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Edinburgh Rugby Supporters Club
The official forum for Edinburgh Rugby Supporters
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| Is there room for improvement in Edinburgh Rugby's Marketing Efforts? |
| Yes |
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89% |
[ 62 ] |
| No |
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10% |
[ 7 ] |
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| Total Votes : 69 |
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| Author |
Message |
FridayKnight
Embra Debut
Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject: The Darketh Dour |
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Does anyone else fancy drowning in a sea of negativity alongside Royc and Ratty? Absolutely baffling the downbeat tone from some ER supporters - shocking. For the first time for as long as I can remember, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful about Edinburgh Rugby.
We've got a world class coach, world class players like Blair, Ford and Paterson, off the pitch we also seem to be moving forward with some new ideas.
But oh no! Here come the dour, miserable musings of a couple of gleckit posters, who wouldn;'t know professional sport if it bit them on the backside.
As my dear old granny used to tell me, if ye cannae say anything nice, then shut your hole. |
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jrp
World Cup Star
Joined: 19 Apr 2005
Posts: 544
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| Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Royc isn't an Embra fan. |
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Tarquin
World Cup Star
Joined: 03 Feb 2008
Posts: 221
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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| djphilp wrote: | | Tarquin wrote: | | I also think a big name signing would get bums on seats even if it was a bit of a loss leader in terms of cost. Something like that generates its own publicity. |
In my opinion the only position we need any more experience in is prop.
And I really don't think signing a big name prop would sell as many tickets as a big name back. An area we really don't need to strengthen in my opinion. |
I totally agree. Other priority positions right now and the opportunity for a real impact signing has gone for now although not 100 per cent sure yet the 10 and 15 positions are as nailed on as I would like personally. |
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Martin Bell
World Cup Star
Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 687
Location: Still Beautiful Dunfermline
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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It was striking just how many of the Magners dream team selection in the forwards came from Leinster last year. If anything, their back division, though still top quality, is maybe not quite the force it used to be; what won them the league was their pack, which they have beefed up in the last year or so.
I don't doubt that a top scrummaging tighthead in the Robbie Kempson mould would be unlikely to get the punters flocking to Murrayfield. But the additional bite such a player would add to our scrummage would undoubtedly make us more effective and help to turn games like the draw at Newport last season into wins. I'd like us to develop into the sort of side that can play Munster-style rugby when the need arises and the conditions dictate, as they did in that game.
The arrival of Jim Hamilton does beef the front five up. But I agree with those who think that prop is the one area we could have done with a quality signing in. Maybe there might be a few non-capped South Africans available later in the year.
I don't want to diss Geoff Cross in any way. I have really liked what I have seen of him so far. I just think we need a dominating presence at 3. |
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Oldsalt
World Cup Star
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Fife
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| Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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The question has popped up on the team website again about the next signing and again the prop is favourite last time I looked.
I think Geoff Cross will be in the running for player of the year come the end of the season. I was seriously impressed by his performances in the last four or five games. He certainly steadied up the pack after coming on at half time against Leinster and was technically sound and agressive in the games after that.
My concerns is with cover and what is expected say from Gav Kerr. Lets say Chunk and Geoff start in their positions and then get injured in the first couple of matches. Is Gavins ankle okay now? I know the youngsters will be raring to go and will do their best if selected but this is professional sport. I'd prefer Gav to cover Chunk but not both. Lack of an experienced prop may come back to haunt us if the team is unfortunate to get injuries early on in the season. |
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jrp
World Cup Star
Joined: 19 Apr 2005
Posts: 544
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| Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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Bear in mind its the ML - we need a good front row for the HEC but we can get by in the ML.
Chunk has come on leaps and bounds as is IMO a good LH, never be great but an excellent club pro. Kerr is gash but will be good bench cover.
I remember Cross as the Reivers and he was not up to much, but the few games I saw of him last season impressed me, I think he could be like chunk, a good club pro.
Oh for a bear. |
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ratty
World Cup Star
Joined: 16 Jul 2007
Posts: 325
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 12:10 am Post subject: |
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| Can't remember, who was in the front row against Munster when Edinburgh were getting a massive doing in the scrum last season? |
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Cammo Gunner
Site Admin
Joined: 05 Feb 2004
Posts: 741
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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| ratty wrote: | | Can't remember, who was in the front row against Munster when Edinburgh were getting a massive doing in the scrum last season? |
Frontrow at Munster was Chunk, Fordy & Kerr
At Murrayfield it was 'Gusto, Ned & Kerr
Either game had the same LCD. |
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royc
International
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 60
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Absolutely baffling the downbeat tone from some ER supporters - shocking. |
The question and subject of the thread, Friday Knight, is not about how ra-ra we can all be about Embra, it's about how good their MARKETING efforts are. My personal view, as someone who works full-time in advertising and marketing, is that it's pretty poor. If you know better, pray explain the cleverness and deftness of it all that I'm missing. Do you know something about marketing?
