new job role at City to 'monetise' fans

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

Nobody is going to monetise me at City.

I bought a few Wagon Wheels, orange drinks and packets of crisps at Maine Rd in the late 60s/early 70s and I bought programmes until the late 80s.

But since then I've not spent one penny inside the ground and don't think I ever will.

I pay for my season ticket and that is it.

Just wait till they charge £1 for a number 1, and £2 for a number 2, that would monetise a lot of people including myself who must have at least 3 number 1's every game.

 

[LoveCity]

Someone has been reading Bluemoon... Michael Calvin from The Independent to be exact...

... but it's hard to disagree with anything he writes really.

Claudio Borges became Head of Fan Relationship Management at Manchester City on Wednesday. He announced he was "ecstatic", praised the "loyalty, passion and authenticity" of the club's supporters, and then made the schoolboy error of telling the truth.

His mistake was to describe his role, on the social media platform LinkedIn, as "creating direct relationships with fans worldwide, learn about their interests and beh-aviours, and better engage them, serve them and monetise them".

The Orwellian overtones of such candour challenged the carefully constructed illusion of empathy and informality between football and its followers. Little wonder that within 24 hours Borges was covering his tracks. He removed the M word, and revised that clumsily composed sentence by insisting his job was to provide fans "with relevant commercial offers".

Unfortunately for someone who boasts he is "passionate about football, revenue and innovation", a screengrab of his indiscretion was already circulating amongst supporters' protest groups. He had invited scrutiny of City's strategic approach to relieving their fans of their disposable income.

It seems Big Brother is alive and well and doing the Poznan. City's fans are segmented into 33 target groups. Each represents a different commercial value to the club. Data is collected through the official website and membership cards which report purchasing patterns via a radio-frequency ID system.

City identify individual supporters, monitor when they arrive at the stadium and what they buy when they are there. In the jargon of the trade, they analyse "unrealised potential value". The database differentiates between fans so they can be cross-sold merchandise and other services.

Robo-marketers like Borges create a parallel universe in which multi-millionaire players are "the lads". They use Facebook to promote the cosy assumption that "we are together". To outline a typically crass initiative, fans are offered "the opportunity to have a permanent place in City history" by buying personalised discs for up to £350.

The sales patter promises the stadium will be "transformed when thousands of supporter messages, inscribed on to individual discs, are connected in a giant circle to spell out the words in 'Blue Moon' ".

Of course, City are no different to other clubs who robustly milk football's cash cow. But as they do so, the struggle for the sport's soul intensifies. The idealists and the monetisers, true believers and barrow boys, are increasingly entrenched.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-last-word-idealists-v-the-monetisers--a-struggle-for-footballs-soul-8735153.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 35153.html</a>

 

[lancs blue]

Someone has been reading Bluemoon... Michael Calvin from The Independent to be exact...

... but it's hard to disagree with anything he writes really.

Claudio Borges became Head of Fan Relationship Management at Manchester City on Wednesday. He announced he was "ecstatic", praised the "loyalty, passion and authenticity" of the club's supporters, and then made the schoolboy error of telling the truth.

His mistake was to describe his role, on the social media platform LinkedIn, as "creating direct relationships with fans worldwide, learn about their interests and beh-aviours, and better engage them, serve them and monetise them".

The Orwellian overtones of such candour challenged the carefully constructed illusion of empathy and informality between football and its followers. Little wonder that within 24 hours Borges was covering his tracks. He removed the M word, and revised that clumsily composed sentence by insisting his job was to provide fans "with relevant commercial offers".

Unfortunately for someone who boasts he is "passionate about football, revenue and innovation", a screengrab of his indiscretion was already circulating amongst supporters' protest groups. He had invited scrutiny of City's strategic approach to relieving their fans of their disposable income.

It seems Big Brother is alive and well and doing the Poznan. City's fans are segmented into 33 target groups. Each represents a different commercial value to the club. Data is collected through the official website and membership cards which report purchasing patterns via a radio-frequency ID system.

