home matches

Q.1   First of all, can you indicate how satisfied you are with the facilities? In each case can you rate each of the following aspects of the matchday experience by ticking one of the boxes from very dissatisfied (1) to extremely satisfied (5). If you don't know or if any statement doesn't apply to you, tick (6).

The questions related to the following facilities:
    - Turnstile staff
    - Ease of buying match tickets
    - Quality of programmes
    - Car parking arrangements
    - Public transport arrangements
    - Helpfulness of stewards
    - Food at snack bars
    - Drinks at snack bars
    - Service at snack bars
    - Snack bar prices
    - Licensed bars
    - Other bars
    - Admission prices
    - Pre-match entertainment
    - Half-time entertainment
    - Match announcements
    - Toilet facilities
    - Direction signs
Q.2   Have you got any other specific comments on club facilities?

Away matches

Q.3   If you travel to away matches, please rate, using the same scale as above, the following aspects, by ticking one number below.
    - Availability of tickets
    - Ease of buying tickets
    - Quality and comfort of match transport
    - Price of match transport
    - Contact with the club

Q.4   Using the same scale, please tick one number to rate different aspects of contact with the club.
    - Response to fans’ emails
    - Response to fans' letters
    - Ease of getting through on the phone
    - The quality of the website
    - Ease of buying advance tickets at ticket office
    - Ease of getting advance tickets by phone
    - How you feel about the club?

Q.5   Using a scale where 1 is agree strongly and 5 is disagree strongly, tick one number to indicate how much you agree with the following statements:
    - PAFC is a successful club
    - PAFC have progressed a lot recently
    - I feel a real part of the club
    - PAFC is part of what Plymouth is all about
    - The club has lots of contact with the fans
    - PAFC is well covered by the local media
    - The club directors are well-known
    - PAFC regularly contacts season ticket holders
    - The City Council could support the club more
    - I would like to see the new stand completed soon
    - I feel I know where the club is going
    - It's a go-ahead club
    - The club should finish Phase 2 next season
    - The club should do more for families
    - Your overall view
Q.6   What would you say are the three things you like most about the club?

Q.7   And what are the three things you least like?

Q.8   Finally, on a scale where 1 is extremely satisfied and 5 extremely dissatisfied, please tick one number to indicate how satisfied you are with PAFC overall.

Personal details

Just to help with our analysis of your views, could you please let us have a few details about you? Please tick the correct answer:

A.   Are you: male/female?

B.   Which of these age groups do you fall into?
    - Under 16
    - 16-25
    - 26-35
    - 36-45
    - 46-55
    - 56-65
    - 65+
C.   Are you single, married/living with partner, widowed/divorced?

D.   Do you have children under 17 living in your household?

E.   How long have you been supporting Plymouth Argyle?
    - 1 year only
    - 2-3 years
    - 4-5 years
    - 6-1- years
    - 11-15 years
    - 16 years or more
F.   Do you hold a 2002/2003 season ticket?
    - Yes (if so, go to H)
    - No (if not, got to G)
G.   Have you ever held a season ticket?
    - Yes (if so, go to H)
    - No (if not, go to J)
H.   For how many years in total have you held a season ticket?
    - 1 year only
    - 2-3 years
    - 4-5 years
    - 6-10 years
    - 11-15 years
    - 16 years or more
I.   And which stand is your season ticket in?
    - Main stand
    - Devonport End
    - Lyndhurst
    - Mayflower

J.   How often do you go to home matches?
    - Every match
    - Almost every match
    - Quite a few matches
    - Occasionally
    - Rarely
    - Never
K.   And how about away matches?
    - Every match
    - Almost every match
    - Quite a few matches
    - Occasionally
    - Rarely
    - Never
L.   Name, address and postcode
    These details are to avoid duplication and help analysis. Names and personal details will not be used by the club or passed to any other organisation.
M.   Which of the following groups would you say you come into?
    - Senior manager/professional
    - Intermediate manager/professional
    - Junior manager/professional
    - Clerk/administrative worker
    - Service/retail assistant
    - Skilled manual worker
    - Semi/unskilled manual worker
    - Student
    - Self-employed
    - Home-maker/housewife
    - Unemployed/looking for work
    - Retired
    - Casual worker
    - Other
 
Survey's Method
  

The survey comprised two stages. The two stages concentrated to a large extent on the same issues with the focus groups being used as a tool to help develop the quantitative survey. The quantitative survey questions are provided below:

Stage 1 Qualitative Research

Five focus groups: male season ticket holders (2), potential holders (2); women season ticket holders (1)

Stage 2 Quantitative Research

Supporter questionnaire distributed via the Herald, club and website (345 correctly completed questionnaires).

Scales

Several questions used 5-point scales, which are plotted in the presentation as percentages agreeing/disagreeing or satisfied/dissatisfied. Each table also has a mean score, calculated by multiplying the numbers falling into each of the five points of the scale by a number from 1 to 5 (where 1 is strong agreement/satisfaction, 5 the reverse) and dividing the resultant sum by the number answering the question. Hence a low mean score indicates strong agreement/satisfaction.

