An Open Letter to Everton Football Club

[ToffeeDan]

I am in the process of putting together an "open letter" to the club. If anyone has any issues they wish to raise and add to this letter would they care to contribute or pm me - please eliminate the emotional and keep it real!!

Basically I have, over the years, raised a number of issues which in my opinion have been overlooked. I have offered many laudible proposals to increase income (merchandising), EvertonTV, ticketing, catering et al and, consistently, the club has failed to act. I'm not for one minute suggesting that everything I have proposed is necessarily workable but what I am saying is that football is a rather unique business. It's not about competing with the RS on a financial basis - yes of course it is on the playing field - but, because it's not like M&S v Debenhams it's obvious that the customer base is loyal to one or the other. It's surely about taking the best ideas - whether they are EFC ideas or LFC or whoever - and matching them to the needs of Everton Football Club. In recent years we could all reel off a list of ridiculous scenarios which have been played out in the name of our club - I don't think I need run over them all again. It's such a shame that the club feel unwilling or unable to improve to the extent that they might have a 5 year plan OFF THE FIELD which appears to be working - god alone knows if they really do have one!

Now surely is the time to act and put a message across to the custodians of our club that enough is enough - stop bickering with the fans and start to look like a 21st century business which can capitalise on the loyalty of 50-60,000 regular patrons!!

TD

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

STOP THE PRESS !!
TOFFYDAN APPLIES FOR WYNESS' JOB

 

[zcars]

ask them if i could have a fluffy pink pillow on my seat this year other than that im good. and if it makes you feel better write letter after letter it will get you no where

 

[Sharpys top lip]

Will you tell them to get some players in FFS.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It's perhaps not a direct proposal per se but I feel the club seriously under utilises the fan base here, not merely in financial terms but in all the expertise we have at our disposal.

Take PR for instance. Many organisations now have staff dedicated to monitoring social media such as this place. The truely enlightened use these groups to harvest consumer advocates whose opinion they can use to determine future direction and policy. Football is largely unique in that the club has thousands (millions) of people who aren't mere customers of the club but devoted fans, willing to devote hours of their days and weeks to following the goings on at the club and offering their views and experience on all things Everton.

Which brings me on nicely to the second clanger. Look at things like Dell Idea Storm. They utilise Dell customers expertise to gain not just ideas for future policy but also to fine tune and pre-test those ideas. That they actually implement the best ideas only goes to deepen the relationship with the Dell customer community.

Harnessing the power of large groups is all the rage academically right now and we're in a unique position of having so many people with such desire to improve the club. How many IT people or marketing people or finance people do we have as supporters that would gladly give up a small portion of their time to better the club? How much would that expertise cost if hired on the market?

Two examples there of how the club can embrace the fanbase more, one in a relatively passive monitoring/crm sense, the other in a far more inclusive manor. Neither would cost much, especially when offset against the savings that could be made. Ask yourself how much it would cost the club to operate the various fan sites out there if Danny et al were paid staff. After all we're doing an outstanding marketing job for the club here. About time the club stopped looking a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[linglong]

Will you tell them to get some players in FFS.

LoL YEAH!!

 

[moyes_bringin_it_back]

I am in the process of putting together an "open letter" to the club. If anyone has any issues they wish to raise and add to this letter would they care to contribute or pm me - please eliminate the emotional and keep it real!!

Basically I have, over the years, raised a number of issues which in my opinion have been overlooked. I have offered many laudible proposals to increase income (merchandising), EvertonTV, ticketing, catering et al and, consistently, the club has failed to act. I'm not for one minute suggesting that everything I have proposed is necessarily workable but what I am saying is that football is a rather unique business. It's not about competing with the RS on a financial basis - yes of course it is on the playing field - but, because it's not like M&S v Debenhams it's obvious that the customer base is loyal to one or the other. It's surely about taking the best ideas - whether they are EFC ideas or LFC or whoever - and matching them to the needs of Everton Football Club. In recent years we could all reel off a list of ridiculous scenarios which have been played out in the name of our club - I don't think I need run over them all again. It's such a shame that the club feel unwilling or unable to improve to the extent that they might have a 5 year plan OFF THE FIELD which appears to be working - god alone knows if they really do have one!

Now surely is the time to act and put a message across to the custodians of our club that enough is enough - stop bickering with the fans and start to look like a 21st century business which can capitalise on the loyalty of 50-60,000 regular patrons!!

TD

And an estimated 300000 individuals who call themselves "Evertonian" in the UK, more worldwide.

 

[moyes_bringin_it_back]

It's perhaps not a direct proposal per se but I feel the club seriously under utilises the fan base here, not merely in financial terms but in all the expertise we have at our disposal.

Take PR for instance. Many organisations now have staff dedicated to monitoring social media such as this place. The truely enlightened use these groups to harvest consumer advocates whose opinion they can use to determine future direction and policy. Football is largely unique in that the club has thousands (millions) of people who aren't mere customers of the club but devoted fans, willing to devote hours of their days and weeks to following the goings on at the club and offering their views and experience on all things Everton.

