The A-League failing to engage with fans online
Columnist
By Adrian Musolino, 3 Nov 2009 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson (right) walks past as the Central Coast Mariners players celebrate winning round 1 of the 2009/10 A-League season in Melbourne, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. The Mariners beat Victory 2-0. AAP Image/Joe Castro
In mid-October, I wrote a piece regarding the A-League’s need to better market itself. Here is an example of one area in which the league and teams can drastically improve on.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have transformed how we communicate and interact with one another. It also presents businesses, including sporting teams, a platform to engage with their fans and reach out to new ones.
So how have A-League teams and the league itself embraced social media?
Let’s look at how they are represented on Twitter, for example.
Unlike the AFL, NRL and the like – who use their accounts to post links of news articles from their officials sites, post results and fixtures – the A-League has no such account.
It’s a shame.
Surely the A-League could benefit from such a page to help promote upcoming fixtures, promotions and events.
As for the teams, it’s a real mixed bag.
The only Newcastle Jets Twitter page online was last updated on October 24th, 2008, declaring, “Zura almost scored … watch the game here live,” followed by a link to some simulcast of that particular fixture.
Yep, Edmundo Zura. Remember him? He was the guy who didn’t manage a lot of scoring during his spell with the Jets at the start of last season.
Perhaps he was the guardian of Newcastle’s Twitter page, too.
An Adelaide United Twitter page ponders: “Former Sydney FC captain Mark Rudan to join United?”
In case you were one of the 334 followers waiting for an update, yes Rudan did eventually join the Reds.
Gold Coast United – not surprisingly – and Central Coast have no official pages run by the clubs themselves. Perth Glory and the Wellington Phoenix have unofficial pages constantly updating its fans.
But the aforementioned clubs, along with the league itself, are missing the boat.
Having a Twitter account and updating it regularly isn’t going to send the masses scurrying to matches, but it is one of many examples of potential avenues of promotion that isn’t being taken up the custodians of the game.
Moreover, using these mediums is easy and free.
Working with social media networks has been one of the key strategies implemented by the new Adelaide 36ers owners this season.
They have live streaming of matches and press conferences on their website, regular updates on their Twitter and Facebook pages on upcoming matches, player appearances and promotions – offering their Facebook fans a special buy on get one free deal for a recent match – with more on the way.
Despite the ambivalence toward the NBL this season, not to mention a drop in media awareness, the 36ers still pulled over 5,000 people to their game against Cairns Saturday night.
It is, in small part at least, thanks to this type of engagement with its fanbase through the social media, or ‘new media’, platform.
Some A-League clubs are following this example. And some are adopting new marketing strategies to get people to games.
It was encouraging to see Sydney FC offering New Zealanders $10 entry to the match against Wellington on Sunday.
The reward? A very healthy crowd of 10,653 – impressive considering the Phoenix aren’t big crowd-pullers.
It’s these sorts of promotions, helped if they are orchestrated through social media, that make such a difference for leagues that struggle for significant mainstream media attention, and suffer from fluctuating crowds for reasons we’ve discussed at length.
It may seem like a facile example, but the Twitter example typifies a lack of urgency in the marketing and PR departments of the A-League, not to mention a slow uptake on new trends.
Where there is great potential for the A-League with regard to social media is its ability to connect with younger generations who rely on these networks more than traditional media outlets. These platforms enable users to generate, create and absorb their own form of news, bypassing the ‘old media’ if need be.
It is a perfect fit for the A-League, giving it an avenue for distribution of crucial information – such as upcoming fixtures – rather than relying on traditional media outlets.
The league should really target these younger generations. Older generations are encumbered with prejudices regarding sporting tastes and teams.
The teenagers who ‘hang out’ at A-League matches will be the first generation to have grown up solely with the likes of Adelaide United, the Mariners and the rest.
Win over these kids. Engage with them through their preferred forms of communication.
It doesn’t take much effort, but the league and teams will be richly rewarded for jumping on the social media bandwagon and earning and expanding a fanbase.
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Freud of Football said | November 3rd 2009 @ 3:37am | Report comment
I feel like the premise of the article is right but the use of social media is a ways off.
Given there are some fantastic examples to back up the argument but the majority of companies and “brands” get it all wrong. I have worked quite closely with a few of the social networks mentioned above and have worked with numerous companies who have based their business models on viral expansion through facebook, myspace etc only to fall flat on their face, a few even went bankrupt.
The problem is, 300 million active Users. It’s a number I hear in every other meeting, everyone is talking about how to use Facebook to expand their business but the number doesn’t mean a thing.