Distribution

A completely even distribution will give a mean score of 3. Scores below 2 are very high, over 2.5 good. Close to and over 3 is poor and close to 4 very poor. ‘Committed’ supporters are those who claim to go to every, or almost every, home match. ‘Casual’ supporters are those who attend ‘quite a few matches’, ‘occasionally’ or ‘rarely’. Regular away supporters are those who travel to every, or almost every, away match.

Sample

In a sample of this size (345 respondents), small differences between sub-groups are not significant. Only differences that are significant or seem directionally significant have been identified in the presentation. The research methodology, such as utilising the local newspaper, meant that several groupings were likely to be under-represented in the findings and the club was aware of this. Those groups include:
  • non-Plymouth residents
  • regular away supporters
  • children under 16
  • (possibly) lower social grades
  • non-season ticket holders
 
Survey's Analysis
  

Topline summary

The topline summary made good reading for the club directors because it showed that the qualitative and quan- titative methodologies produced consistent results, indicating that they could be relied on. It also showed that fans are loyal, their support is long term and that there is a high proportion of frequent attenders.

There was also a good level of satisfaction with many aspects of the club’s facilities. Supporters’ comments underlined the positive reaction to the new stand, the existing management and Paul Sturrock, and enthusiasm to complete Phase 2 of the stadium redevelopment.However, there was relative dissatisfaction with stewarding arrangements, pre-match/half-time entertainment and the cost/quality of snack food. While transactional contact with the club emerges positively, there was evidence of little direct proactive contact with supporters, especially season ticket holders.

The survey also demonstrated that season ticket holding is an emotional as well as a financial investment: fans want to 'belong' and the idea of 'membership' is powerful. Another concern for the club was that the age profile of responding supporters was relatively old.

TABLE 2.9 Profile of responding supporters by ticket holding and attendance

BASE: 345 100%
SEASON TICKET HOLDERS (STH)
57
LAPSED HOLDERS
14
NEVER STH
29
AWAY SUPPORT
REGULAR AWAY SUPPORTERS
33
OCCASIONAL AWAY SUPPORTERS
56
NON AWAY SUPPORTERS
11
COMMITTED ATTENDERS
80
CASUAL ATTENDERS
20
YEARS OF SUPPORT OF PAFC
1 YEAR
1
2-3
5
4-5
4
6-10
6
11-15
5
16+
79
  Plymouth Argyle supporters

Table 2.9 shows that the majority of respondents were season ticket holders or committed attenders; the over- whelming majority had also followed the team to away matches.

The majority had also been supporters of the club for a considerable length of time, with 84% having been loyal supporters for more than a decade. This was reflected in the age profile of the respondents (Table 2.10), which shows a strong bias towards the over 36s.

The other interesting finding in the age profile is that away supporters tended to be younger. This is probably because of the amount of time taken to travel to away matches - especially given that the club is in a relatively isolated part of the country, meaning that away games can easily take a full day.

Middle-aged fans are more likely than young fans to have family commitments preventing such travel, and for older fans such journeys can be very tiring.

TABLE 2.10 Plymouth Argyle supporters age profile

BASE: 345 (100%)
ALL
COMMITTED
CASUAL
SEASON TH
REG.AWAY
<16 YRS
6
6
4
3
3
16-25
8
7
12
5
11
26-35
12
11
16
11
20
36-45
24
24
25
27
27
46-55
24
23
26
21
21
56-65
14
14
13
16
11
65+
13
15
4
17
6
<36
26
24
19
19
34
36+
74
76
81
81
66


TABLE 2.11 Plymouth Argyle supporters age profile vs TGI and Premiership

BASE: 345 (100%)
TGI UK ADULTS
PAFC++
PREMIER LEAGUE
PAFC INDEX VS
PREMIER LEAGUE
16-25
15
8
14
57
26-35
19
13
22
59
36-45
18
26
27
96
46-55
16
25
20
125
56-65
13
14
11
127
65+
19
13
6
216


Supporters age profile vs TGI and Premiership

Table 2.11 shows the slightly more worrying aspect of the age profile when compared to the Target Group Index (TGI), which is based on a representative sample from a UK national consumer database, and the average age profile of English Premiership clubs. In both cases PAFC had a lower proportion in the younger age groups and, for the most part, more in the older groups. Clearly, for the long term development of the club, it would be important to start recruiting younger fans.

Supporters by gender and relationship status

Table 2.12 shows no unusual results other than perhaps that the proportion of committed females fans was greater than the casuals. The general perception in English football is that females are not so committed. This does not disprove that perception because there is an argument to suggest that only the committed fans bothered to fill in the form. The other key point in this chart is the higher proportion of single people travelling to away matches, supporting the analysis of the effect age has on away support.

Supporters by employment status

Again, there were no great surprises in the employment profile (Table 2.13), which is in line with the city as a whole, with a slightly higher proportion of people in management jobs than the national average. There was, however, good support from this group, especially among casual supporters, and it would be worthwhile for the club to take advantage of that by developing more facilities to cater for this market, such as executive boxes or premium seats. This market also provides opportunities for sponsorship development in which the club could approach more companies offering higher priced goods and financial services. Finally, this segment offers opportunities to develop more business-to-business sponsors who can target the large numbers of managerial fans as potential customers.

