League of Ireland brand review.

[Dodge]

All you need to know about the independence of this report is that the FAI selected who he spoke to

Some people, in some clubs

[pineapple stu]

I'm kind of surprised he went ahead with the whole thing. He seems respected in his field - you don't work for Saatchi and Saatchi otherwise. How much money do you have to be thrown to make a complete arse of yourself professionally? Or is he reckoning a story about the LoI will never make it out of Ireland, and he can add the FAI to his list of clients?

An interesting view into modern business anyway. Definitely who you know, not what you know in this case

[Longfordian]

This is poor form as well.

http://twitter.com/garethpenrose/status/809810999255715840

Edit: Sorry, they've credited Extratime, so not poor form just inexplicably lazy.

[nigel-harps1954]

This is poor form as well.

http://twitter.com/garethpenrose/status/809810999255715840

Edit: Sorry, they've credited Extratime, so not poor form just inexplicably lazy.

The best thing to come out of it, they're around 20,000 over the figure for total attendance in the league this season.

[pineapple stu]

A few of my favourite bits from the report -


under the FAI’s professional leadership, internationally, football is currently achieving remarkable results which leave other world teams conspicuously lagging behind on the world stage.
Bit of a stretch, that one.


Meanwhile, some clubs at the bottom of the League’s First Division, argued that whilst they could appreciate the need for a wider vision, for them, the daily ongoing struggle to meet short-term overheads, rather than become overconcerned with long-term strategies, had to take precedent
So Gabay would rather that clubs had nice shiny plans of where they were going to be in five years' time, while being subjected to winding-up orders for not paying bills. Right so.


Beyond the clubs as entities, certain cliques of die-hard delinquent supporters such as Shamrock Rover’s Ultras and the so-called, Casuals had, through primal tribal force, rather than rational campaigning, somewhat added to tainting the League’s overall reputation.
I'll leave that - together with typos; he apologises for them later, but doesn't bother his hole actually fixing them - stand.


Attending the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup Final, I witnessed flares thrown onto the pitch by some hard-core fans – at one point almost setting fire to goal netting. The tribes also chanted
abuse criticising the FAI. Given that the FAI – in all its broader aspects – from national administrators to associated volunteers - are in fact the League’s greatest supporters, and that the brazen chants were yelled in front of leading public dignitaries attending the game, as an outsider, despite the football play on the pitch, the entire experience left the impression that the brand as a whole, lacked solidity and pride.
This is glorious stuff. Fans are "tribes" now? "Brazen" chants? And in front of public dignitaries?! By Jove.

This bit may actually be a hint that Gabay is deliberately taking the **** in order to get revenge on Delaney for asking him to publish such tripe.


League of Ireland clubs have a responsibility to their local communities. It is not enough to simply ban rabble-rousers from grounds. Instead a dialogue is needed to explain how loutish
activities only serves to hurt such die-hard fans’ own beloved clubs (through fines, poorer ticket gates and so on). From the club point of view it simply pushes the problem towards the surrounding local community areas just beyond the gates (tribal ‘patches’) forcing wellbehaved fans who are as passionate about clubs as die-hard fans, to circumnavigate intimidating areas on the way to games. (I delve further into brand implications from this, in Rippled Realties, and Tribal Psychologies, Part Two).
Rippled Realities is an appropriate phrase here alright. Any more removed from reality, and Gabay is in danger of writing a 60s psychadelic classic.


From the outset, I did not approach this 12-week project NOTE 1 as a biased, avid football NOTE 2 fan.
NOTE 2 here is a subnote indicating that while football is really Gaelic Football, he will refer to soccer as football as it's the Football Association of Ireland. So he actually sees the need to define the term "football". Except later, he writes about "soccer (football)"


when visiting local pubs close to grounds – such as The Horseshoe Inn, frequented by Cork City supporters, I asked around 30 people for views on the general state of professional play (excluding clubs from the Premier Division, notably, Dundalk, and Cork City, and to a lesser extent, Bohemians, Galway United, Derry City, Shamrock Rovers, Sligo Rovers, St Patricks and Bray Wanderers).
Can anyone figure out here what clubs he was asking about?


The fact remains that since the Football Association of Ireland’s administration, conditions have been implemented which allow clubs to better manage themselves, and so improve the
standard of League football (in all its manifestations). Take Dundalk: only four years ago, the club played in front of 250 diehards — finished bottom of the League and were only saved from relegation by another club going out of business.
Ah yes. Fran Gavin's classic "The FAI created the conditions for Dundalk to thrive" line. But this is still an independent report of course. Pure coincidence there. And of course, the unaddressed elephant in the quote is that a club went out of business under the FAI's highly professional and hugely improved stewardship.


