Dave Benson Phillips

I have a vast amount of experience in membership sales / digital and print advertising and marketing actually. So I am a bit more qualified than you to comment on the subject. You still have not responded to the link I posted in January about pre-season tours. Hands up if you were wrong?

I really do hope so.

The numbers should increase, we are almost certainly going to be more succesful this season than last, so that won't equate as a success. And anyway, you don't go to games, so you think stinging everyone else but you is a sign of success?

You don't pay through the nose, you only attend a handful of home games each season, so what exactly is your beef? Do you want to sit at home on your laptop and everyone there supporting the club to pay as much as possible so you can take satisfaction when seeing the League table in the News of the World on a Sunday morning in your Plymouth Bedsit?

It doesn't work if you market it as a product, that's why no other club in the country/world probably, markets Season Tickets in this way. It's a membership, not a product. You could argue that matchday tickets are a product, as you are buying for one individual event and will justify the costs on a match by match basis. ( Which is why there will be less than 14k there for Daggers at home in November ), season tickets aren't.

Is that all you can say? Why not try and be constructive and tell me how I am wrong about advertising costs? Oh... you can't, because you don't have a clue whereas I have worked in membership sales, digital sales, press sales and marketing, so I know of the costs involved. Don't act like such a child, if I am wrong, put it to me in a constructive way, using facts, rather than spitting your dummy ouy.

As I said, season tickets are cold, hard cash. There is no set amount to how much profit each season ticket is worth, as regardless the club still needs to run. The 'profit' comes from the people that will renew regardless and don't need the advertising. The 5 tickets bought as a reaction of a radio advert is 100% profit, because they would not have bought one if it was not for the radio advert. Of course you need to subtract the amount of games each new STH would have been to on a match by match basis. But for people to say " adverting costs money , it's all down to costs etc " obviously don't have a clue how the world works. Every single product/brand in the world advertises, not because it costs money, but because it generates money!

You have hit the nail on the head. Saintsweb is a product, if you don't like the product, don't buy it. Cortese is treating SFC as a product, when a football club is much different. He know's there is lots of people in the Group A which I mentioned, what will have their trousers down and rogered over every aspect of the club and he is exploiting these people. He even manages to have people who don't go to many games and are not affected by any of the changes fighting his battles for him. P.S - You have not commented on my post about pre-season tours yet, where I linked to a thread I started in January asking where it was going to be, as I wanted to book flights.

You keep on like this then I will delete you as a friend. And I am not fat, just slightly chunky, I have no wobbly bits. :-) xx

I know how to run advertising and marketing campaigns, I also know the costs... and they are minimal considering the returns I have outlined above.

Do I have to go through the whole Group A, Group B and Group C thing again? Just because you are a super fan, doesn't mean there are many people who need convincing through advertising and marketing to buy one. That is a FACT in any aspect of membership sales. Seriously, why can't you just appreciate that not everyone is as obsessed with Saints than you? Our core support is about 10k, probably less... everyone else will react to marketing, advertising, offers, value for money etc etc when making a decision on whether to renew or not or turn up to a game on a match by match basis. And the costs. Club to send email out to all on the database - If one person out of 50,000 reacts to that and buys a season ticket = costs covered. Mailshot / Renewal Pack - If 5 people out of 13,000 react to that, and buy a season ticket as a result = costs covered. Text to STH's - If 2 people renew as a direct result of the text = Costs covered. Advertising on the OS - Free Advertising/Renewal Forms in the Echo - If 3 people renew as a result then costs covered. Indirect advertising in the Echo through stories etc in exchange for plugs - Free Radio Advertising - If 5 people react to a Radio Advert and renew then costs covered. West Quay - Having a stall on the main walkthrough, if it prompts 3 people to renew = Costs covered. Leafleting in Southampton City Centre, get the Academy players out speaking to people, if 1 person decides on a season ticket = Costs covered. I could go on, there is plenty more ways that the club could promote season tickets... IF THEY WANTED TO. The cost is irrelevent as it is a fraction of the return they would get from pushing them.

