Capitalising on the Cup Win

[Guest]

We will never get a better chance than this to convert some of the day-trippers who rarely, if ever, attend home games into season ticket holders. If I was our Glorious Leader Kenny Cameron then I would mount a campaign which surpassed anything the club has done before advertising-wise to do just that:

 

- Send letters to every one who bought tickets to the cup final 

- Billboards around the city showing the great prices on offer

- Free or reduced price ticket(s) to the home Euro game to every season ticket holder

- Keep up the level of community involvement that we saw before the final for the next month. If the players are still in Inverness and are keen, they could tour schools with the Cup before the kids leave for the summer holidays

- Take the cup to the summer Hotshots coaching sessions etc. along with season ticket forms

- Keep a city centre presence in the form of a shop for the summer at least

Edited June 1, 2015 by Guest

[Div1309]

all great ideas.

 

hope they get some scottish cup winners merchandise going like t-shirts, dvd, scarfs etc 

[Joe DiMaggio]

They are doing things with the trophy but the players are on holiday so probably community coaches just now.

I'm running a schools football tournament in Invergordon on Thursday and they are coming up with the trophy for an hour and a half.

They had provisionally penciled me in depending on result in final and seemed like they had provisionally made other commitments as well.

Have to say I'm pretty excited!

[Scotty]

agree. this is crucial. if we can convert a few hundred or even a thousand to come along regularly it will have a pretty significant impact on our turnover 

[CaleyHedgehog]

I'm already missing the city centre shop - especially with the likelihood that there will be cup winning merchandise for me to spend money that I don't have on.

[Charles Bannerman]

An extra 500 at an average of maybe £15 a head for 19 home games is over £140,000 in one season which is significant cash for ICT.

Some may suggest that gates going up by 500 as a result of this is too modest a target, and indeed, if you take a ballpark figure of 12,000 of Saturday's ICT support not being current attenders, it only amounts to around 4% of the potential market.

However I don't think St Johnstone experienced the boost they deserved when they won last season and ICT will need to work hard to capitalise on this opportunity.

What has been decidedly unhelpful in terms of keeping the momentum going is that national media coverage almost instantly turned away post-match to cover a game the following day which two teams were playing effectively because they had both been failures.

I think it's completely wrong to have anything else in place as a potential counter attraction or indeed distraction from the Scottish Cup final.

When that distraction involves one of the Old Firm, then national media interest in ICT and the Cup melts away even faster. And when this degenerates into a disgraceful punch up, that interest spontaneously evaporates.

So even by the time you get to the Monday papers, ICT is getting seriously sidelined and I really do think that Caley Thistle have been seriously short changed by this scheduling of a game between one team which couldn't avoid the bottom two in the Premiership and another which couldn't win the Championship.

On the other hand, if momentum is going to be maintained on this success, the crucial element may well be the local media, who have no such OF obsession.

[12th Man]

I think an extra 5% (from the final) will turn up by doing nothing.

If our commercial dept can push that up to 10% then its over 1000 extra fans and thats still a success even with keeping only 1 in 10 of the Hampden heros.

I havent seen the match on tv yet but if it comes across well then thats a big boost too and Ive heard of non football fans watching it and getting very animated when that 2nd goal went in.

I would like to see supporters clubs set up too, it adds character and creates a stronger bond in the community. A few beers before the match,the football then back to the pub seems very appealing to some, even removing these vocal drunk fans from the equation, it makes getting to the stadium extremely easy. I was chatting to a few people about this on Saturday night and got very positive feedback, a home match becomes a day out like an away day, it just depends how simple or how complicating you want to make it to set up.

Edited June 2, 2015 by 12th Man

[Cameroonie]

They need to keep momentum going.... Club/town should have done something in falcon square or at stadium on Monday when kids off school. If the northern meeting park 'celebrations' is anything to go by we won't get any new season ticket holders... If not for dave the rave, then there wouldn't have been any entertainment!!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Now this is not a wind up - Was it not strange however that the Central Belt media appear to have focussed on the merger and its effect on the attendances and local interest in ICT. As I was heading home there was a 30 minute debate on the radio and an article in the Scottish Sun.