In the 2007-08 season, Irish players made up to six per cent of footballers in the Premier League (the second most represented nationality after England). In the 2013-14 season, Irish players accounted for 4.7% of top-flight participants - the fourth most represented nationality.
There's no exploration here here about why the number of Irish players in the Premiership has dropped by 25% in just seven years.


A popular mantra repeated time after time from club management was the plea for the Football Association of Ireland to hand out more… and more… and yet still more money to clubs to invest in players.
You can't hand out "still more money" if you never handed out any ****ing money in the first place.


Some of the clubs suggested that prize-money should be increased to finance affiliation fees and fines whilst still showing a small surplus after a long season of living hand-to-mouth.
Burn them all!

He then suggests increasing prize money would lead to clubs going bankrupt. At least he admits licencing is a farce anyway. Even if I doubt he knows what licencing is.

Anyways, that's just the first 20 pages of the 100 page document.

What utter, utter drivel.

[nigel-harps1954]

Gabay just followed me on Twitter. So exciting!

[pineapple stu]

All you need to know about the independence of this report is that the FAI selected who he spoke to
Reminds me of Top Gear testing the Gee Whiz.

"Is he any good?"

"Well he's independent; that's the important thing"

[Longfordian]

Gabay just followed me on Twitter. So exciting!

Probably needs some attendances

[ToberonaTornado]

Gabay just followed me on Twitter. So exciting!

Try harder Nidge!! :devil:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cz0wQwwWgAE3PqN.jpg

[nigel-harps1954]

I'm a little puzzled. Everyone else is getting blocked. Gabay wants to be my friend.

[total hoofball]

John Delaney/FAI propaganda/vanity exercise hiring a brand specialist to act as a front for it is all I see in this latest debacle

I wonder just how much stupid money Delaney paid this guy that he would put his credibility on-line to present John's self indulging deluded insecure sh111te?

[ToberonaTornado]

He unblocked a few followers(myself included) this evening and answered a few questions and says he will answer more tomorrow.

PDF of the report in case anyone missed it =+

http://sseairtricityleague.ie/images/League_of_Ireland_Brand_Report_-_Jonathan_Gabay.pdf

[NeverFeltBetter]

Crying racism (without a shred of credible proof): http://www.thejournal.ie/jonathan-gabay-3146496-Dec2016/

This guy. Wonder if Delaney still thinks this Comical Ali exercise was worth it.

Edit: FAI not revealing how much he was paid is eye-raising. Would an FOI cover that?

[pineapple stu]

I saw that on his twitter alright. I think the phrase he objected to was "Jesus wept"

Good enough for the guy anyway.

[Eminence Grise]

There's no little irony in the realisation that his own twitter handle - jigabay - is very close to sounding like another racial slur.:rolleyes:

And, because accuracy is important, if he was upset at the use of the word shyster, neither Merriam Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shyster) nor Oxford (https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/shyster) note any anti-Semitic etymology. (There is a possible link with the German scheisse, which seems appropriate given his report.) What a schmuck.

[mrtndvn]

The report isn't that bad, which a lot of people have failed to acknowledge.

It comes up with quite a few decent suggestions.

[pateen]

The report isn't that bad, which a lot of people have failed to acknowledge.

It comes up with quite a few decent suggestions.

Its terrible. I worked in marketing for a while and the report is truly awful

[pateen]

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/321300/munster-company-reckons-they-have-a-better-alternative-to-jonathan-gabays-league-of-ireland-brand-report/

[Longfordian]

Much better and actually very realistic suggestions there fair play to them. The only slight quibble would be with the all local club players going free suggestion, a discount may be a better bet.

[sbgawa]

But what about the curry chips in cork...every professional presentation always has a food review in it ?

[EatYerGreens]

Much better and actually very realistic suggestions there fair play to them. The only slight quibble would be with the all local club players going free suggestion, a discount may be a better bet.

In fairness, they're still pretty sh!te as suggestions go.

None of these so-called marketing geniuses seem to have a fecking clue about marketing. Everything you do with it is to either :

1) Raise Awareness (let people know something exists),
2) Create Trial (encourage them to use it for the first time), or
3) Generate Loyalty (i.e. second and subsequent usage).

The Awareness of the LOI is ok, but it's image is poor. This is in part responsible for the trial level of the League being abysmal - how many people in Dublin who like sport and football have been to an LOI game ? A tiny portion. So the key focus should be on making people think about the league in a different way and getting as many as possible along to a game in the first place (assuming the product is good enough to reel them in, which is another discussion entirely). Ideally in a way that captures their data (age, email etc) so you can then follow up with them later to encourage loyalty.