How many of the fans at an A-League games are parents with no time for such folly? I’d assume the average dad, mum and two kids are still the target of a lot of franchises so why would they bother with web 2.0 when these parents don’t have the time for it?
There might be a large number of the younger generation who have profiles and accounts but that doesn’t necessarily mean they use their social networks to interact with clubs and brands, that is the thinking of a marketing manager, not a 15 year old kid who wants to chat to friends.
I’m not saying it can’t work, just that it is not the way to build a brand. You want a a good example, look at the Dassler brothers, they built the two sporting empires Puma and Adidas in a tiny German town and how, through networking and hard work and selling superior products at fair prices. They were at every big event, went to where they needed to be and they did whatever it took to get their brands out there. It didn’t happen overnight but for decades Adidas were struggling to meet demand on the back of this initial hard work.
Clubs can’t expect the masses to come to them, at least not in the A-League, they’ve got to lay a foundation to begin with and that takes time, sure they can set up a twitter account and a facebook group, just don’t throw marketing dollars at it when you can go out and build relationships is all I’m saying.
The Answer said | November 3rd 2009 @ 6:44am | Report comment
Very healthy 10,653? Dear god this is Sydney FC. They wanted an average of 17,000 this season, suddenly a bit over half of that is very healthy. How they mighthy have fallen.
md said | November 3rd 2009 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
Games against Wellington / Knights have traditionally been very poor sellers. The same fixture last year only drew 9,500, the season before it was only 11K, and in 2006 (vs the Knights) it was only 9K.
10,653 is a decent crowd for this fixture.
constantine said | November 3rd 2009 @ 3:44pm | Report comment
its true, in melbourne alot of ppl just cant be bothered watching wellington. its not exactly compelling viewing
megatron said | November 3rd 2009 @ 4:48pm | Report comment
I like watching Wellington this year. It’s a shame they’ll always have that stigma to them.
AndyRoo said | November 3rd 2009 @ 4:58pm | Report comment
There a decent team to watch play (better than CCM that is for sure). There just a bit meh. I don’t hate them or love them ….. perhaps if NZ make the World Cup and they start bragging a bit it could take off.
md said | November 3rd 2009 @ 7:16am | Report comment
I think its a fair point Adrian – but my impression is that all of the clubs’ marketing is all over the place. I’m not sure if that is because of the FFA oversight element, because the clubs are understaffed (though you would think that recruiting volunteers to help out with this stuff would be a cinch), or because there just isn’t the appetite. I should point out one bit of fair play, which is the CEO’s corner on the SFCU website, where the CEO does answer fans questions.
megatron said | November 3rd 2009 @ 7:39am | Report comment
Good example. Just proves they are pretty slack when getting the message out.
Pippinu said | November 3rd 2009 @ 8:05am | Report comment
Of the problems the FFA faces at the moment – I would have thought an online presence is the least of them.
Like many on here – I’m getting almost daily emails from one of the Victory or Buckley.
That’s good right?
Yes, except who bothers with emails anymore? We have now become so accustomed to automatically deleting about 95% of our emails that even the half-interesting ones are going to end up in the can with barely a glance.
The online world is an absolute cacophony.
Google is already working on Web 3.0 applications – Web 2.0 is already passe before it even began.
mahony said | November 3rd 2009 @ 4:59pm | Report comment
Spot on Pip – I get all those twitter, email and facebook messages from the club. Glad I do and it has reminded me of a few important changes and things over time. Like you though – it is the next wave they need to be on with this stuff not the current one. A few TV adds may not hurt either – but big $$$$ not available yet I suspect. I do credit MVFC for always trying new things though…..
JB said | November 3rd 2009 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Adrian,
Very valid observations although like some other correspondents I must confess I don’t think Twitter will change things dramatically for the crowds these teams are getting. I agree there is an overall marketing issue and these generally feeble online efforts are symptomatic.
Last year I remember seeing a photo taken (albeit in the Daily Telegraph so it was having a dig at football on behalf of league) of some Gold Coast players at a signing session in a shopping centre up there, absolutely sitting on their Pat Malone with no interest from the passing crowd.
Not sure if they can do anything really, there is such a litany of failed professional sporting teams in that area (can’t wait for the Hunt AFL PR stunt to implode).
BTW I attend league, rugby, football and AFL matches during a typical season so aren’t waving the flag for anyone – certainly rugby has even bigger problems than football at the moment. Football has a successful national side and a reasonably successful national comp – rugby has neither (only an increasingly boring super 14….)
Redb said | November 4th 2009 @ 7:25am | Report comment
JB,
Interesting that you raise Karmichael Hunt, whilst I dont share your enthusiam for it to fail, I suspect that twitter will feature heavily in the life and times of K Hunt as he adapts to Aussie Rules.