TABLE 2.12 Plymouth Argyle supporters by gender and relationship status

BASE: 345 (100%)
ALL
COMMITTED
CASUAL
SEASON TH
REG. AWAY
MALE
84
83
90
83
83
FEMALE
16
17
10
17
17
SINGLE
24
23
30
20
33
MARRIED/COHABITING
68
69
64
72
59
WIDOWED/DIVORCED
8
8
6
8
8
CHILDREN
24
24
26
19
21

TABLE 2.13 Plymouth Argyle supporters by employment status

BASE: 345 (100%)
ALL
COMMITTED
CASUAL
SEASON TH
REG. AWAY
MIDDLE/SENIOR MGMT
22
18
36
20
27
LOWER MGMT/CLERICAL
23
24
20
24
27
SKILLED MANUAL
8
9
4
9
5
UNSKILLED MANUAL
5
6
3
6
4
UNEMPLOYED/STUDENT
9
9
10
5
8
RETIRED
18
21
7
23
11
SELF-EMPLOYED
6
5
9
6
7
OTHER
8
7
9
5
8

TABLE 2.14 Overall satisfaction with the club

BASE: 345
100%
SATISFIED
71
ACCEPTABLE
26
DISSATISFIED
3
DK/NA
1
MEAN SCORE
2.11
 
Overall satisfaction with the club

Table 2.14 shows that, overall, the fans were satisfied with the club. This is not surprising given that at the time of the survey, the club was performing well on the pitch. English fans have a reputation for being very tolerant of poor facilities so long as the team performance is good. The investment in club facilities, such as the stadium redevelopment, however, had helped to ensure that satisfaction levels were high.

When this was broken down by age, the group with the lowest level of satisfaction was the 36-45s. The reasons for this are likely to include the fact that they are the most upwardly mobile grouping, because that is the age where earnings, especially for those in management positions, start to become high. They also start to receive better job-related services, such as professionally arranged business travel. This group is therefore used to high levels of service in work-related activities and in the consumer shopping experience. As such they were comparing the experience of attending football with among the highest service levels available anywhere, and expectations were high.

The figures also demonstrate the strength of opinion of PAFC football fans: in most market research, the ‘don't knows’ generally range from 10-20%; in this part of the survey, it is just 1%!

TABLE 2.15a Satisfaction with club facilities

BASE: 345 (100%)
QUALITY OF PROGRAMMES
TURNSTILE STAFF
EASE OF BUYING TICKETS
DIRECTION SIGNS
ADMISSION PRICES
SATISFIED
75
69
52
53
52
ACCEPTABLE
6
20
18
22
33
DISSATISFIED
5
7
11
16
12
DK/NA
14
4
19
9
3
MEAN SCORE
1.62
2.01
2.24
2.37
2.44

TABLE 2.15b Satisfaction with club facilities

BASE: 345 (100%)
TOILET FACILITIES
PARKING ARRANGEMENTS
SNACK BAR SERVICE
OTHER BARS
MATCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
SATISFIED
57
38
34
14
42
ACCEPTABLE
14
20
30
17
25
DISSATISFIED
26
18
18
7
32
DK/NA
3
25
18
66
2
MEAN SCORE
2.52
2.57
2.71
2.73
2.93


Satisfaction with club facilities

The satisfaction with club facilities in the quantitative survey is the section where the club learned about fans’ specific issues. The results gave the club information that would allow it improve operations and revenue in three ways:
  • Improve fan satisfaction, leading to greater loyalty among existing fans.
  • Improve fan satisfaction, leading to new fan recruitment.
  • Improve facilities, leading to increase in revenue per fan through specific offerings such as merchandise, catering etc.
These figures underline the earlier hypothesis that the overall satisfaction levels had been influenced to a large extent by the on-field performance of the club. Those high overall figures, averaging at above 70% satisfaction, show a marked change when fans rated specific facilities.

The club programme and turnstile staff were ranked highly, but those apart, the club received satisfaction ratings of around 50% or less on ease of buying tickets, direction signs, admission prices, toilet facilities and match announcements. The figures drop even further in relation to car parking and snack bar/ bar facilities.

The discrepancy in the levels of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction in toilet facilities was largely down to the different responses between males and females. Female respondents were much more critical and polarised in their attitudes than male respondents, with 47% of females being extremely/quite satisfied but 40% extremely/quite dissatisfied.

Table 2.15c shows that there was a greater polarising of views on issues of stewarding, drinks and food, and public transport. Interestingly, the focus groups’ response to the stewarding issue showed that criticism included opposing reasons, with comments such as:
    ‘Their language can be as bad as anyone's’

    ‘Some rougher-looking than the spectators’

    ‘proclaimed zero-tolerance stance on racist abuse should be enforced’.
In other words, some spectators felt that the stewards were intimidating while others wanted them to take tougher action.

