Marketing the League of Ireland

[Martinho II]

Quick question why the late KO times this Sunday night?

[culloty82]

To avoid a clash with the Women's FAI Cup Final.

[oriel]

Does anyone think we need to change the name of LOI PD to a brand name, if we look at non top 5 leagues, a selection in two groupings, one bigger leagues, next more closely linked to LOI, all have their own unique name.

Eredivisie (NL) / Primeira Liga (Port) / Superliga (Den) / Super League (Switz) / Allsvenskan (Swe)

A Lyga (Lith) / Virsliga (Lat) Superleague (KOS)

I think it would benefit in the marketing of the league to have a brand name, could still have sponsor in front of it, but not sure what a name could be?

[pineapple stu]

I think of all the things that are wrong with the LoI, the name "Premier Division" is fairly low down the list in fiarness.

Also Primeira Liga and Eredivisie are effectively the same thing just in a different language

[sbgawa]

How about next season kicks off with a double header in the aviva, Rovers v Bohs and Pats v Shels. Toss of a coin decides who's home game it is and it's 3pm and 5pm Saturday.
Could we fill the aviva for that and launch the season?. No offence to the outside Dublin teams but just trying to make it as easy as possible for the fairweather fans.

[oriel]

I think of all the things that are wrong with the LoI, the name "Premier Division" is fairly low down the list in fiarness.

Also Primeira Liga and Eredivisie are effectively the same thing just in a different language

But sometimes you get people calling it 'Premier League' instead of Div, almost as annoying as people calling the Prem League in England 'the Premiership' (changed from that 10 years or so).

Agree a lot wrong with LOI, but still think a change of name could market it better, what was that nonsense the FAI commissioned years ago. some daft PR guy came up with a classic line 'Its not as bad as you think'

[pineapple stu]

But sometimes you get people calling it 'Premier League' instead of Div
OK - but so what?

[culloty82]

As mentioned by PS, "Bundesliga" , "Primera Liga" and "Serie A" are all effectively translations of Premier League/Division already - there was the time in the Nineties/millennium when the LoI was known as the National League, but that was hardly a halcyon era either.

[pineapple stu]

Well "Bundesliga" translates more as "State League", similar to Allsvenskan ("All Sweden").

But still, both very traditional names which a marketing company wouldn't dream of coming up with.

[nigel-harps1954]

I don't know..SSE Airtricity League already has a bit of a ring to it.

[EatYerGreens]

Agree a lot wrong with LOI, but still think a change of name could market it better

A name change won't market the league better though.

Marketing the league better is the thing that will actually market it better.

[EatYerGreens]

How about next season kicks off with a double header in the aviva, Rovers v Bohs and Pats v Shels. Toss of a coin decides who's home game it is and it's 3pm and 5pm Saturday.
Could we fill the aviva for that and launch the season?. No offence to the outside Dublin teams but just trying to make it as easy as possible for the fairweather fans.

I'm not sure that having fans of the 4 main Dublin clubs all in the one stadium together at the same time is a wise idea. I can imagine it would give AGS palpitations for a start.

What I do think would be worth exploring would be Bohs looking to host one of their home derby games against Rovers at the Aviva. Do a deal with the FAI so it won't cost a fortune if the crowd isn't huge. But given that Rovers have 7-8,000 sell-out crowds at their bigger games, and the big nuber that Bohs took to last year's cup final, you'd expect that a Bohs-Rovers derby in a big stadium with some proper marketing could draw 15,000+ ? Make it on the opening weekend of the league and you'd hope it would draw more again. 15,000 tickets at €15 for adults would be a big pay day for Bohs, and help more of their fans see the game as well. Or make it €10 for adults in a promo to maximise numbers, and try to get as many neutrals and randoms along as possible.

[Kiki Balboa]

Change the 'First' division to the 'Major' division while you are at it.

[oriel]

I don't know..SSE Airtricity League already has a bit of a ring to it.

As long as they continue to sponsor it !

[nigel-harps1954]

I'm not sure that having fans of the 4 main Dublin clubs all in the one stadium together at the same time is a wise idea. I can imagine it would give AGS palpitations for a start.

What I do think would be worth exploring would be Bohs looking to host one of their home derby games against Rovers at the Aviva. Do a deal with the FAI so it won't cost a fortune if the crowd isn't huge. But given that Rovers have 7-8,000 sell-out crowds at their bigger games, and the big nuber that Bohs took to last year's cup final, you'd expect that a Bohs-Rovers derby in a big stadium with some proper marketing could draw 15,000+ ? Make it on the opening weekend of the league and you'd hope it would draw more again. 15,000 tickets at €15 for adults would be a big pay day for Bohs, and help more of their fans see the game as well. Or make it €10 for adults in a promo to maximise numbers, and try to get as many neutrals and randoms along as possible.

The idea is a fine one, but who is paying for the use of Lansdowne for the day?

[ontheotherhand]

Instead of waiting for a saviour in RTE or Sky, who have shown very little intrest in the past, the LOI/FAI should continue to develop LOI.TV - which should increase revenue and support. You have to think that modern media is moving away from the purley TV based onto the online- LOI should be the first Irish sport to fully embrace it.

