Revised title: How can the Saints retain members better?

[skeptic]

I got a cake once. Some young player dropped it at my house before xmas.

I pay my membership hoping that they will give their all, thats all I ask for.

I pay mine and 8 other memberships each year just to help the club out. Been doing that for years,

Dont ask for or expect anything back in return.

I was born into a saints family and will die still supporting them.

Anyone questioning why they should be a member should f*** off. They are not needed. IMHO./quote]

I really hope the club doesn’t share this particular attitude

One thing that has shocked me in this thread is the number of ppl of the diehard forum that say, we’ll it’s fine for me so therefore there’s no need to do things better.

The main thing I’ve tried to emphasise here is to try and think of ways to make our membership package more attractive to perspective members and members thinking of jumping off the wagon but this point seems to be getting overlooked.

I guess I’ll leave it at this... I think the club could do a lot more to get and keep members
The membership doesn’t need to just be a donation. It could be used as a to develop and instil loyalty rather than just as a ticket that gets you entry into a game.

Success breeds success sure. Members = money that increases the chance of success.

Hope the club sees it

[CQ SAINT]

Its seems to me the question you want to ask is 'why dont I barrack for someone else?'

My kids barrack for St.Kilda because since they were born I bought them memberships and made a big deal of going to Brisbane or now the Gold Coast for games every year.

On match day we all gather around the TV and mum and dad carry on like lunatics, we heat up pies and put cans of coke in the fridge. I get my dads scarf out and put on whatever guernsey that still fits me and we watch every game. The kids are Queenslanders. They dont really like AFL but they love St.Kilda because I love St.Kilda.

On 3 or 4 occasions a year, we travel to Melbourne and get together with the rest of my family and go to the footy together. We meet in the city and have a meal either before or after the game and as a family it bonds us. It is part of our identity. For 5 generations it has been a lesson in character- about loyalty and committment, joy and sorrow, pride and prejudice.

Trevor Barker noticed me one day, as a young kid, trying to get to the fence at Moorabbin to get on the field and I was getting bumped and squashed. He said 'lookout' to those around me. Jimmy O'Dea once picked me up and passed me over the fence to dad. Robbie Muir noticed a little tubby black kid smiling at him at the change rooms at the MCG and gave me his match socks. There are plenty more stories but its not really about that.

It is about loyalty and passion.

We need 2 decades of continued success and at least 3 premierships in that time to increase our membership but you cant really expect anything as a loyal Saints supporter. It just about giving for prides sake and hoping for success.

The last 20 years were much better than the previous. Lets hope the next 20 produce the 3 or 4 Premierships we missed. Then 20000 or more can jump on the band wagon and we can change or history for ever.

[howlinwolf]

I've been a member for 50+ years and get an invitation to presentations by the club. Richo and Finnis explaining where we're at and where we're going.

The past few years I've received a certificate personally signed by Matt Finnis In Appreciation of my years of membership.

I don't expect anything other than being able to see my team play and hopefully prosper.

We've got over 40,000 members, you can't expect them to do something for every individual member.

You Sir, are more than most deserving of a Saints flag !
I applaud your loyalty mate.

[resaintlee]

A sixty year supporter and before becoming a member I also traveled to interstate games which we invariably lost. We decided to save money and become reserved seat members and couldn't be happier. Travelling by train from Bendigo to Etihad takes some time but it is a hell of a lot quicker than trying to get to the MCG. The two tips to New Zealand games gave us contact with the players and we can often have a word with players in the Robert Harvey room or what ever it is called now. A great memory was Kosi taking the time to talk with my disabled gandson. Our family group has now extended to eight and our relations with the Club during this growth period has been really good. Just wish we could kick straighter.

[avid]

Its seems to me the question you want to ask is 'why dont I barrack for someone else?'

My kids barrack for St.Kilda because since they were born I bought them memberships and made a big deal of going to Brisbane or now the Gold Coast for games every year.

On match day we all gather around the TV and mum and dad carry on like lunatics, we heat up pies and put cans of coke in the fridge. I get my dads scarf out and put on whatever guernsey that still fits me and we watch every game. The kids are Queenslanders. They dont really like AFL but they love St.Kilda because I love St.Kilda.

On 3 or 4 occasions a year, we travel to Melbourne and get together with the rest of my family and go to the footy together. We meet in the city and have a meal either before or after the game and as a family it bonds us. It is part of our identity. For 5 generations it has been a lesson in character- about loyalty and committment, joy and sorrow, pride and prejudice.