TABLE 2.15c Satisfaction with club facilities

BASE: 345 (100%)
HELPFULNESS OF STEWARDS
SNACK BAR DRINKS
LICENSED BARS
SNACK BARS FOOD
PUBLIC TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS
SATISFIED
35
27
15
25
11
ACCEPTABLE
30
29
18
27
12
DISSATISFIED
29
25
16
27
14
DK/NA
6
19
49
21
63
MEAN SCORE
2.94
3
3.05
3.06
3.23

TABLE 2.15d Satisfaction with club facilities

BASE: 345 (100%)
HALF-TIME ENTERTAINMENT
PRE-MATCH ENTERTAINMENT
SNACK BAR PRICES
SATISFIED
17
14
9
ACCEPTABLE
30
29
15
DISSATISFIED
47
48
61
DK/NA
6
9
15
MEAN SCORE
3.53
3.58
3.99


Although the satisfaction levels with the food and drinks on offer were low, the focus groups suggested that the only reason this was not a big issue for fans was because expectations of sport stadium food are not particularly high. A typical comment was:
    ‘I can assure those who haven't travelled [to away games] that the [food] facilities are comparable, even with the elite clubs’.
However, there was a majority opinion that the snack food and drink were expensive, especially since completion of the development, and there were comments that the range was limited and poor quality.
    ‘If you bring a family and you have a pasty each and a Coke, it's dearer than the ticket’

    ‘The [pasties and meat pies] are disgusting’

    ‘We bring a flask, there's the quality and then it's not the cheapest’

    ‘It's a long queue for a pretty average cup of tea’
Table 2.15d shows that there was not much satisfaction with half-time and pre-match entertainment. English football in general has struggled with this issue. The general approach so far has been unimpressive, featuring ideas imported from US sport such as club mascots and occasionally cheerleaders, with more traditional events including prize draws, penalty shoot-outs or junior five-a-side competitions.

The attempts to copy the US have been half-hearted, partly in the knowledge that English football fans do not wholeheartedly endorse the sport being hijacked by ‘glitz’ and ceremony. PAFC has introduced other, arguably more interesting, elements such as a Karate demonstration, which drew favourable responses from the focus groups and gave fans a reason to arrive earlier, but overall the club was criticised for lack of imagination:
    ‘It's a little bit in the pre-modern era’

    ‘It could be an afternoon's experience not just the 90 minutes’

    ‘You could have TV screens around the concourses’

TABLE 2.16 Fans' perception of club direction

BASE: 345 (100%)
PAFC HAVE PROGRESSED A LOT RECENTLY
PAFC IS WELL COVERED BY LOCAL MEDIA
IT'S A GO-AHEAD CLUB
PAFC IS PART OF WHAT PLYMOUTH IS ALL ABOUT
PAFC IS A SUCCESSFUL CLUB
THE CLUB DIRECTORS ARE WELL KNOWN
SATISFIED
90
77
78
63
60
58
ACCEPTABLE
5
13
14
25
29
24
DISSATISFIED
5
9
7
8
11
18
DK/NA
/
/
1
1
/
/
MEAN SCORE
1.55
1.91
1.98
2.03
2.32
2.44

TABLE 2.17 Fans' attitude towards transactional contact

BASE: 345 (100%)
QUALITY OF WEBSITE
EASE OF GETTING TICKETS BY PHONE
EASE OF BUYING ADVANCE TICKETS AT OFFICE
RESPONSE TO FANS' LETTERS
EASE OF GETTING THROUGH ON PHONE
RESPONSE TO FANS E-MAILS
SATISFIED
60
61
57
51
47
26
ACCEPTABLE
26
22
27
32
35
36
DISSATISFIED
14
18
16
17
17
28
MEAN SCORE
2.32
2.35
2.39
2.54
2.56
2.93

TABLE 2.18 Fans' attitude towards proactive contact

BASE: 345 (100%)
I FEEL I KNOW WHERE THE CLUB IS GOING
I FEEL A REAL PART OF THE CLUB
THE CLUB SHOULD DO MORE FOR FAMILIES
THE CLUB HAS A LOT OF CONTACT WITH ITS FANS
PAFC REGULARLY CONTACTS SEASON TICKET HOLDERS
AGREE
77
59
46
48
19
NEITHER/NOR
16
30
32
34
21
DISAGREE
6
11
11
16
60
DK/NA
1
1
1
1
0
MEAN SCORE
1.99
2.28
2.28
2.54
3.72


The focus group responses were also critical of every aspect of the club's use of the public address system:
    ‘You could do with livening up the atmosphere before the game’
    ‘The away teams seem to use their tannoys better, before the match and especially when they score’
    ‘Like at Newcastle, the music was getting louder and louder and by the time the teams came out of the tunnel, the crowd were high, from kick-off they were buzzing’
The audio quality of the announcements, and indeed the announcer, were also criticised.