Lots of ladies like me, I think the main attraction is that I can play tunes with my head, a bit like Rolf Harris but in a far more impressive way. I am kind, loyal and very very cool to be around, I have lots of friends, so it makes people with less friends think they have got more if they go out with me. I am pretty bloody good in the sack ( there is not an ex yet who hasn't wanted a bit on the side after we have finished ) . I even attract people who already have boyfriends of years who are prepared to finish with them for a chance with me. That is impressive.

I don't know, then again, knowing you, I would say it is because you are a bit of a soft touch, you need to kick some ass sometimes and be a bit assertive. Regards Jeremy Kyle

I see the massive marketing drive to maximise renewals has started... with a small article on the OS.

Is the club running on an unsustainable budget though? Take out the initial transfers, since their first transfer window, do you believe that the club has relied on Liebherr for funding? I certainly don't, and that includes the training ground upgrades.

When I first questioned the club about a pre-season tour in January, I was very much pro-Cortese.

Concentrate on maximising season ticket sales, regardless of our league position, crowds won't significantly rise until the last 3 or 4 games of the season, no Boxing Day game, no Leeds this year, only potential sell-out is Bournemouth. 20k STH is much more revenue than 10k STH and 10k casual fans, this has to be the case or clubs would not make such an effort to sell season tickets. I cannot see the casual fans going to 14 games a season, it just won't happen. Also, employ better sales staff and maximise sponsorship and corporate sale ( each corporate seat is worth 4 times that of a standard seat in profit and valuable networking for sponsorship ) Have no massive problem with the booking fee, but it should have been used to encourage people to get season tickets, not force people to pay on a match by match basis so they have to pay the fees. There are more things they could do, many more.

FAO Delldays http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?19653-Pre-Season-Tour I was generous, it was actually January that I started a thread confirming that I was going on the pre-season tour this year. When it comes to Cortese, I am not saying things just for the fun of it, I genuinely think he is showing a complete lack of empathy and understanding towards the supporters, as well as a massive arrogance.

Errr... to be honest I lost interest in your post when you tried to say that SFC do not need to advertise if they want to maximise revenue. I will state to you the 3 groups of people who you get in membership based sales. A) The people who will, regardless of terms and conditions, price, value for month etc. B) The re-active customer, someone who will join, but they need selling, through telesales, advertising, big signings, an offer, press releases, renewal packs etc C) Those that won't renew regardless. That is how it works, it's the first rule of membership based sales, you need to concentrate on Group B, these are the people you need to sell to and these are the people that will shape what your attendances are. The club have not only not made even the very slightest effort to capture fans from Group B, not only that but they have even tried to force out a number from Group A with the restrictive selling of tickets, removal of installment plan etc etc

I didn't intend on going to the match, I intended on having my holiday in the area of Saints training camp, and catching a few games. As I said on another thread... I have been quite openly questioning the whereabouts of the venue for months, so I haven't just made it up as an excuse to have another pop at Cortese.

Errr, I have been kicking off about the pre-season tour since the end of February wanting to know where it was so I could book flights quite publicly on here... stating that I was intending on going this year, I am sure people will back that up and as soon as Stevo pulls his finger out and sorts the post search, I will pwn you with it and accept your apology. Do you have any proof that Liebherr is funding the club? Apart from Cortese saying so ( which actually proves nothing ) the accounts will make interesting reason, and apart from his initial setup investment, I massively believe we are running in profit, once the accounts are out, I will accept your apology again.

I wonder how many people that have said lock them up have ever chanted at an way support or flicked the birdie or ever shouted " c'mon then you fakkin cannnnnnnnnts!!!!! " From my vantage in the Northam, I would say most of you.

I would have gone to every game this season, if the club had a sensible season ticket structure. I care because I a) Had planned to go on the pre-season tour. b) Had budgeted to use the installment plan, the the deliberate delaying and removal means I and many of my friend now can't afford a season ticket. So, I would say I am considerably more affected with what is going on at the club than someone like yourself, who has not been directly affected significantly by any of the decisions made by the club. Fair comment?

I guess it is easy to not be too bothered about these measures when you live in Plymouth and only go to a handful of games a season.

Oh... Must be true then.