Little things to make LOI.TV a better experience:

- One free game a week
- yearly subscription to all the games available
- highlights available in a reasonable time frame after the game (and on Twitter) and cut any analysis of games from a highlights show, leave that to podcasts, which do an excellent job
- dont be afraid to have one or two games staggered across the weekend


I'd echo Kiki's sentiments here as well.

We should be focused on growing the fanbase within Ireland and that means having a proper, regular broadcast which can sustain itself via subscriptions and advertising. We should get away from RTE asap. No offense to anyone here who works there but the higher ups there clearly don't take it seriously. We need at least one game on every Friday night for the whole season and highlights online for every other game. It will never grow the way they do it.

We also need to look at everything about the broadcast for LoItv if it continues. I love the current version but it doesn't look great. Camera angles are poor, often far too close to the pitch and on the wrong side to capture the atmosphere. Even Tallaght, which should look great is done poorly. The cameras rarely catch the South Stand or the displays and they are in the wrong spot to even catch the noise of the home support. It can look and sound really flat. That's not solely an LoItv thing mind you. As good as some of RTEs footage was of Sunday, they missed a lot. I was in the South Stand and there were some magic moments with Josh Bradley and with the fans in general. If you don't show the best of what we've got, you won't attract people. And highlights need to be up asap. Not many want to watch more than one full game but highlights will get them interested.


Eventually I'd love to see us sell rights to a broadcaster in America, Australia etc. Anywhere with a connection with Ireland where you could capture more viewers. But that's never happening until the games look good as a spectacle and that means facilities need to be improved. I know we all know this but it's absolutely critical. Start by making people want to go to games and then you'll get people watching as well.

We need to make Friday nights at the LoI the place people want to be. Rovers are now getting 6.6k on average on Friday nights.

I'd look at making Community Officers a requirement at every PD club. I think most have them but when you see what bohs, rovers, pats and plenty more have done with local schoots, business and causes it shows the potential. Pats support in Tallaght recently was phenomenal.

To make LoI the Friday night event people want to go to you'd also need to be offering access to pints if we are being honest. And not just for members etc. You should be able to go out with your mates and get a pint before, during and after the game, at the stadium with no fuss. We are competing with the pub after all.

I'd also look at adjusting the league season if possible. It's crazy to have such a hectic schedule at the end of the year and not get more dark nights under the lights. I'm not saying we switch to Winter football but for multiple reasons ending the season in, let's say December would possibly be better. Ease the congestion and (for Europe, for fans who get hit in the pocket).

It's a fantastic league, an amazing night out and people are sick of the EPL. There's a moment here to capture. If we build it, they will come etc.

[Eminence Grise]

Does anyone think we need to change the name of LOI PD to a brand name, if we look at non top 5 leagues, a selection in two groupings, one bigger leagues, next more closely linked to LOI, all have their own unique name.

Eredivisie (NL) / Primeira Liga (Port) / Superliga (Den) / Super League (Switz) / Allsvenskan (Swe)

A Lyga (Lith) / Virsliga (Lat) Superleague (KOS)

I think it would benefit in the marketing of the league to have a brand name, could still have sponsor in front of it, but not sure what a name could be?


I think of all the things that are wrong with the LoI, the name "Premier Division" is fairly low down the list in fiarness.

Also Primeira Liga and Eredivisie are effectively the same thing just in a different language


Top flight - Eiredivisie
Second - Wheredivisie?

[TonyD]

How about next season kicks off with a double header in the aviva, Rovers v Bohs and Pats v Shels. Toss of a coin decides who's home game it is and it's 3pm and 5pm Saturday.
Could we fill the aviva for that and launch the season?. No offence to the outside Dublin teams but just trying to make it as easy as possible for the fairweather fans.

Not a fan of gimmicky ideas like that really. Not sure it would fill the place either. If it was, for ex@mple, Pats/Shels first, would all the Rovers/Bohs fans make the 3ffort to turn up early ? And once the Pats /Shels game was over, how many would stick around for Rovers/Bohs ?

Nah, I’d rather concentrate on selling out our own grounds. It’s starting to happen organically now, which is great. Imagine what could be done if some actual effort was put into it.

[ger121]

Top flight - Eiredivisie
Second - Wheredivise?

Very good?

[nigel-harps1954]

Very good?

I'm not sure now.

[2 Year Contract]

Not a fan of gimmicky ideas like that really. Not sure it would fill the place either. If it was, for ex@mple, Pats/Shels first, would all the Rovers/Bohs fans make the 3ffort to turn up early ? And once the Pats /Shels game was over, how many would stick around for Rovers/Bohs ?

Nah, I’d rather concentrate on selling out our own grounds. It’s starting to happen organically now, which is great. Imagine what could be done if some actual effort was put into it.

Im sure the Gardai would love the idea of sticking Pats, Shels, Rovers and Bohs fans in the one ground ;)

[ger121]

I'm not sure now.

God damn question mark bug.

[ger121]

Im sure the Gardai would love the idea of sticking Pats, Shels, Rovers and Bohs fans in the one ground ;)

Only if they got to lock them up in there forever .