Baggage is I think confusing marketing and promotion - the latter is one eighth of the former, albeit an important component part.
JRP misses the point, not for the first time. The SRU doesn't do Edinburgh's marketing, so its involvement is a complete non sequitur.
I saw 4 matches last season, but that's from 400 miles away and involved big efforts. Does one have to be a ST holder to post here then?
There's a great coach and a good squad but IMHO it's let down by pretty vapid and inconsequential marketing and promotion on a budget of one and sixpence. Get the marketing right and a lot else will follow. |
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Derrick Lee's #1 Fan
World Cup Star
Joined: 04 Feb 2004
Posts: 1772
Location: Glasgow University, a smidgen to the west of the Tower
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| Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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Well Roy, if you apply for the ER marketing manager's job I'm sure plenty of people on here would be prepared to give you a reference! 
_________________
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FridayKnight
Embra Debut
Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject: Marketing |
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Yes Roy C I do know something about marketing, I have written books on the subject!
But marketing and marketing in professional sport is completely different, especially with a product like Edinburgh Rugby.
Out of interest, what would your grand plans be in terms of the marketing strategy for a brand such as Edinburgh?
As you may know, Edinburgh has undergone so many transformations over the past 10 years (Reivers, Gunners, private franchise, etc). |
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Jon
World Cup Star
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 1075
Location: Balerno
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| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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| If RoyC and FridayKnight are willing to channel their undoubted skills and expertise into positive marketing for ER we should thrive - I look forward to you contacting Nic Cartwright direct (Nic.Cartwright@sru.org.uk) to offer your suggestions / advice - I have always found him to be willing to listen and even implement suggestions coming from supporters! |
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royc
International
Joined: 06 May 2006
Posts: 60
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| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I have written books on the subject! |
Do you have a reference, I’d actually be interested to peruse your ideas?
| Quote: | | But marketing and marketing in professional sport is completely different, especially with a product like Edinburgh Rugby. |
Have to disagree with you there. Pro sport has its idiosyncratic elements, but so to do ethical pharmaceuticals, white goods, financial services, non-profits, etc., all the things that get marketed. The guts don’t really vary much, just the details. Not to turn this into a treatise, but three elements jump out at me.
There has to be an attractive product (or in professional sport ‘package’) that attracts the crowds and thus the sponsors, advertisers and hospitality johnnies – a winning team would be great, but it’s only one element. Venue (!), facilities, sociability, professionalism, family appeal, peer group[ appeal, esprit, price, catering, promotion etc all form part of the package – but not all are as they should be at the moment. The current package needs early, hard work and development starting yesterday.
The target audience needs to be wider if the numbers are ever to increase sufficiently. That means putting an attractive proposition before loads of people who don’t think about attending matches, usually don’t know they’re on or even that ER exists - and anyway don’t see what’s in it for them.
The propositions at the moment – i.e what is the SINGLE most important thing we wish to communicate? – are frankly naff. What on earth is the public meant to take from ‘the biggest team in Glasgow’ (smaller people not wanted?) or ‘Edinburgh’s got talent’ (And? So? Therefore....? So have Haddington and Livingston and Dunfermline, so what are we on about?). When I say rather rudely that it’s amateur hour, I mean that propositions/headlines like these would not survive 2 minutes in an advertising boardroom and the perpetrators would be next under the microscope.
I donated a free week of ad agency work to the SRU, with compelling case, professional concepts, copy and designs etc. on their gruesome website. It never got beyond the guys who run the IT department, in whose interests it wasn’t. Things are amateurish because no money is invested in them and many involved make a virtue out of that. The money all goes on players and staff wages. You can’t run a marketing campaign on one and six. Therefore, you get limited, in-house ideas and initiatives which generally do not stack up in terms of professional marketing. And then you get people in authority who are perfectly comfortable with that.
However, rather than being just - I hope - objectively critical, when I have time and can afford another large freebie, I’ll put up some thoughts to Nic C. But I wouldn’t hold any breath. |
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Oldsalt
World Cup Star
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Fife
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:52 am Post subject: |
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Well said royc!  |
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Oldsalt
World Cup Star
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 286
Location: Fife
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| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:56 am Post subject: |
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Changing tack a little.
We have three season tickets in the household. All three vouchers for friends are being taken up by non rugby watching friends.
How many are you bringing on saturday?  |
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