Now dont get me wrong I reckon its wank material, “look at moi” stuff, but a lot of younger people are switched into it.
If you want a reality TV show with the all the twitters, facebooks ,etc then K Hunt will be right up there come May 2010 and even moreso about late March 2011.
Redb
Pippinu said | November 4th 2009 @ 7:38am | Report comment
No player is going to attract more attention in the VFL next season than Hunt, guaranteed (in a league that attracts very little attention ordinarily).
Every spilled mark, every shanked kick, ever free for and against, every miss on goal, every big hit, every spoil, every smother, every one percenter, every unfortunate error, every great play – it will all be scrutinised in great detail.
M1tch said | November 3rd 2009 @ 8:45am | Report comment
what about EPL or spanish australian sites.
I would have thought they get blogged on more than a-league.
Not sure what aleague can do, perhaps its just wait and see
James said | November 3rd 2009 @ 8:53am | Report comment
As the author says – “Having a Twitter account and updating it regularly isn’t going to send the masses scurrying to matches, but it is one of many examples of potential avenues of promotion that isn’t being taken up the custodians of the game.”
He doesn’t suggest it’s the missing ingredient and will get people going in huge numbers, as some of you are suggesting, rather a small factor amongst many of where they can improve.
AndyRoo said | November 3rd 2009 @ 9:09am | Report comment
Yes I think it’s just an example.
Look at Rovers, we allready know more about them than the eart Franchise who are going through traditional media so that will be interesting as to what works better.
Brett McKay said | November 3rd 2009 @ 9:42am | Report comment
And Andy, just on Rovers, a lot of what we know came from Ian Rowden himself – the move to post an article on The Roar explaining the name, colours, and logo was very well received…
Brett McKay said | November 3rd 2009 @ 9:38am | Report comment
Adrian, you’ll have to excuse me for bringing up a topic away from your main subject here today, but I thought it was an interesting lesson in a league catering for its public.
(from The Inside Back, SMH today)
ARGIES ON BOX
Maybe Australian bosses can learn something from Argentina. Until this season, Argentinian fans needed cable TV to see top-league games. Then, in a move analysts call populist, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s government helped push Argentina’s football association to sever its long-term contract with the country’s biggest media group – the Clarin Group newspaper and cable TV company – and broadcast free all games on a state-run station. Now, about 20 million Argentines – half the population – watch top matches, more than four times as many as last season. ”When I saw the news on TV, I knew what it meant – football was coming into my home,” said Bres, 37, whose small cinder-block house is just blocks from where Diego Maradona, coach of the Argentine national team and one of the country’s greatest stars, grew up. ”Politically, it was very intelligent. She’s going to get our vote.”
Pippinu said | November 3rd 2009 @ 10:05am | Report comment
Brett
A few of us discussed this very topic a while back (which, as you can imagine, brought into clear relief those with socialist persuasions versus the free marketeers).
What your quote doesn’t mention is that the Argentine government is spending about double the market value to put it on the State TV, so it’s not just about getting the product on FTA, it’s about bankrolling the league which is financially stressed.
Now many people will have different thoughts on the merit of doing that – there will be economic arguments against – cultural arguments for, etc
I’ll just say that anyone who understands the economic history of Argentina will not be the least bit surprised that an Argentine government would undertake such a populist political act.
BigAl said | November 3rd 2009 @ 10:09am | Report comment
Brett . . . yes, I’m well aware of this situation in Argentina ! are you suggesting that this is what should happen in Aus. ??
Various commentators ( inc. The Economist Magazine ) cite this event as yet another eco-political decision that at worst contibutes to their economy heading south, and at best greatly impedes their climb back up the economic ladder ! -
can you believe they were in the top 3 wealthiest nations circa 1900 !!!
Bringing all this vaguely back to topic, this sort of decision will most likely contribute to the situation where Argentinians – no longer able to observe first hand their top ( & second) level players, will also lose their 3rd. & 4th. level – a la central America.
Brett McKay said | November 3rd 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment
Pip, BigAl – quite true, I’ve just seen this as it was reported today, without knowing the economic or social implacations for this move in Argentina.
However, as someone who doesn’t have Fox and so has to watch the odd A-League game by other means, I’m merely coming from the “catering for the masses” angle which of course suggests there needs to SOME kind of FTA presence. I don’t for a minute suggest that all games should be on FTA, and I readily acknowledge what Fox Sports has provided for football in this country.