The club shop

Although the club shop was not analysed in detail in the quantitative survey, it was covered by the focus groups, which found that its main problem was size. The staff were considered to be helpful and pleasant, it was stocked with good merchandise, but it was too small, therefore impossibly crowded on matchdays. The club identified this issue as hitting revenues by prohibiting self-service and impulse purchases. Fans also felt that a city centre outlet should be established (which might also sell tickets).

Fans’ perception of club direction

Both focus groups and the quantitative research looked at what the fans thought of the current management and direction of the club. The key findings here were:
  • The club was considered to have made immense strides managerially and on the pitch.
  • The directors were universally well thought of.
  • The board members were considered to be genuine Plymouth fans.
Awareness of the 5-year plan was high:
  • The board thought realistically about where the club was going.
  • The board was considered to be personally approachable and had a 'human touch'.
Specific comments from the focus groups backed up the quantitative research:
    ‘They've got a vision, they are Argyle fans!’
    ‘They've got this five-year plan and it's promotion, consolidation, then the next stage - they are rational, not unrealistic’
    ‘Every step of the way they told the fans what they are doing, which had never happened - before, you just read it in the paper’
    ‘The good thing with this board, they're not multi-millionaires, so you know you are going to get what they can afford’
    ‘I think one of the most important things for me is that the club, among very few in the country, is running in credit, and there is no danger that we're going out of business like umpteen other clubs are going to; that's the best thing that this board could have done’
One of the reasons for the high levels of satisfaction with the management was the attitude that fans have towards communication with the club. This is demonstrated in the relatively high overall levels of satisfaction shown towards transactional communication. There was, however, room for improvement in this area (Table 2.17), with dissatisfaction levels at around 15% or above for virtually every communication avenue, particularly e-mail, which rose to 28%.

When it came to proactive contact (Table 2.18), the fans were a great deal more critical. Although they felt that they knew where the club was going and, on the whole, felt a part of the club, there was a strong sense that the club should do more for families. Sixty per cent of season ticket holders did not think that the club was in regular contact with them. Interestingly, non-season ticket holders expressed almost identical views on the level of contact. This clearly suggested that the club had a lot of potential to develop a better relationship with its key customers – the most loyal fans.

The focus groups were asked questions about the second phase of ground redevelopment, which would, effectively, complete the modernisation of the stadium. Some, while looking forward to completion, counselled financial caution: the club was bigger than the stand.
    ‘There is no great rush. People like the view, OK, there is the odd pillar in the way, but now that's been computerised you can't sell those tickets’
    ‘We all want the club to be successful, but first and foremost we want it to survive’
    ‘I think they need to be more financially viable before they go ahead with it’
    ‘I think the stadium needs finishing, but I also think the board is good enough that they won't spend all the money on the stadium if they can't finance it properly and leave the manager without the money to get the players he needs’
    ‘If you're only getting 8,000, why get into debt for £6m or whatever it's going to cost’
    ‘I'm in two minds, whether to spend money on the last phase or spend more money on the team. It's a Catch 22. Can we have both?’
There was also an articulated opinion that continued momentum on the redevelopment was essential:
    ‘In my view, the only way the club is going to be able to move its commercial operation onto the next level is if we get Phase 2 built... you can build in a whole series of things, a supporters' club, a restaurant that can be open every day of the week, a decent shop, conferences during the day... the main grandstand is a tip, there is no other description"
    ‘I know it costs £5m but the benefits to the club of making that investment are key to becoming a well- established 1st Division club; you can't do it without finishing the stadium’
    ‘I wouldn't want it to threaten the club's finances, but while the momentum's there we should press on, it will cost a lot more in five years’
    ‘Why are we letting the council bring us down? Just do it, then we'll get the money from the supporters clubs, restaurants, a rights issue or whatever’
Season ticket marketing ideas

The first step to generating season ticket marketing ideas was to analyse the reason for buying such a ticket. A number of reasons were given, most of which related to value or a demonstration of club loyalty:
  • principal and overt reason is financial
  • rationally, the season ticket offers savings for committed fans
  • that it equates to several free entries per season is the basic yardstick of value (estimates of the number of free games varied from 5 to 8).
  • the season ticket avoids the perceived hassle of buying a ticket every week
  • at current prices, the season ticket was felt to offer extremely good value
  • ticket priority for cup matches is also a benefit
  • buying a season ticket is an emotional as well as a financial investment
  • it's a gesture of loyalty and trust
  • it's a token of belonging
  • an aid to self-commitment
  • and to an extent a status symbol
  • season ticket holders believe they are important to the club's finances.
Why people don't have season tickets

The focus groups looked at why certain keen fans did not purchase season tickets, and most responses came down to practicality:
  • unpredictable/unfavourable work patterns
  • inability to attend mid-week games
  • frequent absence from Plymouth
  • involvement in junior football.
Several, however, stated that they were inhibited by the up-front cost of the season ticket and there was also evidence that in the past, holders had failed to renew as a gesture of protest or despair.

