Improving Everton's Profile

[D410]

An ideal world is sadly not the one we live in.

For Everton to be successful long term without a rich owner, we have to be the best at every aspect of the business side. We're not, obviously, and for what are probably obvious reasons. I am trying to keep this from simply being a 'board is awful' thread - we have one of those. This is, 'if you were Elstone, given the current financial circumstances of the club, how would you try and help Everton to kick on from your position?'

Have you ever thought that the reason why you have started this thread is because we don,t have the right people and enough money in the first place to kick on, lets face it I think it,s bad enough we have to do the clubs work for them while they are getting paid for it.

 

[davidkershaw]

How about actually bringing some merchandise for sale on the pre-season tours !! Last year it was Real and Juve memorabilia but nothing from Everton !!! Every year it's the same

 

[Portland Toffee]

Was at the Everton v Real game in LA last year ..... Had every teams stuff accept for ours. If that is acceptable or even allowed to happen under the current regime, there is nothing down for us on that side. Kitbag deal has to be the worst deal in the league too, unbelievable anyone thought this was a good idea with globalization happening.

 

[Michael Tsui]

Tire the team out in Asia and America for the summers. This is the only way that the team can seriously promote itself in more lucrative markets.

Oh and try to shoehorn Timmy and former evertonians into the media industry. Perhaps buying out Joey Barton isn't a bad idea, he's a pretty good writer TBH.

 

[Eggs]

Merchandise should be everywhere!
In sports shops, in shopping centres, department stores - soft furnishings, in airports - people buy a lot of stuff in airports.
Making a profit shouldn't be the biggest concern, but improving access to all things Everton.
I mean with Chang as our sponsor there should at least be an Everton shop in Bangkok city and at the airport.

People need to see the club's name, like they do for Barca, Real, United, PSG, Bayern.
Huge potential out there, just not with kitbag.

Stadium tours - seriously promote them to visitors to Liverpool. Sell tickets for tours at the airport and city centre. Run a free bus out to the stadium for those who purchase a tour ticket. Set up a decent museum either in, or beside the stadium. Incorporate a whole day of Everton, including meals, possibly visits to the training ground complex, even meeting players where possible.

Sell match tickets at the airport! Someone flying through might buy them as a present for someone or a future visit. A shop at Liverpool airport. It would make sense to me.

....merchandise can't be everywhere, retail outlets supply to demand. They wont fill their racks with Everton merchandise they can't shift. The challenge is to increase the demand. You will know we are successful when our shirts in the places you highlight. What is a disgrace is the lack of supply (for kids gear etc) in our own outlets. Crazy that folk are prepared to spend and the bumph isn't available.

 

[Tez]

Within the club's control:

Kitbag deal has to go. It's shocking. We need to be competing with Liverpool locally in terms of kit sales and pushing ourselves out in every direction globally.

A change in shirt sponsor would be good. We've had Chang for years now. Any positives that partnership brings have been and gone now. Everyone who is going to discover us through Chang already has. We'd do well to move onto an American brand next.

Playing in Europe can't be understated. Even Europa League. If you can compete in Europe consistently and do well your status goes up considerably as a club.

Winning something would be good.

Out of the club's control:

Our representation in the media is shocking. We could do with more former, high profile players in visible media jobs rather than having 90% of the sports press being ex-Kopites. Not someone like Kevin Kilbane, either. Tim Cahill when he hangs up his boots would be a dream but even players like Carsley would be great to get on TV for Sky or BBC.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Aggresively try to expand into America and Ireland, the two areas I think we could have the most impact

Advertising, Merch, playing pre-season friendlies, buying players of those nationalities. The works

 

[Despaxion]

I agree about stadium tours. I traveled to Liverpool for 2 weeks 3 years ago and they didn't run a stadium tour all the time. I tried calling the number and e-mailing and eventually got a reply a few days later to say the were not running one at the time. I had to end up going to the Liverpool stadium tour. But I did wear my Everton shirt.

 

[Louietheblue]

It's been touched upon but our Blue contingent having a stormer of a World Cup fora start. Then keeping hold of them (it galls me writing that.)

