: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:23 pm
I think for me the key thing is the dislocation in strategy. We can spend all day discussing who is and who isn't the target audience, and what is or isn't the preferred kick off time for whatever we each think that target audience is. But one fact is pretty clear: This club, and the RFL generally, have decided that the best channel to new customers is a community marketing programme. It started with Deakin at the Bulls, and spread into the rest of the game - and indeed then on to our Union brethren. It has also been shown to work on many, many occassions, and has the very useful - but secondary in a marketing sense - spin-off of expanding the potential player base.
I have no issue with the club following a different strategy, if there's evidence it will work better. But
what I do have a problem with is the club investing a load of money in the community marketing plan with the one hand, and then making it impossible for that to deliver the targetted new customers with the other. It borders on the bizarre.