To BFC, marketing idea.

Using today's technology how easy would it be to create a bfc app? One which u can order tickets from and give match reports, interviews like the website.

Also the app could send our notifications to phones on ticket prices and offers etc.

Surely other clubs use there official club app in a similar way, but not sure we even have one?

Good idea?

 

There is the football league app that does all that with the exception of tickets.

Choose your favourite club and away you go and if you choose to pay for it on top of your player subscription you get the videos as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

Good idea on the face of it, but app development is costly and doesn't always have a very good ROI. Obviously you've then created another communication channel that needs to be managed and maintained, which adds cost to the project.

I'd suggest the club would be better aiming their resources in other directions. My suggestion would be to diversify from other clubs - offer something different to your average modern football club. In the UK, we seem to have adopted the american sports model that maximises profit - instead of trying to maximise enjoyment. I'd switch back to offering something that no-one else does and I imagine we'd pick up a fair few fans along the way.

 

we do offer something most other clubs don't . unfortunatly its a total lack of marketing nous and a refusal to admit that changes meed to be made.

 

apps dont cost as much as you probably think, i have made the odd one just to test how easy it was, it wasnt brilliant it was just a little simple app, once i updated my phone it stopped working and never looked at it again. but like you said it would mean charging fans for it to be worth it and i cant see anyone buying it, keeping it upto date would be the hardest thing more than likely.

you can create an app with basic software nowdays, simply butting buttons in a design and saying i want this to link to here or does this when clicked. if its a brilliant one you can make a lot of money from it, look at instagram a simple app and probably didnt take long to make, the website probably took longer to create than the app and its made millions.

shame i aint a lot more technically minded else i would be making them for fun. lol, then you would have a new investor at Oakwell

 

I think there is a massive difference between a homemade app, and an app to be used for B2C commerce. Bear in mind that any app would be a reflection of the brand of Barnsley FC - so putting out some cheap crap (such as t-shirts about beating Leeds etc) probably does more damage to the clubs long term finances. I really wish the club would take advice on brand building and strategic marketing because we're on a slow decline in competitiveness (on and off the pitch) at the moment.

As an example, our business model is based on us winning games and being successful. If that happens then we'll (probably) see an increase in attendances, feel good factor, return customers etc. However, because we're uncompetitive financially we can't simply buy success like Leicester, West Ham and Cardiff have in recent years. Therefore, unless Hillcroft pull off a miracle and get us promoted the business model is destined to fail. To me, this is why we can't continue to do the same as everybody else.

When I say we should diversify, I don't mean we should charge lower prices. We should charge the same prices as others do - but make the fans feel like they're getting more for their money. Currently your matchday ticket entitles you to watch 90 minutes of football, 15 minutes of horrendous half time "entertainment", you get ripped off for ***** food and drink and then you're shuffled out of Oakwell as quickly as possible until next time. We need to make Barnsley fans feel like one of a kind - almost like the Poznan of the UK. There is so much that we can do - but because we're trying to milk short time profits out of every last faucet, we miss long term opportunities to create sustainability.

I'd start with real ale from local breweries, mobile food sellers in the stands (like USA hot dog sellers), daft competitions at half time (not always featuring kids - adults provide more entertainment), seating around the outside of the ground. We need to become the football club that everyone fell in love with all of those years ago - not just a clone of the rest of them.

 

I can't see it happening, we'd have to build a bigger ground.

 

I could not agree more - especially about the need for a brand consultancy to come in help shape the club and to identify what really can make us different and gives the fans a reason to believe in the brand and the club.

As Jerry Garcia said, it's no longer to just be the best at what you do, you have to be the only one's who do what you do.

(Or words to that effect).

 

I well I'm buggered if I can think of anybody.