Someone comes first, someone comes last, and most fall in between. Inescapable mathematics. So is there another way?
How would you make sure your team sold out its stadium every week? Is there a strategy that will “fireproof” your crowds against indifferent form?
Many a sports administrator has died in pursuit of this sporting Holy Grail. So does that mean it’s impossible?
No, but neither is it simple.
I spent a couple of years in sports administration, trying to resurrect basketball in a once-solid market. It was the Hunter Pirates (Newcastle Falcons 2.0) and it’s a long story.
Suffice to say there were four key aims, gleaned from endless case studies and the prevailing wisdom from great sports administrators around the world.
1. Make sure that you had value for money regardless of the result.
A game night experience that appealed equally to the ambivalent CEO of a local company, and his obsessed ten-year-old son was critical. There were quality mascots, dancing, creative on-court games – stuff that was feel good and fun but not expensive.
All successful teams have their own unique take on this, from wearing cheese hats to singing Waltzing Matilda to samba dancing. Essentially, a guaranteed good time with the possibility of a win.
2. Build Loyalty.
Loyalty is a simple concept, but a hard one to make reality. All successful teams have crusted on fans that are created in a number of ways, many beyond the team’s control.
Some are indoctrinated by Dad from the time they can kick a ball, some are locked into a social circle around the club, some have a magic moment that galvanises brand loyalty, such as a Grand Final win.
Manufacturing loyalty without heritage is tough. That is, it is easier to make a fourth generation Dragons fan bleed for his club, than it is to get a Melbourne Rebels fan to do so.
You have to sell tomorrows, not yesterdays. Hope, not history. It can be done, but you need convincing promises, and a social environment that parallels the sports experience.
Most importantly, you make them care about the players.
3. Make the players real.
Why does anyone regularly watch a TV show, finish a novel or go to see a movie sequel? Because they know the characters and they care what happens to them.
Ditto in sport.
Every Manchester United or Indian cricket team fan can give you a Wikipedia-like back story about every player. They know their high points and depressions, their nitro and their kryptonite.
Establish a relationship and the fan will turn up to the tragedies and dramas as well as the victories.
4. Represent.
Stand for something and someone. A town, a demographic, a world view, something.
Give yourself a flavour. You know who the Lakers are playing in front of, you know who the All Blacks represent.
It provides a narrative at first, and ultimately a mythology.
Any one of these elements will not bring success and even all of them will not be enough.
But throw in the odd exciting player, the occasional win, a public looking for the niche you are filling and an ounce of luck and you may find more people want what you are offering.
So, how successful is your team? How many of these boxes are they ticking? What other things are they doing that seem to work?
For the record, I parted ways with the Hunter Pirates. They walked away from many of the principles above, mostly for financial, rather than philosophical, reasons.
The money dried up and they no longer exist. So that’s one more thing you might want to have in your toolkit – money.
Yes, mostly, you’ll need lots and lots of money.
Aitsa
Guest
Yikes - as a Capetonian I get distressed to hear the Stormers and the Bulls are of the same genus to an Aussie fan! I'm assuming this isn't because of all-consuming hate for the Rep of SA (;-)) but what the hell with these franchise names? I've started explaining to non-rugby loving friends (there are some in SA) that Cape Town is playing Sydney; Jo'burg's playing Auckland etcetera. Most people are proud of their cities, why do they need to be called Stormers or 'Tahs or Lions (ah the irony) or Blues? In general in SA provincial rugby, the mightier the emblem, the crapper the team.
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Great article Aaron, I enjoyed reading it very much. It is such an interesting little conundrum isn't it, how do you get the crowds to come?? I personally don't think you can understate the importance of having a quality experience, from when the fan begins their journey, their trip, getting in, the game, going to the toilet, getting out, going home. If you can make as many of those parts a positive experience, you are onto a winner. People are all on about how great Leichhardt, Brookvale etc are, obviously because they have never tried to take a leak there!
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
5. Have a ground of suitable size for your typical crowd Twenty two thousand people feels like nothing in ANZ Stadium - seventy five percent of the seats are empty, and the sound is swallowed up by the cavernous stadium. Twenty twio thousand people is a pretty full crowd at the SCG - most seats are full, and you can start to feel the noise. On the other hand, fifteen thousand people are a claustrophobic, screaming, close-packed mob of emotion at Leichardt Oval It's a lot better to be in a crowd that feels like a crowd, so get a right-sized stadium for your team.
bilbo
Guest
Going to Titans matches is very similar. Most of the players have an individual sponsor. When they read the teams out at the start of the game, its "And at halfback, we have the Mitre 10 Paint Specialists' Scott Prince...and at Lock, brought to you by Slater and Gordon, Greg Bird....and at prop forward, we have Luke Bailey, brought to you by Brumby's Bakery's Hot Pies." Even when they score a try, or kick a goal, the company's name gets read out. I know the Titans are new, in a congested market and all the rest, but it does get a bit grating. Feels like I'm up late watching Danoz Direct.
bilbo
Guest
I agree, I just cant understand the rationale of trying to disassociate yourself with the 100 year old teams. I understand they wanted to get the two new teams, but these can be given a new identity while maintaining the traditional side. Seems like another ARC to me.
mds1970
Roar Guru
And that's a concern I have about the T20 comp. Who do the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers represent? I can understand the reasons for playing more domestic T20 cricket, there's good public support for it. But I don't get why they've gone this way instead of having the states playing more games against each other.