The focus groups asked about attitudes to season ticket schemes, which offered season tickets discounted to £85 for children brought to matches by adults. It also analysed the 'Junior Green' scheme (reflecting the club colours), which offers children benefits such as a discount in the club shop. Overall the 'Junior Green' scheme was thought good value, and many season holders had bought the £85 tickets for children, to enable them to sit together in seats of their choosing. There was, however, some feeling that the benefits to Junior Greens (e.g. kit discounts, birthday cards etc.) were (unfairly) better than those for child season holders.

‘Kids for a Quid’ (colloquial term for £1 sterling)

The Kids for a Quid scheme, which has been run by many football clubs in the UK, is designed to persuade adults to bring children to matches and develop them as loyal supporters. There have been criticisms of such schemes at other clubs for two key reasons. First, regular fans feel that it is unfair that others are getting cheap tickets when they are long-term fans and have to pay full price. This is especially the case where the schemes allow the £1 per match tickets to be offered for several matches. However, anecdotal evidence from other clubs suggests that to develop loyalty among new supporters requires them to watch several matches. Second, in stadia where season ticket holders have designated seats, it can be difficult to ensure that children attending with a Kids for a Quid ticket can sit next to the season ticket holder. Parents are very unlikely to want to sit in a different part of the ground from their children.

The response from the focus groups was that they felt it to be an excellent idea in principle and some even argued for free entry for kids. There was, however, a perception that recent Kids for a Quid activity had not been well handled, partly because announcements had been made too late for parents to take advantage: The scheme had also allowed many juniors to come along unaccompanied, which many fans felt defeated the object. Clearly, there was also a lack of communication within the club about the scheme, which included some gate staff not knowing the details. At least one fan ended up taking his child and then had to pay full price (£5) for a child's ticket, which left him feeling some resentment.

Membership

The concept of a membership scheme was put to the focus groups. Such a scheme would be open to both season tickets holders and other fans. Season ticket holders declared that they would feel more valued being ‘members’ and likewise, irregular (for whatever reason) attenders suggested that they would find 'membership' a reflection of their loyalty.

Feedback to fans

Plymouth Argyle initiated a series of measures as a result of the surveys and has proposed recommendations for further action. The immediate action was to publish a report on the consultation to which the fans would have access, and to send an acknowledgement letter to survey responders. The club also pledged to repeat consulta- tion of some sort annually.

 
Summery Of Recommendation For Action
  

1. Stewarding
  • Improve 'customer focus' of stewards
  • Ensure seat allocations evident
2. Entertainment
  • Create a more 'upbeat' feel
  • Build more crowd excitement
3. Snack food and drink
  • Question whether any short-term action is possible
  • Are there ways of changing perceived 'value' equation? (e.g. concourse entertainment)
4. Ladies’ lavatories
  • Extra care

Contact And Direct Marketing

  • Maintain, if possible improve, ease of phone contact/ticket purchase
  • Ensure prompt response to fan letters and e-mails (esp. latter)
  • Be proactive
  • Take steps to build dialogue with supporters, esp. season ticket holders

Season Ticket Marketing

1.  Existing season ticket holders
  • Mailing to maximise uptake/minimise lapse for next season (around 50% are recent holders)
  • Introduce new membership concept
2.  Lapsed season ticket holders
  • Clearly ‘close’ to the club; should be fertile prospecting territory
  • New season/membership concept should be good argument to come back
  • Inspect/clean old lists to mail
3.   Regular away supporters
  • By definition, highly committed and membership concept should appeal
  • Potential to improve on 60% ST holding level
  • Use Supporters Club list to identify regular away supporters who are not ST holders
4.   Other committed supporters
  • Again current STH levels may offer some prospect of improvement
  • Marketing at ground, 'cold'; direct mailing, possibly advertising
  • Postcode information should help target mailings if necessary

Other Membership Marketing

1.   Casual Supporters
  • Majority of casual supporters go to ‘quite a few games’
  • Proportion of these must be good prospects for some level of membership
  • Key is to reach these accurately; by definition may not be at last game
  • Use cleaned lists of casual telephone ticket buyers
2.   Junior Green supporters
  • Use Junior Green list to upsell to new membership; dedicated letter needed
3.   'Exiles'
  • Access lists, e.g. London Greens, to reach these obviously committed fans

Building A Base For The Future

Apart from addressing the specific issues already discussed, the surveys also enabled the club to create a strategy designed to build a long-term supporter base, which would enable the club to move forward by generating greater revenues. To do so, it identified the key issues that the supporters had highlighted:
  • The club considered that its competition was the general leisure market such as shopping, music, tenpin bowling etc, as well as other outlets for football such as watching Premiership games on TV or even supporting a Premiership club.
As such, it was considered vital to take the following steps:
  • Increase awareness/visibility
  • Improve reputation
  • Attract younger fans
To boost top-of-mind awareness, a series of initiatives was proposed to give greater exposure 'around town':
  • A city centre outlet
  • Exploiting the relationship with the local newspaper, The Herald
  • Publicising every home match
  • A Citybus poster campaign
  • Provide every pub (local bar) with a fixture list
Proposals to aid the recruitment of children as fans:
  • Schools/community programme
  • Players school visits
  • Open facilities up for visits/training
  • Sponsor DJM (junior) League
  • Matchday experience
  • Kids entertainment; face-painting
  • Increase family attendance
  • Introduce membership scheme

