After being advised by PP and trying (in vain) to get a copy of RLW (my mastercard isn't good enough for them apparently) I can still only guess at the content of the DPS with the marketing lady from Quins.
What I will say is this. The Massive Campaign from 2010 has been nothing other than a failure. Even is we beat last years average, this will be down to a snide 5,200 reported for the St Helens game and the 30th anniversary double header crowd.
Regardless of what I think of the various parts of the massive campaign, I believe that the major fault that runs through 2010 on the business/marketing front is planning. At no stage since the initial Oyster/viral efforts does there seem to be any form of plan. No 2 events since seem to have been planned.......again, the club has slipped into reactive marketing, not proactive. This, coupled with ramshackle communications to varying lists, late communications, moved games etc points to somebody being well out of their depth. I understand that the lady involved has worked with PB in the past (his words, not mine) and if I am totally honest, if the club had a spine, both would go NOW!
I don't care if this opinion doesn't sit nicely with the majority on here.......simply look at the facts as they are. We are at the foot of the table, but apparently near to financial oblivion. We have an average of 3,394 fans.....down on last year when we had no marketing department, we had to wait for replica jerseys to be available, we have had games moved, had double headers forced upon us, have IMO, wasted money on stupid gimmicky attempts at marketing, turned fans away from the club with the sometimes "aloof" way in which questions are answered......in short, I believe that the club as it stands today is in worse shape than it was in 2005.
Back then we had nearly 4,000 average, only 2 games with sub 3k gates, we ran 1 major marketing campaign at got 6,500 fans to a game, we were losing the same amount of money, but (from what I am told) we have no atmosphere at games whan compared to Griffin Park. Not knocking the stoop, but you need 7k minimum IMO to get any atmosphere going. Yes, we were moved from pillar to post at GP with the re-seeding of the pitch, but look at this years fixture list......1 home game from the end of July to seasons end
If next year is to be a watershed in the history of london pro RL, then something drastic has to change. On the playing front, if we are in the re-building process, then fine, keep blooding youngsters, but get a couple of decent names in to back them up. On the business front, get next years shirt designed NOW and in the shop by December 1st. Get a marketing agency involved in place of the marketing department. Pay them the salary as a retainer and get malcolm to do all thwe facebooky stuff........why pay between 30 and 50k to someone who has failed miserably? On this point, allocate a finite amount for marketing NOW.......and get planning NOW......
With regard to PB.......what is it he has done since he joined the club? Shirt sponsors? OK......well done, thanks a lot and goodbye. Get a Rugby Bod in.........Gio seems to be doing OK at Storm and if you cut him, he bleeds RL. PB is a journeyman.....google his CV.......longevity isn't his thing when it comes to jobs. He is presiding over a business losing 30k a week.......and he hasn't stemmed the flow.
On the Business side of things, the club has again distanced itself from its fans. Whilst those who point out that we are only fans are correct when they say there isn't a lot we can do, the club need to get the community feel back.
Latstly, David Hughes. If he is to scale back his investment, then so be it. I would gamble with a 5 quid ticket nest year. All 5 pound ticket purchasers would need to be registered with the club and canvassed for their thoughts on the match day experience. If we finish 2011 with a 3,500 average and DH walks...we wont see out the next 3 years even if we do get a licence. It is time to take a risk......everything at the club seems too comfortable for my liking......someone needs to shake the tree and get rid of the rotten fruit..
Somehow, I suspect that none of this will happen and we will continue to stumble along the path to oblivion........and I have to say it will be a very sad day whn it does happen, because the opportunity the club got in 2005/06 has been wasted.