Trevor Barker noticed me one day, as a young kid, trying to get to the fence at Moorabbin to get on the field and I was getting bumped and squashed. He said 'lookout' to those around me. Jimmy O'Dea once picked me up and passed me over the fence to dad. Robbie Muir noticed a little tubby black kid smiling at him at the change rooms at the MCG and gave me his match socks. There are plenty more stories but its not really about that.

It is about loyalty and passion.

We need 2 decades of continued success and at least 3 premierships in that time to increase our membership but you cant really expect anything as a loyal Saints supporter. It just about giving for prides sake and hoping for success.

The last 20 years were much better than the previous. Lets hope the next 20 produce the 3 or 4 Premierships we missed. Then 20000 or more can jump on the band wagon and we can change or history for ever.

That's a great family story CQ SAINT -- and now I can guess where your name comes from too.

My father went to his first game in a pram, presumably 1917. I'm his only descendent living in Melbourne now, but we have new generations of born-and-bred Sainters all over the place. They haven't necessarily grown up with footy as a living ritual, but they love knowing they are Saints and they know it's a lifetime commitment.
I remember Big Carl picking up my little brother and holding him up over his head at a promo at Myers in 1966. If that doesn't imprint you nothing will.
I spent decades just loving the sight of our heroes running around in the red white and black uniform, even when they never looked like scoring.
It still thrills me every week, and we never even bother trying to explain why.

[thejiggingsaint]

"Why would anyone be a member of the Saints?" Because, short of being able to take the field as a player for the club, it's the only true way to state clearly, to all, but mainly myself, that I am part of this club.

I'm amazed that anyone would need to ask the question on this forum.

[skeptic]

Are people arguing that as a club we don't have a problem with attracting / retaining members?

[CQ SAINT]

Are people arguing that as a club we don't have a problem with attracting / retaining members?

The question is futile, particularly on this forum. The answer to your question is that there are very few reasons for new members to support the club. Gimmicks and game day experiences wont do it. Loyalty programs are for the committed and loyalty is basically all we have.

We are not alone. Only 6 clubs have every really been able to have regular, multi generational success and their membership jumbers reflect this.

Im glad my dad didnt barrack for Fitzroy or South Melbourne.

The 60's and early 70's were a time of growth but 2 decades of finals draught and another 2 of near misses has left us with loyalty alone.

Financially, success and success alone, is the key to survival.

Hopefully a return to Moorabbin will provide hope and nostalgia but we need a 3 flags in a decade to change things.

[Drake Huggins]

I don't care if no one thanks me for becoming a member. For me the perfect thank you would be a premiership.

See I kind of feel like the point is being missed here. For us diehards, most of us will be members no matter what.

But the fact is we have a large supporter base that doesn’t translate into that many actual memberships.

What I’m trying to get at is how can a membership package at the Saints be more attractive to get and keep members not how can I get more

A very relevant and insightful post, skeptic. I think an email of your post to the marketing department would be more than useful. I've been a member since 1993 when I finished playing and coaching in the 'burbs. Apart from when I'm out of the state or country, I attend all our games and have had reserved seats at Etihad since 2004. Like skeptic, I've never been contacted by the club unless they were trying to upsell me. The fact that my best mate, who joined up with me has been invited to a couple of functions stings a bit. Maybe they grant access on a random basis. I suppose you can't invite 40,000, all at once, to a function or presentation.

The point about our lack of wealthy benefactors is also pertinent. Lindsay Fox pours his spare cash into Carlton, and not us, apparently. We need some shadowy figures in the background tipping in large amounts of untraceable cash, the way the filth and the dopers do. I'm so rusted on, I automatically renew my membership and seating package each year for myself and my son. It's his annual Xmas present. He's been a member since birth (also 1993). I'm sure there are quite a lot of people who feel the same as you do, skeptic. I'm one of them. The "rusted ons" are not the market we are after. It's the undecided ones, or those who are not renewing. Why do we lose them? I wonder what the club's strategy is for retaining and gaining new members. It would be interesting to be told what that is.

[Drake Huggins]

I don't care if no one thanks me for becoming a member. For me the perfect thank you would be a premiership.

See I kind of feel like the point is being missed here. For us diehards, most of us will be members no matter what.

But the fact is we have a large supporter base that doesn’t translate into that many actual memberships.

What I’m trying to get at is how can a membership package at the Saints be more attractive to get and keep members not how can I get more

I'm not sure we do have a large supporter base. Not anymore. I get the distinct feeling that the wheels started falling off around 2012-13 re membership. I was almost as if some members just got too dispirited and haven't renewed.

