Attracting new supporters

[silent majority]

As has been discussed on here several times, and the emphasis on targeted marketing as opposed to widespread traditional promotional work, here's a great example of what our club are doing to attract the fans of the future. As can be seen in the article, and the accompanying video, we are a star performer in this sector of the market.

Despite being relegated to Sky Bet League Two in 2016, more than 650 new members have registered with Doncaster Rovers’ Junior Membership scheme this season and 28% of Rovers season ticket holders are now juniors. The club has also seen a 25% increase in the number of first time fans at the Keepmoat Stadium on a matchday since the start of the 2016/17 season.
Read more at http://www.efl.com/news/article/2016/family-excellence-awards-10-of-the-best-doncaster-rovers-3554084.aspx#dqSrlUxH8qfbRDAY.99

http://www.efl.com/news/article/2016/family-excellence-awards-10-of-the-best-doncaster-rovers-3554084.aspx

[idler]

Three of my grandsons have joined although can't get to too many games.
The two whose dad is a Huddersfield fan were amazed to get a Christmas card each. One of them also had his name on the score board when it was his birthday. All of these things raised comments and they both want to go to another game this season.

[silent majority]

So it does work then idler!

[idler]

It sure does SM. Their dad has been to a few games with me as well. Being a 40 odd mile drive it's like an away game for them and a bit of an adventure. Great work by the club.

[BigKeif]

SM I'm not sure if my dads spoke to you but I was told about how Huddersfield are trying to attract new fans from a young age and I thought it was a great idea.

I was speaking my missus, sisters boyfriend and he and the sisters son are Man Utd fans but at their primary school and others from what I can gather, town have given away vouchers to all the kids where they can get in for £3 and the adult that they go with can get in for £10. Now I thought this was a great idea as he's already said he's going to take him to some of the games they had left this season and thought we could maybe implement a similar strategy. Worth a shot I guess?

[Scooter]

Three of my grandsons have joined although can't get to too many games.
The two whose dad is a Huddersfield fan were amazed to get a Christmas card each. One of them also had his name on the score board when it was his birthday. All of these things raised comments and they both want to go to another game this season.

My kids loved the Christmas card from Donny Dog. Simple gestures have a big impact

[idler]

My sentiments exactly Scooter. I'm not seeing as many games this year  but them nagging me we probably drag me to at least one game that I might otherwise have missed.

[Pancho Regan]

Like Idler, I'm an exiled Rovers fan.

I left Donny as an 18-yr-old and have never lived in the town since then, and I'll be 60 this year.

But I've followed the Rovers all my life and have bought a season ticket most years. I've held a ST every year since moving to the Keepmoat, even though I can't get to every game.

I became a Dad late in life, 8 years ago, and now have 2 lovely daughters.
Neither of them have anything to do with Doncaster but both are Rovers Season Ticket holders and attend every home game they can. It's a 4 hour return journey every home game but they love it.
Rovers have become a part of their lives just as it is with me.

I must look into this Junior Rovers club, they would love to join it.

[BobG]

That is cracking leadership. Far sighted, distant horizons and a statement of culture and principle - rather than marketing, bullshite and moaning exortations. Superb.

BobG

[silent majority]

SM I'm not sure if my dads spoke to you but I was told about how Huddersfield are trying to attract new fans from a young age and I thought it was a great idea.

I was speaking my missus, sisters boyfriend and he and the sisters son are Man Utd fans but at their primary school and others from what I can gather, town have given away vouchers to all the kids where they can get in for £3 and the adult that they go with can get in for £10. Now I thought this was a great idea as he's already said he's going to take him to some of the games they had left this season and thought we could maybe implement a similar strategy. Worth a shot I guess?

Hi BigKeif,
I remember having a discussion about something similar. And we do something on a match day that is very close to that. In addition we still do the tickets for attendance scheme whereby school kids who have 100% school attendance get free match day tickets. We are making great progress in this area as demonstrated by the numbers and the continuing Family Excellence Awards, one of only 6 clubs in the country.

