Essendon: strengths vs weaknesses

[isamonster]

Hey guys,

I'm doing a marketing assignment at uni and have chosen to evaluate the essendon football club as a case study and I thought who better to ask than the loyal essendon fans of bigfooty! What do you guys think the strengths of the essendon brand are as a whole, and what do you think are the weaker areas that the bombers could improve on? Obviously there are many opportunities coming up for essendon with the new coaching panel and relocation plans, are there any others? And are there any things thy threaten the footy club for the future? Any opinions or debate would be greatly appreciated so go your hardest bombers fans! Cheers

 

[Shane Hird]

Biggest strengths...

A founder member of the VFL/AFL- our long history

The 16 Premiership cups won

A list of Australian rules football icons who make up the club's history...ie: Thurgood, Reynolds, Hutchison, Coleman, Moss, Madden, TD, Watson, Bomber Thompson,Wanganeen, Hird, Lloyd, Long, Sheedy and Barry Young.

Our connection and involvement with the local Essendon community and our links with the N.T-big following.

 

[TeamHurley]

Biggest strengths are probably loitering, skulking, skulldudgery, dishonesty, thieving and back stabbing.

 

[Shane Hird]

Biggest strengths are probably loitering, skulking, skulldudgery, dishonesty, thieving and back stabbing.

lol...all the things that make up a successful football club-no matter what league you play in.

 

[Slattery_20]

Marketing case studies is exactly what's wrong with footy (and the world - rabble rabble rabble) today.

Sadly, they will say we present a strong brand because we use social media etc better than most. What a load of...

 

[Shane Hird]

More strengths would be..

We don't have any scandals and stories of drugs and binge drinking..(except for biffing indian taxi drivers)

We are seen as a stable and 'conservative' club and comapanies that sell up-market products like to be connected with us.

Our theme song has a banjo playing in it and EVERYONE loves the sound of a banjo..


Weaknesses...

Can't think of any.

 

[mayhem20202]

Our theme song has a banjo playing in it and EVERYONE loves the sound of a banjo..

If I ever wonder why I love the Bombers, now I will know, it is the Banjo!

 

[Shane Hird]

If I ever wonder why I love the Bombers, now I will know, it is the Banjo!

I'm involved with our local club coaching juniors and I don't know how many times a Freo or Eagle kid in the last 6 years has said to me.." One thing I like about the Bombers it's got that banjo in the song (said while simulating picking a banjo)...

 

[carnthedons]

Strengths - Broad demography of supporters
- Strong national supporter base
- James Hird & Dustin Fletcher
- No association with Robert Walls or Caroline Wilson


Weaknesses - association at one time with M Knights
- 90s/00s Recycled player recruitment (Zantuck, Cole, Camporeale etc)
- Habit of handing premierships to Nth with 1 pt prelim final losses
- Ability to end up with draft pick no.6 (Bradley, Myers)

 

[carnthedons]

Biggest strengths...

A founder member of the VFL/AFL- our long history

The 16 Premiership cups won

A list of Australian rules football icons who make up the club's history...ie: Thurgood, Reynolds, Hutchison, Coleman, Moss, Madden, TD, Watson, Bomber Thompson,Wanganeen, Hird, Lloyd, Long, Sheedy and Barry Young.

Our connection and involvement with the local Essendon community and our links with the N.T-big following.

- you may've forgotten Aaron Hennemann & Courtney Johns

 

[loopy_cam]

Another strength is our strong indigenous programs and links.

 

[BrownPearHookers]

Strength is giving our rubbish to Freo.

Weakness not being able to sign a champion player.

 

[isamonster]

Thanks for the input guys! that banjo will definitely be the difference between me getting an D and an F! Love it!

 

[ghostdog]

Agree with the poster who mentioned the club's history. As a result we're an integral part of the AFL. Rivalries that have been established with other clubs are invaluable to not only the Essendon brand, but the AFL. Other brands and the AFL would be considerably weaker if EFC folded or merged.

Top tier rivalries;
Carlton
Collingwood
Hawthorn

Second tier rivalries;
Richmond
West Coast

Imagine a season without Essendon playing any of these clubs and the loss to the game is immense. You only have to look at the cumulative losses in attendances for evidence. Each 'rivalry' match has the potential to further culturally construct the importance of the Essendon brand as synonymous with a legacy of tough contests. Our rivals know it and the AFL knows it.

Further, when this is combined with the emphasis of events like the ANZAC Day clash v Collingwood and Dreamtime at the G v. Richmond, initiated by greats of our club like Sheedy and (perhaps less visibly, Ron Evans), the strength of the Essendon brand is magnified. We're not only historically synonymous with high quality football, we're historically synonymous with community connection and society outside of football. Again, other clubs and the AFL are totally aware of this. One of the reasons why other clubs have gotten increasingly narky about who has the right to play on ANZAC Day.

Finally, our constitution says we won't change the jumper. That is our brand and most visible and relevant signifier. These clubs that constantly chop and change their guernsey make themselves only intermittently recognisable to fans who may only be fringe followers. The brand needs to be consistent. Coca-Cola's branding has mainstays that keep it recognisable. The dynamic ribbon, the cursive script. It's iconic. So too is an Essendon jumper. there is an argument for changing it in the name of finding new fans, but that dismisses the role of nostalgia, memory and history. That's why Pepsi is number two and Freo are shithouse.

So, Essendon's brand strength lays in the strength of its historic rivalries.