I've gotta say, I know the tiges have a huge fan base, but for mine there is no more loyal group of supporters. They have stuck with the club for 30 odd years and barely played finals. When they finally are successful they SELL OUT 3 x MCG finals! One of those finals was against a club that has about 3000 supporters. It's almost unheard of.

Our crowds have been pretty poor and fairly quiet tbh. I reckon many of our diehards are falling off the perch and they're not being replaced by the younger generation. It was almost as if that 2010 GF was last straw for many. We need to be successful every year. ie play finals to stay relevant.

Unfortunately, Moods, I fear you're right. I very nearly chucked it in after 2011. I think we suffer from "failure fatigue". Unlike tiger fans and even the Deeplorables, we don't even have that rich history of premiership success to fall back on in the hard times. Now that the Bulldogs have won a second flag, we are clearly the club with the worst history.

[saynta]

Its seems to me the question you want to ask is 'why dont I barrack for someone else?'

My kids barrack for St.Kilda because since they were born I bought them memberships and made a big deal of going to Brisbane or now the Gold Coast for games every year.

On match day we all gather around the TV and mum and dad carry on like lunatics, we heat up pies and put cans of coke in the fridge. I get my dads scarf out and put on whatever guernsey that still fits me and we watch every game. The kids are Queenslanders. They dont really like AFL but they love St.Kilda because I love St.Kilda.

On 3 or 4 occasions a year, we travel to Melbourne and get together with the rest of my family and go to the footy together. We meet in the city and have a meal either before or after the game and as a family it bonds us. It is part of our identity. For 5 generations it has been a lesson in character- about loyalty and committment, joy and sorrow, pride and prejudice.

Trevor Barker noticed me one day, as a young kid, trying to get to the fence at Moorabbin to get on the field and I was getting bumped and squashed. He said 'lookout' to those around me. Jimmy O'Dea once picked me up and passed me over the fence to dad. Robbie Muir noticed a little tubby black kid smiling at him at the change rooms at the MCG and gave me his match socks. There are plenty more stories but its not really about that.

It is about loyalty and passion.

We need 2 decades of continued success and at least 3 premierships in that time to increase our membership but you cant really expect anything as a loyal Saints supporter. It just about giving for prides sake and hoping for success.

The last 20 years were much better than the previous. Lets hope the next 20 produce the 3 or 4 Premierships we missed. Then 20000 or more can jump on the band wagon and we can change or history for ever.

What a great post. . Thank you for sharing your experiences with us mate.

[iwantmeseats]

I got kick to kick with Nick Riewoldt,then a BBQ with beers.
Poor value.

[saynta]

"Why would anyone be a member of the Saints?" Because, short of being able to take the field as a player for the club, it's the only true way to state clearly, to all, but mainly myself, that I am part of this club.

I'm amazed that anyone would need to ask the question on this forum.

100% correct. Spot on.

[parkeysainter]

Lots and lots of doom and gloom on this forum lately. Hardly a suprise though and Nostradamus would be proud. The cynical attitudes are getting boring.

The Saints are and always will be part of the AFL system and the club is looking better off field than its ever been, especially when Moorabbin comes online. The good stuff will translate onto the field even more and we're not far off it anyway imo.

Why does everyone need a gold star and participation award these days also. Support your club, we have s*** years and good years. We will have good periods and s*** periods. We will have good people and s*** people at the club for the next 1000 years. That is life.

[BringBackMadDog]

For the purpose of this thread, I want to disregard the concepts of loyalty, duty, tradition etc. For those of us that have been long term members, we’ll pbly continue to be so no matter what.

In the world of the AFL however, we are at best a middle of the range club... pbly top half of the lower half of all clubs.

Now ppl that sign up for new memberships usually do so to go to games of football. And that’s fine.

However, a season or two in for some people the novelty wears off. Or work/personal commitments change and it’s harder to get to games, or the Saints are trending down and ppl don’t want to us lose all the time.


So here’s my question: what does the St.Kilda FC do to keep members?

And from what I can see, the answer is not much. Did you know I’m a 20 year member and in all of that time, I’ve never so much as got a thank you call from the Saints. Not a thank you card. Not a single bit of correspondence that wasn’t trying to sell me something.

Can’t imagine it’s the same for members of the power clubs... maybe it is I don’t know.

