Post by DefyingGravity on Jan 30, 2019 11:40:45 GMT
"Outer changes always begin with a change with an inner change of attitude" - Albert Einstein
If I were to gather a group of people who consider themselves to have some form of association with the Rocks, whether it be casual fans, long standing or newer season ticket holders or volunteers, and ask them how they feel this season then I might get a number of different answers. Different answers yes, but different themes running throughout the fan support? Not so much. Let me explain.
You might assume that the main thoughts would be associated with the performances on court. This season’s attendances suggest two things. 1. The Rocks support doesn’t really give a **** if we are poor. They’ll still turn up. Or 2. The Rocks support accept we are **** and it isn’t just as simple as poor recruitment. There are so many factors that have caused this team to be where they are in the standings, aside from the coach/players. I’ll perhaps write about that another time. I fall in to Category 2. We are pretty crap, but we will get the odd decent result that will keep those in Category 1 happy. Make no mistake, there is no right or wrong category to be in. Category 1 fans are sometimes referred to as “happy clappers”. Every sports club needs happy clappers. Just like every sports club needs those who fall into Category 2 – the moaners. However we are where we are and we will need to just stick to the team we have it seems.
So what other theme do we have? Probably the most important one for me…
Disengagement.
I’ve brought up the idea of fan disengagement before. It’s been simmering for a while now. Recently it seems to have boiled over. One would hope that the club have not forgotten about fan engagement, but their actions seem to suggest they have.
To me, what is fan engagement? I understand it to be the club having an idea of the expectation and behaviours of fans and ultimately acting in a way that would improve the experience for fans. For example, what motivates fans interest in the sport? What do fans expect during game day or even outside of game days? For many Rocks fans it seems that engaging with fans is primarily based on their sense of identity and belonging as opposed to reaching levels where we are considered title challengers every season. The core of fan engagement is to put yourself in the shoes of your target fan base. How will they experience being part of your club, not just from a basketball perspective, but as an overall experience they chose to give their time and money to. The competition for fans time, money and attention is greater than ever before.
Gone are the days where there were organised fan/player meets after a game on the main concourse. Sure, players might not feel up to meeting with fans after a loss, but they are professionals. It’s part of the job. Don’t get into professional sport if you are unable to cope with the highs and the lows. Providing fans with access to players they admire is such an effective way to grow engagement, provided it is done properly. Hold exclusive events for season ticket holders, offer online interaction with the coach and players. Facebook Live interviews and Twitter takeovers are not that difficult to do. Make your fans feel as though they are really part of the team.
Also gone are the days where Rocks fans feel part of a community and feel a connection the team they support. Nowadays it seems fans are wanted only to act as cash cows. The club needs to make money of course, but surely there is a way to find a balance between being a profitable club and having fans feel part of something. Maybe not. I’m not a businesswoman so please correct me if I’m wrong. Everything costs money nowadays. That’s understandable. Fans do spend the money. Whether it is on season tickets, costs associated with away game travel or even merchandise. However let’s not forget that the less engaged fans become, the less they will spend.
Disengagement also comes in the form of volunteers. Club volunteers want to feel appreciated. They want to feel like their time and effort is valued. It’s just simple things, like when new members of staff come on board they should perhaps take the time to get to know the club volunteers. Introduce themselves. It’s not difficult, and that’s coming from a non-people person! After all, without the volunteers how will the game day experience operate so efficiently? I guess the club might find that out sooner rather than later due to the number of volunteers that are leaving. Again, that’s for another blog.
Ultimately fans and volunteers don’t see themselves as consumers. They consider themselves part of the team/club and will demonstrate incredible loyalty and support, if treated correctly. Perhaps the club need to go back to their roots and remind themselves of this.
You might assume that the main thoughts would be associated with the performances on court. This season’s attendances suggest two things. 1. The Rocks support doesn’t really give a **** if we are poor. They’ll still turn up. Or 2. The Rocks support accept we are **** and it isn’t just as simple as poor recruitment. There are so many factors that have caused this team to be where they are in the standings, aside from the coach/players. I’ll perhaps write about that another time. I fall in to Category 2. We are pretty crap, but we will get the odd decent result that will keep those in Category 1 happy. Make no mistake, there is no right or wrong category to be in. Category 1 fans are sometimes referred to as “happy clappers”. Every sports club needs happy clappers. Just like every sports club needs those who fall into Category 2 – the moaners. However we are where we are and we will need to just stick to the team we have it seems.
So what other theme do we have? Probably the most important one for me…
Disengagement.
I’ve brought up the idea of fan disengagement before. It’s been simmering for a while now. Recently it seems to have boiled over. One would hope that the club have not forgotten about fan engagement, but their actions seem to suggest they have.
To me, what is fan engagement? I understand it to be the club having an idea of the expectation and behaviours of fans and ultimately acting in a way that would improve the experience for fans. For example, what motivates fans interest in the sport? What do fans expect during game day or even outside of game days? For many Rocks fans it seems that engaging with fans is primarily based on their sense of identity and belonging as opposed to reaching levels where we are considered title challengers every season. The core of fan engagement is to put yourself in the shoes of your target fan base. How will they experience being part of your club, not just from a basketball perspective, but as an overall experience they chose to give their time and money to. The competition for fans time, money and attention is greater than ever before.
Gone are the days where there were organised fan/player meets after a game on the main concourse. Sure, players might not feel up to meeting with fans after a loss, but they are professionals. It’s part of the job. Don’t get into professional sport if you are unable to cope with the highs and the lows. Providing fans with access to players they admire is such an effective way to grow engagement, provided it is done properly. Hold exclusive events for season ticket holders, offer online interaction with the coach and players. Facebook Live interviews and Twitter takeovers are not that difficult to do. Make your fans feel as though they are really part of the team.
Also gone are the days where Rocks fans feel part of a community and feel a connection the team they support. Nowadays it seems fans are wanted only to act as cash cows. The club needs to make money of course, but surely there is a way to find a balance between being a profitable club and having fans feel part of something. Maybe not. I’m not a businesswoman so please correct me if I’m wrong. Everything costs money nowadays. That’s understandable. Fans do spend the money. Whether it is on season tickets, costs associated with away game travel or even merchandise. However let’s not forget that the less engaged fans become, the less they will spend.
Disengagement also comes in the form of volunteers. Club volunteers want to feel appreciated. They want to feel like their time and effort is valued. It’s just simple things, like when new members of staff come on board they should perhaps take the time to get to know the club volunteers. Introduce themselves. It’s not difficult, and that’s coming from a non-people person! After all, without the volunteers how will the game day experience operate so efficiently? I guess the club might find that out sooner rather than later due to the number of volunteers that are leaving. Again, that’s for another blog.
Ultimately fans and volunteers don’t see themselves as consumers. They consider themselves part of the team/club and will demonstrate incredible loyalty and support, if treated correctly. Perhaps the club need to go back to their roots and remind themselves of this.