The single most simple and cost-effective proposal I can think of for the FAI to promote the LOI would be to have an equivalent of Non-League day here. An LOI day - on a weekend when there is no 'top level' football in England or Scotland to act as a distraction or excuse. Schedule the derby matches on that weekend, to maximise the crowd and vibe - the way that the Irish League always has derbies on St Stephen's Day. Have a big FAI-backed campaign about it all, using LOI stars past and present who the public would recognise. Rope in a few celebrity fans like Dara O'Briain to say why they love the League and will be there on LOI Day, through both ads and social media. And use things like the FAI's database of international ticket buyers to encourage people to go and sample the LOI on 'LOI Day' (I'm not suggesting that specific name btw - it needs a better one. Like 'Community Day' or something less cheesy). Get the league clubs themselves fully on-board and to run all sorts of things themselves to improve the matchday atmosphere before during and after games - samba bands, bar promotions, competitions etc etc. Get entire schools along etc.

Easy to do, relatively cheap, if done properly it could see a big increase in awareness and attendances on that day, and it could be replicated every year and become part of the Irish sporting calendar the way that Non-League Day is in England.

So feck these so-called marketing gurus who haven't got a clue. It's about raising positive awareness, encouraging trial and then securing loyalty. Nothing more complicated than that.

[EatYerGreens]

But what about the curry chips in cork...every professional presentation always has a food review in it ?

It's a shame for Jonathan Gabay that he wasn't around to sample the famous Mon Dogs at Gortakeegan. That presentation could have been entirely different if he had.

[nigel-harps1954]

In all honesty, that 'alternative' strategy is utter nonsense for the best part too. Not everyone is on social media and not everyone sees everything that's on social media accounts. There's a lot to be said for simple ideas like billboards, fliers, local radio/newspapers, etc.

I do like their idea of fan days, and social media could definitely be utilised more, but the idea that it's the be all and end all is pure drivel.

[sbgawa]

If its about bringing people in then a free weekend where the fai pay all clus their average gate but it's free in. Would cost less thenergy people think by the time season ticket holders are excluded ....up to each club then to promote a free match

[sbgawa]

I put in lots of typos because that and food reviews is what goes in professional reports........

[outspoken]

Agree with the above poster, I don't know why there's never been a ''LOI day''. Non league day in England is massive

[outspoken]

Absoutlely love the idea of a Thursday night Facebook live LOI show.

[nigel-harps1954]

Absoutlely love the idea of a Thursday night Facebook live LOI show.

I can't see why RTÉ or some of the other national TV stations don't do this already to fill a gap.

[EatYerGreens]

Facebook is sooo 2012.

Its demographic is ageing upwards rapidly, as kids have moved on to other platforms to communicate now.

Social Media should be an important component in creating and marketing the LOI. But it shouldn't be the sole way, which is what those Limerick chancers have managed to blag some free national media out of largely suggesting.

[Dodge]

Facebook is stil the biggest social medium, and it isn't even close

The problem is all advertising on the internet to get people out of their houses and off their phones is pretty much doomed

[Real ale Madrid]

Facebook is still the biggest social medium, and it isn't even close



Well, YouTube as well - but apart from the LOI goals feed - is there anything decent in LOI terms on YouTube? - missing a trick there as well.

[Kingdom]

Schools, schools, schools, particularly in the city. When I was in school there was a significant campaign by St Pats, which caught on, and there was about 25 lads who regularly would go, from Kilnamanagh, Walkinstown, Tallaght and Drimnagh to Pats games at home and some away. This started in 2nd year and continued all the way through secondary school.

My eldest boy is in 4th class and his class are soccer-mad, including the girls. The principal is progressive and will openly encourage any form of activity in the school. They have 3 different Gaa coaches in, they have a chess coach in, they have athletics endevours every week, gymnastics, and then things like skipping rope projects, food-dude days, breakfast buses etc. I know my Pitch and Putt club has organised social initiatives with the school too throughout the past two years. Basically anything that the school can use to encourage healthy-living, that doesn't cost them they will support. They've not had one approach from anyone in the FAI, either from a local schoolboy club, or the FAI themselves.

I'm sure that the part-time nature of the league (not disparaging the players here) makes it hard for the more-recognisable players to maybe get involved at this, nor the part-time nature of the promotion the FAI does either. Surely given the high-profile launch of the Primary schools 5-a-side a month ago, the FAI could build on that with coaching or something in conjunction with the LOI?

[nigel-harps1954]

Schools, schools, schools, particularly in the city. When I was in school there was a significant campaign by St Pats, which caught on, and there was about 25 lads who regularly would go, from Kilnamanagh, Walkinstown, Tallaght and Drimnagh to Pats games at home and some away. This started in 2nd year and continued all the way through secondary school.