So here’s my idea. Obviously we’re not a rich club... the idea that we’ll be gifted corporate box games and whatever is non-sensical but maybe the club can do a few more cost effective things to show the members they care and build some loyalty from more ambivalent members.
I always liked the idea of loyalty program... get stuff that rewards you for staying on.

Phone calls from players or coaches
Tour of Moorabbin, see the inner workings
The opportunity to help out at opportunity to get some merch signed
Exclusive to members on line sites, forums etc
How about once every 15 years or so, you get invited into the rooms on a match day... seriously how much could it really cost to let 1 or 2 ppl into the rooms and get them to keep out of sight?

Think I might write a letter to the club. Anybody else have any suggestions?

Been a member for 40 years and all I expect is what I get, to watch them play on the weekend from my seats with my family.

[saynta]

For the purpose of this thread, I want to disregard the concepts of loyalty, duty, tradition etc. For those of us that have been long term members, we’ll pbly continue to be so no matter what.

In the world of the AFL however, we are at best a middle of the range club... pbly top half of the lower half of all clubs.

Now ppl that sign up for new memberships usually do so to go to games of football. And that’s fine.

However, a season or two in for some people the novelty wears off. Or work/personal commitments change and it’s harder to get to games, or the Saints are trending down and ppl don’t want to us lose all the time.


So here’s my question: what does the St.Kilda FC do to keep members?

And from what I can see, the answer is not much. Did you know I’m a 20 year member and in all of that time, I’ve never so much as got a thank you call from the Saints. Not a thank you card. Not a single bit of correspondence that wasn’t trying to sell me something.

Can’t imagine it’s the same for members of the power clubs... maybe it is I don’t know.

So here’s my idea. Obviously we’re not a rich club... the idea that we’ll be gifted corporate box games and whatever is non-sensical but maybe the club can do a few more cost effective things to show the members they care and build some loyalty from more ambivalent members.
I always liked the idea of loyalty program... get stuff that rewards you for staying on.

Phone calls from players or coaches
Tour of Moorabbin, see the inner workings
The opportunity to help out at opportunity to get some merch signed
Exclusive to members on line sites, forums etc
How about once every 15 years or so, you get invited into the rooms on a match day... seriously how much could it really cost to let 1 or 2 ppl into the rooms and get them to keep out of sight?

Think I might write a letter to the club. Anybody else have any suggestions?

Been a member for 40 years and all I expect is what I get, to watch them play on the weekend from my seats with my family.

And that's how it should be in my opinion.

PS. I already have an invite into the rooms for next season .

[Trev from the Bush]

Um, because I have always barracked for StKilda, love going to watch the team play and I expect nothing in return but a good time?

[skeptic]

The idea of this thread was to think about ways to make a membership package more enticing to new members / ambivalent members.

It seems that many have been put off by the title and really felt the need to emphasise their loyalty which really wasn't the point

[BackFromUSA]

Revised the title to focus discussion on the key point - how the Saints do better in retaining members

[Jacks Back]

"Why would anyone be a member of the Saints?" Because, short of being able to take the field as a player for the club, it's the only true way to state clearly, to all, but mainly myself, that I am part of this club.

I'm amazed that anyone would need to ask the question on this forum.

Does anyone read the OP's on here?

[saynta]

Simple. OP gets shot down in flames so changes the title.

<as stated above - title was changed by a mod NOT by the original poster>

[bigred]

This thread asks some serious questions.

My membership is a donation.

I pay thousands of my dollars each year and get bugger all in return. Quite literally, there is no benefit at all, apart from knowing that I will have a seat in the same spot each game no matter what time I lob. If I even do.

I have a far collections of scarves and old social club medallions.

The club repeatedly draws on its members for money.

Marketing and sponsorship departments should be a lot more accountable to be honest.

Without consistent onfield success, my membership is a gift.

[saynta]

This thread asks some serious questions.

My membership is a donation.

I pay thousands of my dollars each year and get bugger all in return. Quite literally, there is no benefit at all, apart from knowing that I will have a seat in the same spot each game no matter what time I lob. If I even do.

I have a far collections of scarves and old social club medallions.

The club repeatedly draws on its members for money.

Marketing and sponsorship departments should be a lot more accountable to be honest.

Without consistent onfield success, my membership is a gift.

But as a great man once said;

"ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."


Substitute club for country and I think that pretty much sums up how I feel.

[Jacks Back]

Simple. OP gets shot down in flames so changes the title.

A mod changed the title.

If you bothered to read the op here is the question:
"So here’s my question: what does the St.Kilda FC do to keep members?"

Answer please.

[bigred]

Not much.

Not much at all.