New Joint Marketing Campaign : Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:40 pm  

I don't know whether anybody else has read about this new marketing campaign in town? I've already seen the ads around the town centre. I think it's a great idea in principle. The problem is, of course, that Saints have chosen to play all their home games on a Friday night. How many shops will be open when the bulk of fans turn up? For shops to get anything from this at all they will need to open en masse until about 7.30 on a Friday night and would any extra custom be worth the overheads? I can see only bars and restaurants making anything from this really. Also, it's ok saying that Saints are supporting the local economy but on Twitter the only places Saints players seem to do their shopping is pretty much everywhere other than St Helens. Saints can't have their name tagged to a marketing venture such as this without walking the walk, surely? Anyway, I wondered what other people thought of the marketing campaign?

I don't know whether anybody else has read about this new marketing campaign in town? I've already seen the ads around the town centre. I think it's a great idea in principle. The problem is, of course, that Saints have chosen to play all their home games on a Friday night. How many shops will be open when the bulk of fans turn up? For shops to get anything from this at all they will need to open en masse until about 7.30 on a Friday night and would any extra custom be worth the overheads? I can see only bars and restaurants making anything from this really. Also, it's ok saying that Saints are supporting the local economy but on Twitter the only places Saints players seem to do their shopping is pretty much everywhere other than St Helens. Saints can't have their name tagged to a marketing venture such as this without walking the walk, surely? Anyway, I wondered what other people thought of the marketing campaign?

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:54 pm  

Its certainly worth giving it a go, but I suppose its all down to how successful the season goes. With most of the match parking going to be around the town centre the marketing opportunity is there.

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:12 pm  

sounds like a cracking campaign, I hope the town centre shops get behind it

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Tue Jan 10, 2012 12:18 am  

SaintsFan wrote: I don't know whether anybody else has read about this new marketing campaign in town? I've already seen the ads around the town centre. I think it's a great idea in principle. The problem is, of course, that Saints have chosen to play all their home games on a Friday night. How many shops will be open when the bulk of fans turn up? For shops to get anything from this at all they will need to open en masse until about 7.30 on a Friday night and would any extra custom be worth the overheads? I can see only bars and restaurants making anything from this really. Also, it's ok saying that Saints are supporting the local economy but on Twitter the only places Saints players seem to do their shopping is pretty much everywhere other than St Helens. Saints can't have their name tagged to a marketing venture such as this without walking the walk, surely? Anyway, I wondered what other people thought of the marketing campaign? Werent you slagging Saints off the other week for not doing enough re marketing. Now when they come up with something good like this you still end up whinging. Bars and restaurants will be the big beneficiaries, however remember that Tesco's is next door to the ground and will probably pick up some passing trade. Same also for other shops. In addition what the council are probably also hoping will happen, is for people from neighbouring towns to come into the town on matchday and be impressed on how easy it is to get into town, park up for free and do your shopping, especially when compared to the experiences they may be used to. If people find St.Helens a place thats easy to get to and shop within then they may decide to do their shopping in St.Helens.

SaintsFan wrote: I don't know whether anybody else has read about this new marketing campaign in town? I've already seen the ads around the town centre. I think it's a great idea in principle. The problem is, of course, that Saints have chosen to play all their home games on a Friday night. How many shops will be open when the bulk of fans turn up? For shops to get anything from this at all they will need to open en masse until about 7.30 on a Friday night and would any extra custom be worth the overheads? I can see only bars and restaurants making anything from this really. Also, it's ok saying that Saints are supporting the local economy but on Twitter the only places Saints players seem to do their shopping is pretty much everywhere other than St Helens. Saints can't have their name tagged to a marketing venture such as this without walking the walk, surely? Anyway, I wondered what other people thought of the marketing campaign? Werent you slagging Saints off the other week for not doing enough re marketing. Now when they come up with something good like this you still end up whinging. Bars and restaurants will be the big beneficiaries, however remember that Tesco's is next door to the ground and will probably pick up some passing trade. Same also for other shops. In addition what the council are probably also hoping will happen, is for people from neighbouring towns to come into the town on matchday and be impressed on how easy it is to get into town, park up for free and do your shopping, especially when compared to the experiences they may be used to. If people find St.Helens a place thats easy to get to and shop within then they may decide to do their shopping in St.Helens.

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:51 am  

Sounds like a fabulous campaign, and about time the town centre was Saintsified - our great club is the town's number one selling point and primary source of local pride.

Look forward to seeing the banners and especially the "giant pavement graphic".

Good on the council and good on Saints.

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Tue Jan 10, 2012 8:56 am  

The Chair Maker wrote:

Werent you slagging Saints off the other week for not doing enough re marketing. Now when they come up with something good like this you still end up whinging.

What an utterly stupid thing to say. I was analysing the idea. If you read my post you will see that I said it was a great idea in principle. This is supposed to be a discussion board. I raised points for discussion.

In addition what the council are probably also hoping will happen, is for people from neighbouring towns to come into the town on matchday and be impressed on how easy it is to get into town, park up for free and do your shopping, especially when compared to the experiences they may be used to. If people find St.Helens a place thats easy to get to and shop within then they may decide to do their shopping in St.Helens.

Now that's a sensible point.

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Tue Jan 10, 2012 9:55 am  

was in Boston recently in the US and their main tourist attraction is the "freedom trail" - a walk of a couple of km's that takes you past all the main historic sites of the city.

It is really easy to follow because it is marked all the way with a red line painted on the sidewalk / roads etc.

We could easily do something similar from the train station or town centre car parks to the footbridge. be another little marketing angle.

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:15 pm  

It's a good idea this particularly for the food and beverage trade. Unfortunately St Helens's shops are pretty much run of the mill i.e. small versions of the same shops you get in Liverpool/Wigoon. You can't drop the high street type of consumers to St Helens when the only shops present are mediocre versions of what is available elsewhere. Pub and grub though they can push that and probably need to before it's just the Sefton and Wetherspoon's left.

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:18 pm  

Geoggy wrote:

was in Boston recently in the US and their main tourist attraction is the "freedom trail" - a walk of a couple of km's that takes you past all the main historic sites of the city.

It is really easy to follow because it is marked all the way with a red line painted on the sidewalk / roads etc.

We could easily do something similar from the train station or town centre car parks to the footbridge. be another little marketing angle.

Great idea on the trail although I'm not sure there's enough heritage in St Helens to do that and get away with it. After all Boston is the birthplace of a modern nation rather than an 18th century parish church community lol.

Re: New Joint Marketing Campaign : Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:36 pm  

How long till St Helens is sponsored by Poundland?