We are a club not a brand (1 Viewer)

[ashbyjan]

Am I alone with getting riled by that Canadian twonk referring to our club as a brand - a brand is something transient and superficial , that can be marketed against competing brands with different usp's and target markets. These people fail to see that you support your club through thick and thin, its in your blood, brand loyalty is tested when you;re chosing coffee when faced by a wall of me-too products at Tesco's. Doubt if there's many people who wake up on a Saturday morning and think which soccer brand shall I go to watch? Cov City, Villa or Lester today? They support their team not a brand. Yes its vital to bring more numbers and excitement to supporting the team and the club but that's not through brand marketing its through success on the pitch, creating links to the community and making the club accessible and transparent in its dealings. Its our team, our club so take your Coventry football brand and stuff it where many a Mountie have undoubtedly been.

 

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[Jimthor]

I've done a marketing module this term as part of my degree, and it gave a bit of an insight into the mind of the non-footballing businessman! We had a whole chunk of a lecture about how in certain cases, such as football clubs, customers forge such a connection with a brand that they actually become "supporters" of that brand, rigorously defending it, continually pumping money into it, etc etc. At the end of the day, we're still just the customers for a business, but in a way a special type of customer. In pure business or marketing terms, every club is a brand.
It took a bit for me to accept that and get my head round it, as a football fan first and foremost, but that's just how the world works!

 

[ashbyjan]

Sorry but thats simply not the case - Apple is one of the strongest brands in the world and many of its users are passionate about the brand but this is through interaction with the products and the positive experience they derive from that interaction, be that above average product performance, the approval of peers etc - a football club is supported by people who are passionate about it in a totally different way - a totally irrational way if you will. You buy a computer because you want the best performance you can get for the money at that time, this year that might be Sony next year Toshiba, to some they will always stick to Apple. Whilst maybe at the top level Manure could be considered a brand because someone in China may "support" them because of brand association with success, quality etc but at our level you support the team because as a brand what value does Coventry City have or Lester or Bristol City? These are teams supported by their local communities not by worldwide adopters, and supported for family reasons, tribal reasons, social reasons but not for performance reasons or brand values. Could go on but starting to bore myself

 

[Walking Bird]

I know they want to sell the "Brand" thing however, I support CCFC . Not CCFB

 

[Jimthor]

I do see what you mean, totally. But irrespective of why you buy your tickets and shirts, you're still a customer of the club. I'll have top dig out my notes, it had a list of the types of customer, of which "supporter" was one. What you're talking about with Apple etc is definitely a type of passionate customer that champions the product, but is a class of customer with different characteristics to the supporter (for the most part).

And i don't think that us being a 'club' and 'brand' are mutually exclusive. I think they mean that Coventry City Football Club IS the brand.

 

[derbyskyblue]

If i wanted to support a brand i would follow manure like every one else who in part dont know where manchester is. When i hear words like brand it makes me even prouder to be a follower of ccfc. Could have took the easy option and follow manure like many others but for me its city till i die. Whatever happens, whatever league we are in. PUSB

 

[lordsummerisle]

Marketing speak, a dreadful assault on the English language.

The sorts who give it the "There's no "I" in Team" spiel, to which I always respond "But there is a "U" in c**t"

 

[derbyskyblue]

Marketing speak, a dreadful assault on the English language.

The sorts who give it the "There's no "I" in Team" spiel, to which I always respond "But there is a "U" in c**t"

Thats one reply when the swear filter should have been abandoned.

 

[Lanky Melvin]

It also annoyed me that they repeatedly referred to the club as Coventry Football Club. No that's in egg chasers in the Butts. We are Coventry CITY Football Club.

Shows how much involvement they have had to date.

 

[kapowaz]

This thread has so much misplaced anger. Your club is or has a brand whether you like it or not. The choice the management has is how to best use and improve that brand so that it profits the club best. Currently our brand is rubbish — how many kids do you see in Coventry wearing Villa/Brum/Baggies/Wolves tops? The Arena is, apparently, a commercial success and people still rate it highly, but in virtually every other respect it feels like all the ancillary stuff related to the club is in some way second-rate, from merchandising to club website. These are things that can be addressed and help improve the club's image and – yes — brand.

Like it or not, people don't make choices in life on a purely rational basis. Emotion and sentiment forms a big part of what we choose to buy, spend our time doing, invest our money in and (bizarrely enough) which football club we support. Marketing people have known this for decades, which is why so many ordinary products like soap or razors have become items which describe our lifestyle. Trimming the hair that grows out of our face may be a mundane activity but if you associate it with Roger Federer suddenly it's far more significant than it once was. What this club needs to do with the brand is make it something that fans — young and old — can associate with and become more emotionally invested in. Once that happens, more people will attend matches, buy season tickets, club shirts, merchandise, evangalise the club to their friends and family and help it grow.

Jimmy Hill understood this back in the 60s with his pop and crisp days, letting young fans meet the players. Interestingly enough Bobby Gould brought this back in his second stint, and it coincided with me becoming far more interested in the club too.

 

[rob9872]

As far as I'm concerned it can be Russell Brand, Katy Brand and Jo Brand as I'm less than intereted what they refer to us as off the pitchj providing they get it right on the pitch. If we were doing the business there, then we wouldn't be having any of these discussions

 

[DoYouSpeakClingan?]

Unfortunately, whether you like it or not, everything's a brand these days- even nation states engage in branding and re-branding! In a sense, this could be a good thing, as the Coventry name is lifted beyond the UK and given a bit of hype/attention elsewhere...maybe this could persuade a Chinese businessman to invest? I live in hope...

 

[Jimthor]

I think they need to work on strengthening the brand in the local community first, it's obviously not attractive enough if we're only getting 15,000 to the Ricoh each week!

 

[Walter Sobchak]

To be honest I shudder at the whole 'brand' idea in principal - however if it leads to more innovative ways of getting out into the community and generating additional streams of revenue then why not eh? It can only help to improve our situation. I don't think the modern club can survive on a few bums on seats once a week and the odd shirt sold from the club shop any more - especally when we don't even get any/much of the revenue from attendances due to the Ricoh situation.

I hear that before my time we used to be lead the way in footballing innovation - I think the only way to start clambering out of this mess is to get back there.


Hello by the way :wave:

 

[rob9872]

Hello to you too sir! :welcome: