The Official 2010 Membership Thread

[Twinkletoes]

I thought winning our next flag is the "next frontier", which would also do wonders to the "new" supporters search and awakening the "dead". We are are never goign to be a "Richmond" where absolute crap on the field still leads to record membership.

Yes EH, hence the membership thingy being named "our FINAL frontier".........it's a chronological thing.

 

[Long Live the King]

Plenty of great suggestions on this thread.

Heres my 2 bobs worth.

If this is all about making it more affordable for new members and incentivising existing members then maybe the following is an option.

New Members - If the annual cost is say $110 for an $11 game member ship then let new members pick how many games they want to join up for. Some may pick 2 others 8. They would pay $22 and $88 respectively. The decision could be financial or they may only want to go to certain games. This will suit interstate members also who may only want one game memberships.
Forget all the collateral, just send them a membership card.

Existing Members - Sliding Scale of discounts after a number of years. For example if you are members for 3 years straight then your membership is discounted 5%, 4 years 6% and so on. This would incentivise renewal as non renewal means you lose the discount entitlement.

Food for thought.

 

[Royal Flush]

Discounting de-values your product.

 

[roo_beauty]

Plenty of great suggestions on this thread.

Heres my 2 bobs worth.

If this is all about making it more affordable for new members and incentivising existing members then maybe the following is an option.

New Members - If the annual cost is say $110 for an $11 game member ship then let new members pick how many games they want to join up for. Some may pick 2 others 8. They would pay $22 and $88 respectively. The decision could be financial or they may only want to go to certain games. This will suit interstate members also who may only want one game memberships.
Forget all the collateral, just send them a membership card.

Existing Members - Sliding Scale of discounts after a number of years. For example if you are members for 3 years straight then your membership is discounted 5%, 4 years 6% and so on. This would incentivise renewal as non renewal means you lose the discount entitlement.

Food for thought.

Dont like either idea, first would be difficult to set up, awkward to market and just weird.

Under no circumstances can you discount the memberships, where do you stop? Say someone is a 30 year member, you cant give someone a 30% discount...you would have issues with people who missed just one year because they couldnt afford to and could force them away. And when you take it away, long term members would be pissed. Why cant we do a hawthorn, scarfes list years as a member...although the clubs database is awful...

 

[BoomerBrownlow_29]

Updated figure 07/05

27,566

 

[grimface_87]

Dont like either idea, first would be difficult to set up, awkward to market and just weird.

Under no circumstances can you discount the memberships, where do you stop? Say someone is a 30 year member, you cant give someone a 30% discount...you would have issues with people who missed just one year because they couldnt afford to and could force them away. And when you take it away, long term members would be pissed. Why cant we do a hawthorn, scarfes list years as a member...although the clubs database is awful...

Agree. By the way, if anyone has incorrect membership information (i.e. names, years as member, address, etc), just email the club with the correct details. It only took them 2 business days to get back to me and tell me that it had been sorted.

 

[Long Live the King]

Dont like either idea, first would be difficult to set up, awkward to market and just weird.

Under no circumstances can you discount the memberships, where do you stop? Say someone is a 30 year member, you cant give someone a 30% discount...you would have issues with people who missed just one year because they couldnt afford to and could force them away. And when you take it away, long term members would be pissed. Why cant we do a hawthorn, scarfes list years as a member...although the clubs database is awful...

I think the club needs to think a little more laterally than simply handing out a scarf.

For whatever reason we have one of the lowest memberships around. We dont have a Wayne Carey to drag them in, we dont have the last 2 premiership cups to drag them in.

Discounting has been a tool used by many organisations to attract new business, to retain business and to improve cashflow. North is a business believe it or not. Whilst it receives support from the AFL it still needs to generate sufficient revenue to operate.

Your example is a good one but not for the reason you give, how good would it be to have 30 year members paying their membership every single year and being able to give them a financial reward rather than a collection of baseball caps? The roo for life initiative is all about setting a base for long term revenue, lock them in for as long as you can to generate a consistent revenue stream.

The amount of the discount would have to be modelled properly.

Regardless of how ridiculous the idea might sound our club needs to innovate to be competitive.

 

[Long Live the King]

Discounting de-values your product.

How is that the case?

Members who buy the membership value the product, thats why they buy it.

Opposition supporters currently ridicule our club for having poor membership numbers, so if discounting generates more revenue for our club through increased membership which translates into an improved bottom line then that ridicule becomes meaningless.

Like you I love the club and IMO only having 27000 members devalues the product more than any potential discount.

 

[Royal Flush]

How is that the case?

Members who buy the membership value the product, thats why they buy it.

Opposition supporters currently ridicule our club for having poor membership numbers, so if discounting generates more revenue for our club through increased membership which translates into an improved bottom line then that ridicule becomes meaningless.

Like you I love the club and IMO only having 27000 members devalues the product more than any potential discount.