As you say Pip, this has been well discussed on The Roar previously, and I certainly don’t want to hijack Adrian’s piece here today. I will just add that whoever of A-League and domestic T20 cricket first lays claim to the vacant Friday night timeslot in summer is going to end up with a ratings winner (in a manner of speaking, given ratings don’t get measured much beyond the middle of this month)…
Pippinu said | November 3rd 2009 @ 11:34am | Report comment
Brett
You’re right (about sport during the Summer) – and in a way, it has a lot to do with Adrian’s subject.
As we approach the festive season, right up to Australia Day – the FFA crowds trend upwards – I’m pretty sure it’s a pattern that has repeated itself virtually every season.
What do we know abou this time of year?
1. It’s smack bang in the middle of the major domestic football off-seasons.
2. People have plenty of free time.
3. There’s nothing much on TV.
4. And while cricket and tennis remain popular summer sports, there’s plenty of room for something else (and sufficient peole looking for something else).
So put that all together, and, well, it’s pretty clear cut!!
As we know, the AFL has become quite adept at fixturing with the objective of maximising crowds (and some will argue to the detriment of the league itself).
It seems to me that the A-League is at the opposite end of the spectrum, being very slow to work out fixtures around important Summer season dates.
For instance – and this is just one example of many – but what on Earth was Melbourne Victory doing at the other side of the country two days out before the public holiday?
Simmo said | November 4th 2009 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Couldn’t agree more Pip. Fixturing is enormously important for the AFL but seems to be an afterthought for the A-League.
If I was in charge of fixturing I’d have a 2 rounds per week from Xmas to Oz day. It’s the only time of year when
any comp can schedule mid-week fixtures without taking a hit at the turnstiles. Why it’s not exploited for all it’s worth is beyond me.
On social networking/Web 2.0, some good points made all round by all. My 2 cents:
new media is very effective in keeping the attention of people whose attention you already have. Tweets, Status updates etc are bite size pieces of info that are only consumed by people who are already interested. It’s hard to create new fans with it.
But it’s no substitute for a supportive media empire or embedded journalists in Fairfax/News Ltd organisations.
But Web 2.0 exposure is free. Or near enough to free. No need to pay for advertising. There’s very little money or time needed to sell your product. They just need someone on the club ‘s staff to keep news pouring out of the club and onto the computer screens of the fanbase.
And another important idea is ARPU – average revenue per user. This means squeezing more and more money out of existing fans. It’s a lot easier than getting new fans. It’s a fundamental concept in business. It’s more cost effective and efficient to ensure that you maintain your hardcore so keep them addicted with daily hits of information from within the dressing room. They’re not likely to forget matches are on if they’ve got a live feed from the mind of young striker X. And if they feel close to the club, they’re more likely to engage in marketing for you via viral media and promotions.
This is more about niche marketing 101 than widespread mass market appeal but this is where the HAL is up to. It could be done better IMO. I think the gist of Adrian’s article is spot on. If the clubs put a moderate amount of time in daily to engage with their fans then they’d be able to get their existing fanbase to commit more of its money to the club.
Pippinu said | November 4th 2009 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
Simmo
yes – the two rounds per week could just about start from mid December all the way through to the end of January – I agree – it’s a goer.
Also – apart from getting good crowds, I think it helps in other ways like reducing the overlap with the the other footy codes – especially if the number of games is on the increase – that can be achieved without necessarily increasing the length of the season in terms of actual time.
In terms of the players themselves – it simply becomes a case of player management – some blokes not getting regular games have to be used.
It’s very odd that the FFA hasn’t looked into this because the evidence is overwhelming.
Freud of Football said | November 3rd 2009 @ 6:28pm | Report comment
The Argentine situation is a disaster and in a whole different ball-park to the A-League. As Brett mentioned, some FTA presence is necessary for the A-League to expand and I’m sure it would still be commercially successful but hijacking the rights and moving the whole thing to FTA, well “only in Argentina.”
There have been two interesting pieces of news for mine this week coming from the Argies, one was Carlos Tevez’s recollections of his childhood, seeing corpses in the street on the way to school:
http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2009/11/01/1597142/manchester-city-striker-carlos-tevez-i-saw-corpses-in-the-street-
The other was former defender Caceres was shot during at attempted hi-jack of his BMW:
http://goal.com/en/news/585/argentina/2009/11/02/1599424/argentine-football-rallies-to-support-gunned-down-fernando
The country just ticks different, no need to get into the social and political aspects of the country here but all I can say is I hope Australian politics stays out of the game, the federal government supporting a WC bid should be the extent of political inolvement in the game, anything more and it’s chaos, there are enough filthy-rich power-mongers in the game without brining politicians in.