City identify individual supporters, monitor when they arrive at the stadium and what they buy when they are there. In the jargon of the trade, they analyse "unrealised potential value". The database differentiates between fans so they can be cross-sold merchandise and other services.

Robo-marketers like Borges create a parallel universe in which multi-millionaire players are "the lads". They use Facebook to promote the cosy assumption that "we are together". To outline a typically crass initiative, fans are offered "the opportunity to have a permanent place in City history" by buying personalised discs for up to £350.

The sales patter promises the stadium will be "transformed when thousands of supporter messages, inscribed on to individual discs, are connected in a giant circle to spell out the words in 'Blue Moon' ".

Of course, City are no different to other clubs who robustly milk football's cash cow. But as they do so, the struggle for the sport's soul intensifies. The idealists and the monetisers, true believers and barrow boys, are increasingly entrenched.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-last-word-idealists-v-the-monetisers--a-struggle-for-footballs-soul-8735153.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 35153.html</a>

Yeah the article's fair enough, it's not exactly anything new though - clubs have been looking at ways to milk supporters for years, I'd imagine that most in this country are fairly clued-up on the methods by now.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Someone has been reading Bluemoon... Michael Calvin from The Independent to be exact...

... but it's hard to disagree with anything he writes really.

Claudio Borges became Head of Fan Relationship Management at Manchester City on Wednesday. He announced he was "ecstatic", praised the "loyalty, passion and authenticity" of the club's supporters, and then made the schoolboy error of telling the truth.

His mistake was to describe his role, on the social media platform LinkedIn, as "creating direct relationships with fans worldwide, learn about their interests and beh-aviours, and better engage them, serve them and monetise them".

The Orwellian overtones of such candour challenged the carefully constructed illusion of empathy and informality between football and its followers. Little wonder that within 24 hours Borges was covering his tracks. He removed the M word, and revised that clumsily composed sentence by insisting his job was to provide fans "with relevant commercial offers".

Unfortunately for someone who boasts he is "passionate about football, revenue and innovation", a screengrab of his indiscretion was already circulating amongst supporters' protest groups. He had invited scrutiny of City's strategic approach to relieving their fans of their disposable income.

It seems Big Brother is alive and well and doing the Poznan. City's fans are segmented into 33 target groups. Each represents a different commercial value to the club. Data is collected through the official website and membership cards which report purchasing patterns via a radio-frequency ID system.

City identify individual supporters, monitor when they arrive at the stadium and what they buy when they are there. In the jargon of the trade, they analyse "unrealised potential value". The database differentiates between fans so they can be cross-sold merchandise and other services.

Robo-marketers like Borges create a parallel universe in which multi-millionaire players are "the lads". They use Facebook to promote the cosy assumption that "we are together". To outline a typically crass initiative, fans are offered "the opportunity to have a permanent place in City history" by buying personalised discs for up to £350.

The sales patter promises the stadium will be "transformed when thousands of supporter messages, inscribed on to individual discs, are connected in a giant circle to spell out the words in 'Blue Moon' ".

Of course, City are no different to other clubs who robustly milk football's cash cow. But as they do so, the struggle for the sport's soul intensifies. The idealists and the monetisers, true believers and barrow boys, are increasingly entrenched.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-last-word-idealists-v-the-monetisers--a-struggle-for-footballs-soul-8735153.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 35153.html</a>

Yeah the article's fair enough, it's not exactly anything new though - clubs have been looking at ways to milk supporters for years, I'd imagine that most in this country are fairly clued-up on the methods by now.

Well it is a good job that Claudio was at York away and can't be accused of being a JCL!!

I am not sue how many City Circles he has bought though?

 

[stonerblue]

I'm confused.
Is the tweet thingy from City, advertising a job vacancy? Or is it some gimp pretending he's important by telling us what he does?<br /><br />-- Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:22 am --<br /><br />

I started going in 1986 and it's always been a family thing for me too, however i won't be taking my lad due to the points i made in my earlier post.

The thing with football is that it's in your blood, but i won't pay the unjustified ticket prices or by the rip off merchandise (i wouldn't buy anything made by Nike for any price to be fair as it's chavvy)

If people are happy with a club that sold it's soul, sterile atmosphere, high prices, greedy players, becoming blue rags and more interesting in being a 'global brand' then fair enough, enjoy it.