TABLE 2.19 Membership category benefits

MEMBERSHIP
GREEN
TANGERINE
WHITE
JUNIOR
TICKETS ALLOCATION
(23)
(6)
(23)
£5 CLUB VOUCHER
PRE-SEASON PUBLICATION
NEWSLETTER
PRIORITY TICKETING
*
**
***
CUP FINAL TICKET DRAW
10% DISCOUNT CARD
BIRTHDAY CARD

* primary   ** secondary   *** before general sale

Apart from simply appealing to children, it was also agreed that it would be useful to appeal to teenagers/ young adults. Again proposals was drawn up:
  • Partnerships
  • University/college of further education
  • Leisure events
  • 'Best Disco in Town' at Marquee; hoe-down
  • Lifestyle
  • Introduce new leisurewear range
  • Thought leadership
  • Take a lead in promoting anti-racism
    • m

Impact Of Success

In 2001, when Jones and the rest of the board took over, the club had 1,000 season ticket holders. It was a particularly good season for the club, which topped the Third Division, so there was a good deal of euphoria. On the back of this the club sold 3,000 season tickets for the 2002/3 season.

The following season, though, this euphoria had lessened. Jones’ response was to consult fans again and to work out a plan to rework the concept of season tickets and membership. Part of this was to introduce different levels of entry, and to promote the new scheme at very low cost in a variety of ways.

It resulted in the sale of 5,500 season tickets – up by a third – and with a great deal more information provided by fans on their application forms. The club gained a wealth of data and the means to communicate with fans in a more efficient way than ever before, via a newsletter and emails.

The membership schemes offer something for everybody, including a certain number of tickets. According to the level, membership also offers vouchers that can be exchanged at Pilgrim Leisure, discounts at the club shop, a pre-season publication, regular newsletters, priority ticketing and the opportunity to win tickets to major cup finals. Prices range from Green Centenary Membership at £250 to White Centenary at £25 and Junior Greens at £20. It is marketed as offering fans the ability to become Plymouth Argyle's twelfth member (see Table 2.19 for suggested membership benefits).

Marketing Moves

The strong relationship between fans and the club is one that has been forged by a combination of innovative marketing and communication between the two for the first time. The club is also continuing to measure customer satisfaction.

As its database has grown, driven to a large extent by the website and by new fans, so communication has increased. From the beginning, fans were encouraged to offer feedback on the club, its business plan and its activities. Now the club is emailing them with special offers. As soon as its shop acquires a new line - kit, or a DVD of 100 years of Plymouth Argyle, for example - fans are the first to know.

TABLE 2.20 PAFC Financial Performance 2001-03

YEAR
TURNOVER
PROFIT/LOSS
2001
£1.9m
- £331,737
2002
£3.8m
£846,436
2003
£3.95m
£63,759
 
PAFC's retail performance is a success story in its own right. Retail sales went up by 200% in the year 2002/03 and hit £500,000; for the financial year 2003/04 they had reached £962,667 – one quarter of club turnover.

Just before the year end 2003, the club gave fans what they considered was the best present possible, a five-year extension to the contract of manager Paul Sturrock. The news, again, was signalled to fans via email and text before the rest of the world was informed. (Thurrock had a clause in the contract that would allow him to leave only if a Premiership club made an approach. Unfortunately for Plymouth Argyle, this happened in the spring of 2004, when Southampton made an offer which Thurrock accepted.) Such dedication to fans makes hard economic sense, according to Jones. “It's good business in the context of future proofing ourselves, but also building further goodwill among fans,” he said. “Message boards are full of fans who applaud the long term planning.”

He admits that the club is not yet getting as much mileage as it should from its database, but insists that this will improve. Fans already get priority emails about special offers and discounts. “Our smart card is not yet as smart as it could be, but it is being used to track what people spend on in the shop, which is useful,” he said, “and it will get additional functionality over the coming year.” So while it is a planned smart card, currently it is more of a passive one that fans carry with pride. In the future, however, it will use the data from tracking studies that are already being carried out for cross promotions, ticketing and so on.

Going Up

The impact of the board's business plan is already evident on its balance sheet. It has made a profit since 2002, albeit partly due to the club's performance in championships. So why has it proved so successful when other clubs have fallen by the wayside?

In Jones’ opinion, for a club to be healthy it needs to:
  • Watch its fees and outgoings carefully
  • Invest in a better team
  • Raise its income levels (with a lot of emphasis on changing the balance of income through conferences, events and so on)
  • Boost its retail operation (PAFC's shop has seen its income soar from a very low base)
“Why have we made money?"”said Jones. “It's down to constant improvement in the quality of the football offer, putting our heads around marketing, and the fact that we run our club as a proper business. As simple as that.”

Plymouth Argyle has managed to overcome the problem that sinks many boards: that when successful businessmen and women turn their hands to football, their hearts rule their heads. As Jones put it: “Although we are fans and our hearts are pounding, we are quite tough about the business side because that is the only way that there will be a long term future for the club. And the great thing is that everybody in the club buys into that, including the football manager.”

