Airman - from your experience do you think there are marketing opportunities the club can exploit from a) the considerable number of new residents who will shortly occupy the flats being built on the Peninsula, and b) the thousands of people (including many families) that in six months or so will be coming to SE7 on a Saturday to the huge new Sainsburys/?M&S/?IKEA ?? A combined shopping/matchday experience, perhaps. Should the club consider targetting these locations ??
I've always been fairly sceptical about targeting new developments on the basis that they are filled by "old" people, with existing habits, loyalties and preconceptions. I don't think it's a bad thing to do, but neither do I think it likely to produce spectacular results. We have a huge catchment area to draw on already so in my view there are bigger pay-offs from getting the wider messages right. I'm not hugely sure that people want to combine shopping with football, but if people are coming into the area and there is parking it's a possible one to explore - in the past, however, it's been difficult to build the relationships with these major chains that would probably be necessary to exploit the possibilities.
Many thanks for a measured response. Perhaps we might have a little more going for us these days if more newcomers are arriving from abroad than in the past - their affiliations are more distant and no longer accessible. Also, with the biggest chains under stern threat from the discounters maybe they would be more amenable to any ideas that generate footfall. And after all, the whole party can divide itself into shoppers and sporting folk - something for everyone. But as you rightly say, our existing catchment area is substantial enough to provide ample opportunities already.
Oh, and just a last random thought. On Sunday afternoon walking back up home in Lansdowne Lane from the club shop, I clocked all the cars en route and of that considerable number only three had CAFC stickers. Surely this is well less than in the past - have we become shyer ? Would it cost much to offer a free issue, just to get our name back out there again ?
Oh, and just a last random thought. On Sunday afternoon walking back up home in Lansdowne Lane from the club shop, I clocked all the cars en route and of that considerable number only three had CAFC stickers. Surely this is well less than in the past - have we become shyer ? Would it cost much to offer a free issue, just to get our name back out there again ?
I've always been wary about a Charlton stickler in the car for a couple of reasons. Firstly fans of other teams might decide to have a little dig at the car and secondly because when I park at football it's a bit of a giveaway that I'll be gone for a couple of hours. If other people think like me then I think there is a chance that there would be fewer Charlton stickers in cars that some would imagine.
I think that there is a danger of old blokes like sillybilly, Ooh Aah and AFKA thinking because they are now middle aged duffers with other demands and pressures in their lives others feel the same. Us youngsters still have the passion for our club.
However I do agree that the concept of how you watch football has shifted from going to a ground to going to the pub/sofa. Those of us who actually go to a game are a minority.
That doesn't make it impossible to bring in new fans or bring back lapsed ones but without success it is very hard.
Airman gives a lot of detail which the usual suspects will ignore or whinge about but the reality is that the work was being done for many years.
It's very good that CAFC now have a Club Development Officer (who is it?) As we need to run just to stand still. I just hope they will realise that they can see further if they stand on the shoulders of those that went before.
Got a letter from the club for my son to renew Young Addicks signed by Anna Molloy Club Devlopment Manager and Event Manager
Anna Malloy was organising mascot packages at The Valley at least as far back as July 2012.
I don't think so because I was still there then and she hadn't been employed at the time. Her post was created subsequently and she is partly employed by the trust. She isn't the person KM was referring to, who I believe is Lisa Squires. Lisa has worked part-time for CAFC - she was line managed by Wendy Perfect until 2012 - since 2005, mainly on the admin and contacts for group bookings and comps. She has also worked part time as Valley Gold administrator (Wendy is promoter). I'd have preferred to let the club explain what it is doing, but that's my understanding.
For once your memory fails you, Airman, because the OS carried a piece about mascot packages with the contact name Anna Molloy dated July 2012. You can find it on the web.
Bearing in mind that I was head of club development until October 2012 and that Wendy was club development manager and resigned the day after I was sacked, I think I can be fairly confident that Anna Malloy wasn't club development manager in July 2012. I also ran the ticket office and was ultimately responsible for its staffing, although I didn't oversee mascot packages because they were commercial and came under Dave Archer. I'm not aware of Anna being involved at that point and to my knowledge I've never met her, but if she was then she wasn't an employee of the club. In fact, I know she was appointed under Ben Kensell (and the trust), who didn't arrive himself until 2013. What you may be looking at is an article originally posted in July 2012 that has been updated with more recent contacts?
Myself & Ian Wallis met Anna around Feb/March this year as Ben K had asked her to liaise with/support us with the organisation of the 2014 POTY dinner. My understanding is that she had only recently been appointed at our Club.
Comments
Many thanks for a measured response. Perhaps we might have a little more going for us these days if more newcomers are arriving from abroad than in the past - their affiliations are more distant and no longer accessible. Also, with the biggest chains under stern threat from the discounters maybe they would be more amenable to any ideas that generate footfall. And after all, the whole party can divide itself into shoppers and sporting folk - something for everyone. But as you rightly say, our existing catchment area is substantial enough to provide ample opportunities already.
Oh, and just a last random thought. On Sunday afternoon walking back up home in Lansdowne Lane from the club shop, I clocked all the cars en route and of that considerable number only three had CAFC stickers. Surely this is well less than in the past - have we become shyer ? Would it cost much to offer a free issue, just to get our name back out there again ?
Spot the Murray lookalike. A->D