I don't believe we will be forced to sell and I certainly think we have this squad for a couple of seasons at least but capitalising on our boys raised profiles will do us well when it comes to raising our overseas profile. The market in England is unfortunately monopolised by the usual suspects.

The kitbag deal is something we're presumably locked in to for the foreseeable. It would probably take a monumental legal effort to free ourselves from it, however that could be just what we need. A high profile wrangle that shows the club are willing to loosen the shackles of our 'small club' image.

 

[Tez]

Ireland belongs to the Kopites and the Mancs. What Irish supporters we have are already supporters I'm afraid.

America though, we're really letting something pass us by there. We expanded into Asia at top speed when the penny dropped that having an Asian sponsor and two Chinese players may create some new Everton fans over there.

We've had Donovan here twice as part of a love affair between club and player and Howard has been a mainstay of the team for years now. We should be trying to get onto every billboard and on the side of every bus in America. Plus I'm sure an American company would pay a lot more as shirt sponsor than Chang do.

 

[Barkley85]

anyone remember Eggert Magnusson? shame his partner went bankrupt with the other Icelandic businessmen during the economic crash as he was a boss chairman for west ham and could of built them up.

 

[EvertonAmerican]

Winning is literally the only way for any club.

Unless you're Tottenham.

In that case, a bunch of money and one CL appearance is good enough to trick people into thinking you're a premier club.

 

[RaleighBlue]

Winning is literally the only way for any club.

Unless you're Tottenham.

In that case, a bunch of money and one CL appearance is good enough to trick people into thinking you're a premier club.

Chicago Cubs.

Boston Red Sox pre-2004.

Green Bay Packers from the 70's-90's.

New York Knicks.

Liverpool Football Club post 1990. (I'm actively ignoring Istanbul...one off's are useless).

You can be massive without winning a thing. Just need to be well-marketed. The fact that other football clubs fail to realize this is to our advantage.

 

[davmaher]

I've just come back from a couple of weeks in Cameroon and our profile there is non-existent. I suspect this will be the same for most of Africa, the Middle East and Far East. The Premier League itself is incredibly popular and they have a 24 hour Premier League channel on TV. The problem is it was almost exclusively the traditional Sky top 4 plus Man City. People I spoke to who followed football may have just about heard of Everton but didn't really know anything about us. E.g had no idea we were from the same city as Liverpool.
Chelsea were far and away the most popular team - mainly due to being successful over a number of years, having Eto'o last season and having a history of using African players. I suspect this is typical of fans in Africa and Asia. Given that these are among the regions where the Premier League and individual clubs are trying to make money, if we are to raise our profile there we need to:

• Break into the top 4.
• Sign players who the locals can identify with.

Going on tours to the Far East or elsewhere may generate some short term cash, but I don't think they have any significant impact on our profile over there and won't generate a host of new Everton fans. People go mainly with the successful teams they see on the TV every week. Unless we can become one of them our profile overseas will remain low.

 

[SerenityNigh]

It's a big, and difficult (ask Lerner) task, but no doubt this can be done. I think all of these have been previously commented upon, but here are the areas that seem important to me:

1. Handling the media. Martinez does this well, but the club as a whole needs to step with him. He can't (and won't) challenge everything, but the club should insist on being "in the conversation." If Tottenham can be mentioned in every discussion, no reason Everton shouldn't be discussed also.
2. History of the club, especially the club's image (i.e., School of Science) and achievements (honors and the "firsts")
3. Promotion by big names: past and present. This includes keeping the young talents and parading the greats. And this should include promotion including past and present players prominent in other areas (Cahill, Donovan & Howard, the Irish lads)
4. Availability of merchandise (both ease of access and type of product). There are plenty of people making Everton related stuff (like this); certainly there is a way to market them in a collective way without much difficulty (maybe GOT should consider a page devoted to merchandising links?)
5. Pre-season tours and European play and
6. TV-time; butts in seats (whether live, TV, or streamed) is how brands get big
7. New honors

Some of these are easier to affect; some more difficult. But all are required.