JF
Guest
So the advantage of regional teams is that you get to go and occasionally play games at small, regional venues? That does not make any sense. Regional franchises are the reason for the apathetic and fractured nature of NZ rugby support. Not picking on the kiwis, it is a pet hate of mine that Super Rugby cannot reconcile its competition with domestic provincial rugby, thus relegating the Southern Hemisphere professional rugby season to its current state of underachievement.
allblackfan
Guest
we're seeing the positive side of item No 4 in NZ at the moment, JF. The Crusaders are a regional team without a main home ground. But they've been taken to heart at the other grounds within the franchise area (ie Nelson, Timaru). The regional identity actually has advantages if the team travels away from its main ground, something NZ and RSA teams have been known to do during the Super season but which the Aust teams refuse to do. By playing games at these grounds, you help generate greater support for the team. The problem with Super rugby in NZ is that it has become monotonous.
JF
Guest
Point 4 is absolutely spot on, can't help but think this is a major problem for Super Rugby in drawing crowds. The generic nature of the NZ and SA teams is one of the main reasons for dissappointing crowds IMO, particularly in NZ. The lack of team identity was also a major flaw in the ARC concept, honestly - who could give a rat's about the fortunes of the 'East Coast Aces'? Think of the most marketable team sporting brands in Australia and overseas, they all have a strong identity and connection to who/what they represent. Super Rugby is going nowhere trying to market their generic franchises, expecting people to fork out and loyally support a team named by a marketing consultant that in an effort to represent all, actually represent nothing.
mds1970
Roar Guru
I've heard it suggested that HSBC stands for Humiliating Score By Crusaders.
Rodney
Guest
I reckon you should also mention to not go overboard with announcing sponsors. I went to the SFS last week to watch the Tahs ... and I got so sick of hearing "HSBC" ... It was the "HSBC waratahs are represented by HSBC. Don't forget to get your offical HSBC Waratahs outfit from the HSBC Waratahs shop ... " FFS! They are the NSW Waratahs and they respresnt the NSW public that go and watch. It really drove me to the point of not going back .. I mean .. it's not like there was an HSBC branch near the (overpriced) bar where I could open an account at half-time ... By all means annount the sponsor every now and then ... but not every 2 minutes!
mds1970
Roar Guru
It definately helps in a big way. That's one of the reasons GWS got Kevin Sheedy.
apaway
Guest
Great article Aaron. I lived in Newcastle in the late 80s and went to a lot of Falcons games. They had one of the most charismatic coaches I've ever met - a guy called Ken Coles, who was almost a one man marketing band for the team, as well as being, apparently, a really good coach. Ken was guest speaker at a few events I organised and he had the innate ability to make people care and believe in what he said. So I guess it helps if a club has a front man like that.
Fool
Guest
Any wonder one day cricket's crowds have dropped. You hit the nail on the head. The Big Bash league fails on a number of your points too. They are too detached to notice and it is not the ideas people own money they are playing with.
Aaron Kearney
Guest
Yes, mds1970, I heard Bob Turner on ABC Radio at the weekend outling all your points. It was one of the inspirations for this piece, actually.
mds1970
Roar Guru
Interesting article Aaron. Particularly in a sport like basketball, you need to get the crowd involved in the game - Rodney O at the Sydney Kings does that well, the Wollongong Hawks also do a good job with that. The Kings are an interesting phenomenon. Last summer, even though they only won a handful of games and were often barely competitive, they were pulling bigger crowds than when they were winning titles and playing in grand finals. Part of that is their 2-year absence made the heart grow fonder, but the Kings have worked hard to do the things you've mentioned in your article. Features like the lion mascot sling-shotting free merchandise into the crowd, Dean Utoff's best-dressed-fan competition and the kiss-cam may be tacky gimmicks - but they keep the crowds involved and coming back.
Birkish Delight
Roar Rookie
Great article, with some ideas for action. Interesting to see how blindingly obvious these things seem to be but very difficult to pull off. With the use of social media these days you can do a lot to build the loyalty/ a social relationship (actually interacting with fans when the post or tweet) and help fans know and care about the players.
Mick of Newie
Guest
good one Aaron. Could I suggest time and money. As a Jets fan I am concerned about the blind pursuit of a marquee. None of the fans I speak to believe in the concept of the marquee but the admin seem hellbent on it. I suspect it might be a bit of impatience. The great jets team is likely to not have any of the current players and will develop in the next ten years as the base is built and a culture. I thinks the fans are patient not sure about the owners.