Titans look to new game day innovations

[DIEHARD]

Titans hope to win back support with fan engagement and new technology strategies

THE Gold Coast Titans will overhaul their game- day experience, placing a bigger focus on fan engagement and new technology to win back the region's support.

Titans boss Graham Annesley confirmed the club was assessing its home game operations with new pre-game, half-time and during-play activities to be introduced.

Annesley also said the club was determined to extend its fan base after home crowds dropped for the fifth consecutive year.

"We're looking at our game day presentation but haven't settled on anything," *Annesley said.

"We want to make coming to a Titans game a bit unique and different to going to any other game of rugby league.

"It's all about fun up here and we want people to come to a game, whether they're hardcore league fans or not, and walk away saying it was a good night. We just want people to have a good time."

The Titans attracted 172,685 fans to home games in 2012 at an average of 14,405 a game and that dropped slightly this year to 168,342 (14,028 a game) although they took one home game in Darwin.

It's been a steady drop from the 21,618 they averaged in 2008 with the club unable to put a finger on why fans have turned away.

They have failed to make the finals for the past three years and access to the Robina stadium can be difficult.

Annesley said the club's on-field performance was its major focus but fans had to be entertained regardless of the result.

"The football is the most important aspect from our point of view and for hardcore fans it is as well but we want people to come along for other reasons too," he said.

"There's a lot of entertainment options on the Gold Coast. There's people who aren't members who are trying to decide what to do to fill their leisure time. We want them to come along and sample a Titans game and see it as a day of entertainment just as they would with any of the theme parks or other options available on the Gold Coast.

"The Titans already do a pretty good job of this. I've been to a few games in previous seasons but you can always do things better."

It's likely the club will implement social media strategies to engage fans during games, like the AFL's Suns do at Metricon Stadium, while other pre-game entertainment will be added.

Fans could have their tweets and photographs displayed on the big screen and competitions could be conducted through Facebook and other social media platforms.

"Engaging the fans, not only at half-time and before, but during the game is important," Annesley said.

"People want to be entertained at any event. They walk away with a view on the experience they've had.

"It's not going to be anything world shattering. We're not talking about getting bands in or things like that.

"It's about engaging the fans as much as possible because if they don't, then we don't have a club.

"The hardcore fans will keep coming back but there's other people that want to be entertained."

As far as technology goes, the Titans are a far cry from the homeground of NFL side, the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys stadium at Arlington Texas features world's largest retractable roof, boasts a capacity of over 100,000 and a $1.2 billion price tag that dwarf the competition around the NFL.

But the stadium's signature "bigger than Texas" feature is a pair of the world's largest HDTVs that hang 30 metres above the field.

Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au

[Titanic]

Did I miss something? What was the relevance of the Dallas Cowboys reference ... that really is a stretch?

[Legion Dan]

I hope the the mascots will still be involved in pre game/half time entertainment

[Hail Sezer]

I hope the the mascots will still be involved in pre game/half time entertainment

Yeah except for that house one, that's just potato.

[Coaster]

Yeah except for that house one, that's just potato.

All the mascots are ******s.
The house is just a mistake.

I liked the commercial where rankin Plssed all over him

[Toads]

Did I miss something? What was the relevance of the Dallas Cowboys reference ... that really is a stretch?

I was left scratchin' my head wit that one as well..

The only relevance I can draw on between the two is how they're both Sporting Franchises. The Dallas Cowboys have become a successful Franchise and seemed to have proved how to go about achieving market potential, and the Titans Franchise is completely opposite end of that spectrum..

[Titanic]

Why don't we round-up a few Christians and feed them to some lions at halftime?

[DIEHARD]

We are gonna have to do a lot more than post tweets on the big screens!

[DIEHARD]

Come on guys. Let's not drag on fighting.

[Toads]

Huh, whose fighting?

I maybe having another shot at management, but when they cut us like they did (forum hosting), and then read BS like what was mentioned in original post about engaging the fans. Well, it does leave someone like me a lil' pissed. With the forum, they had the perfect platform for engaging the fans. But I guess they were never open to criticism.

It just goes to show how outta touch they are. Because they're of the idea that hardcore fans will keep sticking around. Little do they know, their poor management is starting to eat into those numbers (hardcore fans) as well.

[DIEHARD]

Not you Toads. Just mean Coaster and Dan. I'd love to move on. Take things as they come.

[DIEHARD]

But let's cut Graham some slack, he is new on the scene. We gave David May a go. He proved himself and took the criticism in his stride and made good on it.

I do think game promotion is a pyramid and this type of stuff is a bit gimmicky and belongs at the top of it. I think if you get the fundamentals right that is the main thing. Ticketing, Memberships, promos, timeslots, QCUP over NYC, start winning, car parks, do something to promote Broncos, Cowboys and Warriors games, facebook events for each match, get some entertainment and culture in the precinct.... But it's very hard to "reboot" your supporter base. It'll take time.

[Titanic]

I'm totally peeved, like Toads I suggest is too, that DH didn't include me in the negative mob I demand to be included as my staff constantly remind me that grumpy old men was way before its time and that I have modelled my management style on theirs. However, I am all for giving Annersley a chance, as we firstly have no choice about that and secondly we can always hope.

Regarding the topic, to me it's a simple formula: don't mix your messages when you're marketing, so in our case we need to promote Titans Rugby League and nothing else unless it is closely associated with the other 50% of what happens each week which is the opposition. By the nature of the development of the Coast's community we have the opposition entrenched locally, so let's play to our unique characteristic.

We should include juniors actively and their key personnel. We must have more games on game day as has been mentioned. Three quality games is value for money: QCup, NYC and the lads would be a realistic ask of any supporters' time and represents a cross-section of clubs base ... both player and fan.

To be honest, we can afford for most games of the year to allow juniors in for nought and I mean zero, perhaps on a first in best dressed basis up to say 3,000 ... why not? Gimmicks are fine but approaching the market face to face works a lot better than trickery.

[Mexican titan]

But let's cut Graham some slack, he is new on the scene. We gave David May a go. He proved himself and took the criticism in his stride and made good on it.

I do think game promotion is a pyramid and this type of stuff is a bit gimmicky and belongs at the top of it. I think if you get the fundamentals right that is the main thing. Ticketing, Memberships, promos, timeslots, QCUP over NYC, start winning, car parks, do something to promote Broncos, Cowboys and Warriors games, facebook events for each match, get some entertainment and culture in the precinct.... But it's very hard to "reboot" your supporter base. It'll take time.

Agree with all of that DH. However I think all that is needed is to win fairly consistently and play a good style of footy - simple eh?
Oh, and not make obvious stuff ups like playing local Bycroft Cup games and other comps in direct competition to Titans home games. Now that the NRL have a fixed draw for 20 weeks there is no excuses for game time clashes.

[DIEHARD]

I'm totally peeved, like Toads I suggest is too, that DH didn't include me in the negative mob I demand to be included

As you wish you grumpy bastard!

But I didnt mean Coaster is in a negative bunch, he is a positive force in this universe and has picked me up off my ass many times and recharged me.

I certainly didnt mean to deter anyone for making valid criticism. Keep it coming.