 

Our issue will always be the retention of players, especially the "better" ones, and the acquisition of players more likely to fit in to the system. That is needed to ensure ongoing "success" or a continuing consolidation of Premier League status. For ICT that will be a continual challenge. Many people need success to keep on turning up.

 

And nobody could say that the "team" at ICT have not done their damnest for the last couple of seasons to attract community support. I have to concede that the Caley support away to St Johnsttone was magnificent and ammounted to 4000 and only 400 turned up at the next game.

 

Sorry to be a bit negative but we need to keep on attracting the kids as I really do not see us attracting many of the adult population on the back of a cup final success. And whilst I can I will continue to wallow in the feeling.

[12th Man]

After the season weeve had I think we can attract anyone at any age.

[Kingsmills]

An extra 500 at an average of maybe £15 a head for 19 home games is over £140,000 in one season which is significant cash for ICT.

Some may suggest that gates going up by 500 as a result of this is too modest a target, and indeed, if you take a ballpark figure of 12,000 of Saturday's ICT support not being current attenders, it only amounts to around 4% of the potential market.

However I don't think St Johnstone experienced the boost they deserved when they won last season and ICT will need to work hard to capitalise on this opportunity.

What has been decidedly unhelpful in terms of keeping the momentum going is that national media coverage almost instantly turned away post-match to cover a game the following day which two teams were playing effectively because they had both been failures.

I think it's completely wrong to have anything else in place as a potential counter attraction or indeed distraction from the Scottish Cup final.

When that distraction involves one of the Old Firm, then national media interest in ICT and the Cup melts away even faster. And when this degenerates into a disgraceful punch up, that interest spontaneously evaporates.

So even by the time you get to the Monday papers, ICT is getting seriously sidelined and I really do think that Caley Thistle have been seriously short changed by this scheduling of a game between one team which couldn't avoid the bottom two in the Premiership and another which couldn't win the Championship.

On the other hand, if momentum is going to be maintained on this success, the crucial element may well be the local media, who have no such OF obsession.

I agree with Charles that,given the experience of other smaller provincial clubs who have won the trophy, an extra 500 or so regular attenders is a realistic target. Roughly 10,000 extra bums on seats in the course of a season which would fund a couple of extra first team players with a few bob to spare.

 

What is essential is to strike while the iron is hot....

[sknahsw]

Attendances should go up for ICT. Using this website http://www.european-....co.uk/attn.htm I see that stjohnstone attendances went up 17% after they won the cup last year

[Renegade]

They need to keep momentum going.... Club/town should have done something in falcon square or at stadium on Monday when kids off school. If the northern meeting park 'celebrations' is anything to go by we won't get any new season ticket holders... If not for dave the rave, then there wouldn't have been any entertainment!!

 

Don't know what your problem is, but I thought the Northern Meeting Park thing was really good.  Some people are never happy...

Edited June 2, 2015 by Renegade

[TopSix]

Killie are doing a home top and season ticket for £315. How about we do a limited edition cup final shirt / t-shirt with every season book?

[Charles Bannerman]

 I see that stjohnstone attendances went up 17% after they won the cup last year

Which is about 500. I am sure the ICT commercial department will pull out all the stops to pack every single available exta bum on a seat.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Charles Bannerman

[Kingsmills]

Now this is not a wind up - Was it not strange however that the Central Belt media appear to have focussed on the merger and its effect on the attendances and local interest in ICT. As I was heading home there was a 30 minute debate on the radio and an article in the Scottish Sun.

 

Our issue will always be the retention of players, especially the "better" ones, and the acquisition of players more likely to fit in to the system. That is needed to ensure ongoing "success" or a continuing consolidation of Premier League status. For ICT that will be a continual challenge. Many people need success to keep on turning up.

 

And nobody could say that the "team" at ICT have not done their damnest for the last couple of seasons to attract community support. I have to concede that the Caley support away to St Johnsttone was magnificent and ammounted to 4000 and only 400 turned up at the next game.

 

Sorry to be a bit negative but we need to keep on attracting the kids as I really do not see us attracting many of the adult population on the back of a cup final success. And whilst I can I will continue to wallow in the feeling.