Which brings me on nicely to the second clanger. Look at things like Dell Idea Storm. They utilise Dell customers expertise to gain not just ideas for future policy but also to fine tune and pre-test those ideas. That they actually implement the best ideas only goes to deepen the relationship with the Dell customer community.

Harnessing the power of large groups is all the rage academically right now and we're in a unique position of having so many people with such desire to improve the club. How many IT people or marketing people or finance people do we have as supporters that would gladly give up a small portion of their time to better the club? How much would that expertise cost if hired on the market?
Two examples there of how the club can embrace the fanbase more, one in a relatively passive monitoring/crm sense, the other in a far more inclusive manor. Neither would cost much, especially when offset against the savings that could be made. Ask yourself how much it would cost the club to operate the various fan sites out there if Danny et al were paid staff. After all we're doing an outstanding marketing job for the club here. About time the club stopped looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Like me and those here perhaps?

The People's Club on Facebook

Or even more "organised supporters" which is what the academics would name you and apply to those who run sites like www.grandoldteam.com , www.bluekipper.com , www.nsno.co.uk, Toffeeweb etc

The talent is outthere. EFC just need to harness it.....


*Note EFC no doubt (like any large organisation) attached to the PR department, a media monitor who reads up everything in the media each morning, cuts and pastes into a daily and weekly report:
Who would then report to Ian Ross (PR) and Mark Rowan (Communications) (Together forming "strategy") whom in turn report to the CEO and indirectly the Chairmen/Board.

Its a similar structure in most multinationals incidentally....

 

[kenada_blue]

Best intentions and all that...

But I think they'll file it under B.I.N

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

i'd be amazed if they do read the press and have meetings etc etc , i fact i dont even think they have an internet connection.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Like me and those here perhaps?

The People's Club on Facebook

Or even more "organised supporters" which is what the academics would name you and apply to those who run sites like www.grandoldteam.com , www.bluekipper.com , www.nsno.co.uk, Toffeeweb etc

The talent is outthere. EFC just need to harness it.....


*Note EFC no doubt (like any large organisation) attached to the PR department, a media monitor who reads up everything in the media each morning, cuts and pastes into a daily and weekly report:
Who would then report to Ian Ross (PR) and Mark Rowan (Communications) (Together forming "strategy") whom in turn report to the CEO and indirectly the Chairmen/Board.

Its a similar structure in most multinationals incidentally....

www.facebook.com/pages/Everton-FC/7063141451 is my contribution to Facebook. Took about 5 minutes to setup.

That's the minimum though, they could do so much more. Paying lip service to fans is one thing, actively involving them is quite another.

 

[Dom1878]

Ask them to get an actual TV channel, if they can advertise GranOldTeam on the big board things at half time, and if they have any jobs open at Everton TV, because i got rejected as im under 18

 

[coyney]

I am in the process of putting together an "open letter" to the club. If anyone has any issues they wish to raise and add to this letter would they care to contribute or pm me - please eliminate the emotional and keep it real!!

Basically I have, over the years, raised a number of issues which in my opinion have been overlooked. I have offered many laudible proposals to increase income (merchandising), EvertonTV, ticketing, catering et al and, consistently, the club has failed to act. I'm not for one minute suggesting that everything I have proposed is necessarily workable but what I am saying is that football is a rather unique business. It's not about competing with the RS on a financial basis - yes of course it is on the playing field - but, because it's not like M&S v Debenhams it's obvious that the customer base is loyal to one or the other. It's surely about taking the best ideas - whether they are EFC ideas or LFC or whoever - and matching them to the needs of Everton Football Club. In recent years we could all reel off a list of ridiculous scenarios which have been played out in the name of our club - I don't think I need run over them all again. It's such a shame that the club feel unwilling or unable to improve to the extent that they might have a 5 year plan OFF THE FIELD which appears to be working - god alone knows if they really do have one!

Now surely is the time to act and put a message across to the custodians of our club that enough is enough - stop bickering with the fans and start to look like a 21st century business which can capitalise on the loyalty of 50-60,000 regular patrons!!

TD

I think that the training of the kids in schools should not be stopped,I know that the chances of picking up talent are slim but the aim of it is mainly a PR thing and I have to admit I have seen that its working the kids have a great time and are better players for it my 7 year old Grandson is a lot more aware now about passing and moving ect,But the main thing is when I first watched this a lot of the kids had red shirts now slowly but surely the kids kits are changing to blue I spoke to a couple of parents and they said their kids where now blues and if only a small percentage change to us then are future fan base must increase

 

[McBain]

Best intentions and all that...

But I think they'll file it under B.I.N

Ahh made me laugh, nice one

 

[Neiler]

STOP THE PRESS !!
TOFFYDAN APPLIES FOR WYNESS' JOB

Im for the T. Dan and Bruce Wayne dream ticket!