Mate those members do not exist, so discounting will not necessarily increase membership right at this moment. Those lapsed members are sympathy and true members that bought multiple tickets. That is not sustainable.
Start winning and watch it grow.

discounting is not necessary, demonstrating value is the key. Getting those that are supporters but not members to sign. Not sure that there are many of those ATM looking at our attendances over the last few years.

 

[coopers pale]

I strongly believe that discounting isn't the go, because people become members due to passion - i.e. it is an emotional decision, not a financial-based decision. The only time this isn't the case is when people genuinely can't afford the $120 (or whatever their membership is), and then a 10% discount, or whatever, is unlikely to suddenly make it affordable enough in the majority of those cases.

I like the idea of having the years of membership listed on scarves/hats, it tells a story of pride, and gives a reason for people to renew, even if their budget is a bit skint, as they don't want to start back at 1 again the following year.

Other ideas are giving a larger membership gift every 5 or 10 years, so that again, you're rewarding loyalty. e.g. a $50 voucher at the Roo shop every 5 years, or a baseball cap personally signed by the current captain & coach every 5 years?

We need to 'invite' and 'reward' loyalty, to reduce the 'churn', that is easier to do than to attract more new members. Money spent on the 'reduction of churn' will give better return than trying to get new members, IMO. Although of course we do need to do both.

 

[tazaa]

2 social club membership added to the tally today.. Finally got me brother to sign up the lazy bastard.. got it as a wedding gift so onwards and upwards to 30000 we go..

 

[blackshadow]

Yesterday I found out that the guy who runs the corner coffee stand near work where I buy my coffee and his father are both North supporters. I asked if they were members and he said no they don't get time to go to games.

I didn't get time to pursue it further yesterday but will talk to him about it next week and see if they may be interested in some form of membership. If he has kids the family membership option could be a winner.

 

[conwaynmfc]

27,805
as of this morning. so only 239 in 7 days

 

[grimface_87]

I think that might just about be it unless we bring in some 3-5 game memberships

 

[shintemaster]

I think that might just about be it unless we bring in some 3-5 game memberships

Including this weekend we still have 8 home games for the year. That's still a lot of games. I think it may still be a bit early... although I'm a fan of the idea as I don't think you'll get too many more at this stage of the year anyway. I'd rather sign up another 3,000 on 5 game memberships than 1,000 on 11 game ones. It may not necessarily be better financially but I think getting people at games is the important thing. We need to build that pool of potential members.

 

[FOOOOTY]

surprised you guys dont have a 3 game membership, they simply make sense at this stage of the season

 

[jacko57]

Yesterday I found out that the guy who runs the corner coffee stand near work where I buy my coffee and his father are both North supporters. I asked if they were members and he said no they don't get time to go to games.

I didn't get time to pursue it further yesterday but will talk to him about it next week and see if they may be interested in some form of membership. If he has kids the family membership option could be a winner.

How much coffee do you buy? Maybe get them both a membership, and you get free coffee for the rest of the year?

 

[spurs]

All signed up and ready to rock.
Go Roos

 

[shintemaster]

Slightly double posting here but seriously. We have 8 more home games!? We should still be out shouting from the rooftops. There is a lot of value left in a membership for us, at this point last year (I think) we had played about half of our games!

 

[conwaynmfc]

Why can't we offer memberships each week at a reduced rate.

Eg. We have 8 more home games as you said, so we charge for whatever a "8 game membership" would be.

Then 7 games, reduce the cost each week etc.

So when people ring up, if they ask have we got a cheaper membership, yep you can have access to 8 more home games or 7 or 6 or 5 whatever.

Surely the salesman can do some basic maths and work it out. But only offer it if they aren't prepared to pay for a full membership.

 

[RoyalBlue]

Im not in favour of diluting our membership structure until someone proves it'll make us more money.

 

[Limerick]

Why can't we offer memberships each week at a reduced rate.

Eg. We have 8 more home games as you said, so we charge for whatever a "8 game membership" would be.

Then 7 games, reduce the cost each week etc.

So when people ring up, if they ask have we got a cheaper membership, yep you can have access to 8 more home games or 7 or 6 or 5 whatever.

Surely the salesman can do some basic maths and work it out. But only offer it if they aren't prepared to pay for a full membership.

Any change to the packages requires AFL approval. Given the structure of the other Melbourne based club packages I suspect our only hope would be either a 3 home game package OR a 5 game home & away package OR both.

 

[Mr Reliable]

Ho-hum.

After more than 1000 posts this thread has just about run out of gas.

 

[Engimal]

http://www.goroos.com.au/

That's gotta get some members.. Made my eyes well up

 

[GoNorth]

This is an interesting article about memberships in the AFL. I'm a bit worried about the claim, though, that North only have about 8,000 11-game members. That doesn't sound good, if it's correct.

The truth about cats and dogs DAN SILKSTONE
May 15, 2010

AFL memberships are booming and the AFL could not be more delighted. Nor could Frank and Rocky Derango, both of Kew and both signed-up Brisbane Lions members for 2010.



http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/the-truth-about-cats-and-dogs-20100514-v4od.html