My eldest boy is in 4th class and his class are soccer-mad, including the girls. The principal is progressive and will openly encourage any form of activity in the school. They have 3 different Gaa coaches in, they have a chess coach in, they have athletics endevours every week, gymnastics, and then things like skipping rope projects, food-dude days, breakfast buses etc. I know my Pitch and Putt club has organised social initiatives with the school too throughout the past two years. Basically anything that the school can use to encourage healthy-living, that doesn't cost them they will support. They've not had one approach from anyone in the FAI, either from a local schoolboy club, or the FAI themselves.

I'm sure that the part-time nature of the league (not disparaging the players here) makes it hard for the more-recognisable players to maybe get involved at this, nor the part-time nature of the promotion the FAI does either. Surely given the high-profile launch of the Primary schools 5-a-side a month ago, the FAI could build on that with coaching or something in conjunction with the LOI?

This is something Finn Harps are actually fantastic at. The Finn Harps Schools Programme is fantastic. Goes around every single primary school in the county to the best of my knowledge. There's a different school or club invited in as guests of the club every match through the school year. There's a noticeable dip in attendance during the summer months when the school kids and their parents aren't attending.

http://www.finnharps.com/fhfc/?p=4069

[Mr A]

Folks I have written up what I took from the launch and from the report itself and have posted it in a blog here: http://foot.ie/entries/210-My-Take-On-The-LOI-Brand-Report

I haven't been online much over the past week as we've a newborn in the house and he has been a bit unwell (he's grand, but we're fecking wrecked) and may not get much time over the coming days either. So apologies for not having read the thread and likely not being able to answer much on this. But I thought it worth posting anyway.

[Eminence Grise]

Congratulations on the new arrival. Hope you get a bulk discount on the old season tickets!

[legendz]

Are the two divisions being renamed as part of the review?

[thomas72]

3 to go down.... rollix

[gufcfan]

John Delaney Premier Division sponsored by SSE Airtricity and the Fran's Atmo First Division sponsored by SSE Airtricity.

[legendz]

John Delaney Premier Division sponsored by SSE Airtricity and the Fran's Atmo First Division sponsored by SSE Airtricity.lol

Rebranding of neighbouring leagues has sometimes resulted in renaming of the divisions involved.

[Poor Student]

Here's the PCA document in full for anyone who hasn't seen it: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3243292-LOIPathway.html#document/ .

[Cosmo]

In fairness, they're still pretty sh!te as suggestions go.

None of these so-called marketing geniuses seem to have a fecking clue about marketing. Everything you do with it is to either :

1) Raise Awareness (let people know something exists),
2) Create Trial (encourage them to use it for the first time), or
3) Generate Loyalty (i.e. second and subsequent usage).

The Awareness of the LOI is ok, but it's image is poor. This is in part responsible for the trial level of the League being abysmal - how many people in Dublin who like sport and football have been to an LOI game ? A tiny portion. So the key focus should be on making people think about the league in a different way and getting as many as possible along to a game in the first place (assuming the product is good enough to reel them in, which is another discussion entirely). Ideally in a way that captures their data (age, email etc) so you can then follow up with them later to encourage loyalty.

The single most simple and cost-effective proposal I can think of for the FAI to promote the LOI would be to have an equivalent of Non-League day here. An LOI day - on a weekend when there is no 'top level' football in England or Scotland to act as a distraction or excuse. Schedule the derby matches on that weekend, to maximise the crowd and vibe - the way that the Irish League always has derbies on St Stephen's Day. Have a big FAI-backed campaign about it all, using LOI stars past and present who the public would recognise. Rope in a few celebrity fans like Dara O'Briain to say why they love the League and will be there on LOI Day, through both ads and social media. And use things like the FAI's database of international ticket buyers to encourage people to go and sample the LOI on 'LOI Day' (I'm not suggesting that specific name btw - it needs a better one. Like 'Community Day' or something less cheesy). Get the league clubs themselves fully on-board and to run all sorts of things themselves to improve the matchday atmosphere before during and after games - samba bands, bar promotions, competitions etc etc. Get entire schools along etc.

Easy to do, relatively cheap, if done properly it could see a big increase in awareness and attendances on that day, and it could be replicated every year and become part of the Irish sporting calendar the way that Non-League Day is in England.

So feck these so-called marketing gurus who haven't got a clue. It's about raising positive awareness, encouraging trial and then securing loyalty. Nothing more complicated than that.

Tbf that's a great idea. Get the players visiting the schools the few weeks beforehand too and you're on to a winner! 10 out of 10!

[sullanefc]

Tbf that's a great idea. Get the players visiting the schools the few weeks beforehand too and you're on to a winner! 10 out of 10!
No. 10 out of 12.