Pre-Season Activity

All clubs tend to go for a pre-season training stint, often to foreign shores. Last year PAFC decided to venture to Austria. There are the obvious football benefits in bringing players together for five or six days, working hard and bonding. But there can be other advantages too. The cost of the pre-season tour was around £25,000, but the club managed to underwrite a fair amount by opening it up to fans. It demonstrates to them, says Jones, that the club is open and receptive to any who want to come along.

Sales of such packages brought in around £15,000, a welcome boost for a club in any division, and a dozen or so fans went along on the trip. It provided the opportunity for them to travel with the team, to stay with them, and to join in a game versus management (with players joining in on both sides to raise the standard of profes- sionalism and fitness).

The Future

Plymouth Argyle has a number of factors in its favour. Football fans in the area would have to drive three hours to see a team of the same calibre or better, therefore it has a captive audience. It has also gained converts outside of its regional base, boasting a London fan branch (some 600 members), one in Cornwall (between 100 and 150) and in Leeds, Lancashire and Bristol. It has managed to keep its spending down. Player budget was £600,000 less than that of its previous Division Two rival QPR, and it spent just £70,000 in transfer fees. It has managed to claw its way into the black while competitors are paying huge sums just on the interest on debt, and the City Council is behind the club all the way. PAFC is situated in one of the 12 biggest cities in England, and its council desperately wants to succeed and have ambassadors working for it on a national (one day maybe an international) scale. The club is perhaps lucky to have so many strands in its favour.

For the moment, Jones sees the club’s success as being due to its holistic attitude. Marketing, proper running of the business and better football all feed off each other. It is always a balancing act, involving long discussions when setting pricing for the next season, but PAFC also recognises the need for a delicate touch. As Jones points out, when pricing levels are under discussion, there’s never a straight answer – one has to use common sense. Perhaps the most telling aspect of the club's progress in the past two years is that when its marketing drive started, the banks did not want anything to do with PAFC. Now the tables are turned. There are not many clubs in that position.

Results

The club's annual reports show that the commercial progress being made is matching the on-field success. For the year 2003, club shop receipts rose to £962,667 and turnover overall had nearly doubled in two years, from just below £2 million to just below £4 million. All this was despite the fact that, in common with all other League clubs, it lost money from the failed ITV Digital venture. (ITV Digital, a new channel created by the UK's leading independent free-to-air broadcasters, had tried to use English League, excluding Premiership, football to launch a digital TV platform. The pay-TV model subsequently collapsed with the TV supplier failing to fulfil the contractual payments to the clubs.)

PAFC explains the fall in profit in 2003 as being the result of the ITV Digital demise and several other factors: “The year 2002 included an exceptional item with regard to television money being received in 2002 due to the demise of ITV Digital, but it also included the championship winning performance, which... generated much greater revenue, at a time of considerably lower overheads. This year [2003] we have had to contend with increased expenditure, including recognising the worth of players in the higher division.” PAFC's customer satisfaction survey revealed a fan base that considered the club to have made immense strides, physically, managerially and on the pitch. They regarded the directors as fans first and foremost, but level-headed, approachable and possessing a human touch. This was shown by the 60% of respondents who praised the quality of the PAFC website, the 61% who cited the ease of getting match tickets by phone, and the 51% who appreciated the swift response to fans' letters.

Directors acknowledged, however, that there was still work to be done. Some 19% of fans considered the food and drink to be overpriced, while some 18% were unhappy with the attitude (and sometimes appearance) of stewards, and 17% were unhappy with the delay to Phase 2 of its stadium plans.

Conclusion

Plymouth Argyle is an example of a club that knows it has to adopt a holistic approach if it is to win both on and off the pitch. Its first step, to conduct an internal audit, was swiftly followed by more research of both fans and the local community, which was then funnelled back into planning future activity.

Its 2003 survey revealed a profile of a new, younger generation of fans attracted by the club's go-ahead feel and its performance on the pitch, thus breathing new life into the club. Some half of all season ticket holders were revealed as recent, 34% having bought a season ticket in the last year, and 17% over the last two or three. The club used the data to revise its ticket pricing structure (with fans seeing the results as offering extremely good value) and to revise its product offering (witness the 400% increase in retail sales over three years). The club knows the areas where it has experienced problems and is working with staff and fans to overcome them. One of its goals for last season was to create a more upbeat feel, with more excitement, on matchdays. This too appears to have been realised, with performance on the pitch reinforcing the sound business performance off the pitch. Here is an example of a club that is delving deep into the nature of fans and lapsed supporters, and working out ways to create greater loyalty.

In the past, fans have often been seen as a ‘necessary nuisance’. Plymouth is a club that recognises that its ambitions need a constant reality check to monitor its standing. Through analysing the background and lifestyle of its fan base, the club has been able to isolate the high spenders and formulate targeted offers. The marketing tactics of big brands are, therefore, showing their worth for clubs not just in the higher divisions but also for those lower down, with Plymouth proving a prime example.