Seriously FL? You preferred it when we had zero cash? Days away from going bust?

Just look at Portsmouth and ask yourself where you'd rather be. We've been waiting years for success and your bowing out now??

Yeah, i preferred football the way it was mate.

My post wasn't meant to be offensive to any blues by describing them as rags, but one of the main reasons i hated united was the fact it was just a commercial operation and not a club that represents it's local community.

Look, we're all entitled to an opinion on the way football is going and respect the fans that are happy with the way things are going, like i said enjoy it.

So yes i am 'bowing out' now as i no longer have a passion for Manchester City PLC that makes me want to go to the games.

I will however continue to look for free internet streams for selected games (excluding the 'Champions' League but i won't start ranting about that) and if my children or nephews decide to become blues then i may even turn up again one day (domestic cup games for less than £30 only though!)

I stand by my point about ticket prices, but i guess thats all down to an individual on what they believe to be acceptable and value for money, some of you on here seem to have the same passion i had back in the day so i respect your decision to pay the increases.

City XI playing at Radcliffe Borough this coming tuesday.

 

[ws01]

I'm an Aussie and the clubs from two biggest football codes here (Rugby League & AFL) have this sort of thing right throughout. None of those clubs are as big as City on any level, with the majority being far, far smaller.

If they employ people in the area of Fan Engagement/Relationship Management, I don't see why a far bigger organisation like City wouldn't.

 

[NPBlue]

I wonder how he's going to 'monetise' me?

I turn up 5 minutes before the game, watch the first half, stretch my legs at half time by standing up, watch the second half and go home.

I've been doing it for decades.

I bought a pint at Maine Rd once, and I bought a beefburger at a new years day game a few years ago at Coms, and I would never waste my money on such crap again.

He can try and monetise me all he likes, but he is wasting his time.

My match routine involves no consumption of anything other than watching the game, and that goes for away games as well.

Maybe I'm the type of supporter he finds a challenge, but he's not going to win me over.

 

[AlexWilliamsGloves]

That journalist is also playing on people misinterpretation of the word monetise...

That stuff happens when you go to Tesco...or use any sort of loyalty/points card...it records what you bought, where, what time, what else you bought with it as well as you personal stats such as age, gender....

When they study the figures they can see trends in what, how and why people buy things...you can also say it helps them reduce their costs and overheads. ie Why stock a certain product if it only sells at certain times of the year

Its just basic, modern advertising and marketing

 

[Tim of the Oak]

That journalist is also playing on people misinterpretation of the word monetise...

That stuff happens when you go to Tesco...or use any sort of loyalty/points card...it records what you bought, where, what time, what else you bought with it as well as you personal stats such as age, gender....

When they study the figures they can see trends in what, how and why people buy things...you can also say it helps them reduce their costs and overheads. ie Why stock a certain product if it only sells at certain times of the year

Its just basic, modern advertising and marketing

If the Club has a truly slick marketing operation then they would realise that the definition Society place on words is important. Perception is reality as they say in PR.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I'm an Aussie and the clubs from two biggest football codes here (Rugby League & AFL) have this sort of thing right throughout. None of those clubs are as big as City on any level, with the majority being far, far smaller.

If they employ people in the area of Fan Engagement/Relationship Management, I don't see why a far bigger organisation like City wouldn't.

Thanks ws01. The issue isn't that the club recruit fan engagement / relationship management personnel. I think some fans are concerned about how willing one of these staff is to publish that their role is to monetize fans. This was naive at best although many of us know that people are employed at City to perform these roles.

I am a big RL fan and I have studies the Aussie RL approach to winning back fans and attracting new fans to the game. The award winning media campaign undertake a few years ago was very much about placing the fans at the centre of the experience e.g. Including interviewing away fans who had arrived in airports as though they were the players or coach. Your RL were careful not to be too commercial knowing that revenues and the game would grow if more people were encouraged to support the clubs.