[Copps is Magic]

Excellent work. Standing in the SS its clear to see just by looking at the East on a matchday the kind of impact its having. It's been obvious for years a club like ours will benefit from this type of thing more than others. We're competing against teams in the region, against a kid putting on a liverpool/Man U shirt in the play ground, against entrenched supporting lineages. It will be a long hard battle over decades but it is genuinely nice to see a practical strategy put in place.

The slightly worrying thing for me is some of the things said in this thread. Firstly the need to use a success story from the club to rake up old debates. Is that really necessary? Secondly, the idea that because one thing is a success, another approach can therefore not be a success. That is an incredibly naive viewpoint.

The long-term issue now, as I'm sure those actually working at the club know, is retainment. The headline 'success' is actually the programes/strategies themselves. The figure of 25% increase in first-time fans points to the long-term battle we face. If an increasing % of stagnant crowds (as ours broadly are) are comprised of new faces it worryingly suggests we're either not retaining those fans or we are losing existing fans. That will be the long-term test but at the moment I'm certainly optimistic about it.

[silent majority]

Cops it's not an old debate though is it. We had the same debate on here just a few weeks ago around the Grimsby game. And these figures support the argument I made at the time, therefore it could be described as a continuing debate.

[idler]

Excellent work. Standing in the SS its clear to see just by looking at the East on a matchday the kind of impact its having. It's been obvious for years a club like ours will benefit from this type of thing more than others. We're competing against teams in the region, against a kid putting on a liverpool/Man U shirt in the play ground, against entrenched supporting lineages. It will be a long hard battle over decades but it is genuinely nice to see a practical strategy put in place.

The slightly worrying thing for me is some of the things said in this thread. Firstly the need to use a success story from the club to rake up old debates. Is that really necessary? Secondly, the idea that because one thing is a success, another approach can therefore not be a success. That is an incredibly naive viewpoint.

The long-term issue now, as I'm sure those actually working at the club know, is retainment. The headline 'success' is actually the programes/strategies themselves. The figure of 25% increase in first-time fans points to the long-term battle we face. If an increasing % of stagnant crowds (as ours broadly are) are comprised of new faces it worryingly suggests we're either not retaining those fans or we are losing existing fans. That will be the long-term test but at the moment I'm certainly optimistic about it.

The problem is Copps when one of our older fans dies or is unable to attend matches they were usually a fan that had gone through thick and thin.
We know after our first rise to the Championship that not all more recent fans have the same resilience unfortunately.

[BigKeif]

SM I'm not sure if my dads spoke to you but I was told about how Huddersfield are trying to attract new fans from a young age and I thought it was a great idea.

I was speaking my missus, sisters boyfriend and he and the sisters son are Man Utd fans but at their primary school and others from what I can gather, town have given away vouchers to all the kids where they can get in for £3 and the adult that they go with can get in for £10. Now I thought this was a great idea as he's already said he's going to take him to some of the games they had left this season and thought we could maybe implement a similar strategy. Worth a shot I guess?

Hi BigKeif,
I remember having a discussion about something similar. And we do something on a match day that is very close to that. In addition we still do the tickets for attendance scheme whereby school kids who have 100% school attendance get free match day tickets. We are making great progress in this area as demonstrated by the numbers and the continuing Family Excellence Awards, one of only 6 clubs in the country.

That's brilliant SM, I just thought it was worth putting to yourself and maybe the club as it seems to be working for them that's all.

[idler]

I have had two emails one for each of my two youngest grandsons telling them the Donny Kicks magazine is on sale today£1 for members. You also get 4 stickers and a poster of Liam Mandeville.
That's another couple of pound well spent today.

[WheatleyRover]

When your at games you see a lot of youths at the Keepmoat especially in the South Stand, even noticed a few young ones on youtube now doing matchday vlogs, and there coming at league 2 level which is a good sign.