Agree. The kids are the future. Wasn't in Inverness in the build up but I told that there were, for once, more kids going around wearing ICT tops than Celtic or The Rangers tops. We need to capitalize on that and make it a permanent state of affairs. When the only Old Firm tops in display in town are worn by (misguided) adults the future will be ours. It may take another decade but the initiative needs to be seized now...

[Guest]

Nice to see the photos on Twitter of people buying their season tickets. Could maybe have some sort of online counter so we know how many we've sold?

[Kingsmills]

Nice to see the photos on Twitter of people buying their season tickets. Could maybe have some sort of online counter so we know how many we've sold?

The club don't do releasing numbers...........

[Sneckboy]

As Saturday proved, there is a potential fan-base there which could be tapped for future growth.

Although it's widely 'accepted' that we only have around 3,000-3,500 core fans, I've always thought that it's surely not the same folk who turn-up, week-in-week-out.

It's probably more complex than that, with a small number of 'diehards' who are there at 80% of the games (some 100% of course), and a mixture of others who can be there when they can. I'd put myself in that bracket.

 

This is a 'back of a fag packet' calculation of where our fans come from (with apologies for my clumsy attempt at categorising fans into 'type').

But, it perhaps demonstrates how retaining even a small fraction of the more casual fans could see us significantly increase our average attendance.

[CaleyHedgehog]

An added effect of a large Season Ticket take up is that there would be a possible shortage of tickets available for individual games making people more inclined to snap them up early rather than risk missing out. 

[+jagster]

As Saturday proved, there is a potential fan-base there which could be tapped for future growth.

Although it's widely 'accepted' that we only have around 3,000-3,500 core fans, I've always thought that it's surely not the same folk who turn-up, week-in-week-out.

It's probably more complex than that, with a small number of 'diehards' who are there at 80% of the games (some 100% of course), and a mixture of others who can be there when they can. I'd put myself in that bracket.

 

This is a 'back of a fag packet' calculation of where our fans come from (with apologies for my clumsy attempt at categorising fans into 'type').

But, it perhaps demonstrates how retaining even a small fraction of the more casual fans could see us significantly increase our average attendance.

potential attendance.jpg

I would imagine the diehards figure would be a fair bit higher. Most season ticket holders attend every home game and there must be more than 800 I would have thought

[sknahsw]

Hate to mention the county elephant in the room but how do they manage to get such a large following?

[+MrCaleyjag]

An added effect of a large Season Ticket take up is that there would be a possible shortage of tickets available for individual games making people more inclined to snap them up early rather than risk missing out. 

 

I'm not sure this would be the case, you would need a season ticket increase of over 100% for anyone to struggle to get a ticket for a home match outwith Celtic games when we give them more of an allocation than other teams.

 

I would think the club would be aiming for a smaller increase in overall ticket sales for games of around 500 and go from there, it's not just season ticket sales that the club should or will focus on.

 

Whether we like it or not sales are driven by price, as much as 'the experts' say it isn't. Build in an incentive for an adult and child price (£20.00 for instance), adult and two children (£22.50 for instance) then families (2 adults, 2 children - £30.00 for instance). Remember every week the seats sit empty so any extra seats filled is all extra cash, the club needs to push to the youth and build from there in my opinion.

[sknahsw]

Saturday was worth £380 on its own so hope there is alot of impulse buying.I'm in Edinburgh but have pledged my attendance to at least when ict are down at Hearts

[wynthank15]

I am one of the supporters who doesn't get to the TCS that often. At the cup final the two girls next to me had travelled from Greece and Vancouver for the game, in relation to the size of the home support i get the impression that ICT have a larger proportion of overseas supporters, supporters outside Inverness  and guys who work offshore which can be up to a 2 month stint. I feel ICT need to attract more local support. When I was a boy County were regarded as THE highland team by the west coasters and islanders. I also know of supporters who used to watch ICT and County (heresy I know) on alternative weekends, I'm sure as the club matures and keeps up its level of performance, the numbers will grow.

Two things in my opinion would help, keep Marley Watkins who I think will be a top front man and bring back a standing area so that my athritic hips don't seize up sitting in the cold wind.