Flyer in the post from the FAI?

Got home today, FAI A5 envelope on the doormat, open it and theres a flyer fro the FAI for the Georgia game. "The 12th man is important", blurb about the singing section, meeting Houghton and premium level tickets - and on the back a copy of the standard press ad for the day of the game.

But no tickets

Has anyone else received this in the same way? I've paid for my standard tickets (waiting list but with tickets for all Croker games) and would have expected this sort of stuff to come WITH the tickets. This reads almost like an ad for someone who didn't actually buy any tickets; or that they weren't in the envelope.

Yeh I got the same with no tickets. Guess they were just sent to everyone on the BB list.

Complete and utter waste of time and money sending out this flier.

Presumably they are going out to all block bookers as the envelope has our unique number on it. The content is mostly made up 50% (front page) of details about buying tickets and 50% about the 12th man & singing section. The back is made up of details about Croke Park and the rules and regulations that haven't changes since we moved to Croke Park.

Presumably something like this, along with the actual tickets invoice information would be better suited to an email, then mail shot those who haven't provided an email address. Why bother holding our email address if they aren't going to use it?

The FAI must be rolling in money.

Rant over.

i really don't think it is a bad idea.

if it has info about the singing section, it is obviously looking to recruit people to that area, and hopefully it will! the fai is making a real effort to ensure those fans who want to sing can be seated together in the same area, and this goes some way to achieving that aim.

there is no pleasing some people!

I agree they could have emailed it

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Originally Posted by SuperDave

i really don't think it is a bad idea.

if it has info about the singing section, it is obviously looking to recruit people to that area, and hopefully it will! the fai is making a real effort to ensure those fans who want to sing can be seated together in the same area, and this goes some way to achieving that aim.

there is no pleasing some people!

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As I already said emailing it to those who have provided an email address would be the wise thing to do, but then wise isn't a word often used in Abbotstown I'm sure.

A mail shot with a few paragraphs from Trapattoni saying how we can all be the 12th man come Feb 11th is in my eyes condescending to say the least. Aside from the small singing section report why would you bother to tell existing block bookers how they can buy tickets for the forthcoming games? These things aren't being targeted at the right people.

the opportunity to meet ray houghton last saturday....ill just get the flux capacitor out and away we go..

Just about getting the word out about the Singing section, not necessarily for georgia, but to make people aware of it.

Just a different viewpoint.

Say someone spoke to somebody in the ticket office about the new section, and that employee mentioned

''anything goes in the new section, standing, flares, etc but that it cannot be seen to be condoned, officially recognised etc'',

but people not technically proficient who wouldn't be aware of the new development could be informed by chance as such. Thats how I read it anyway.
This was the FAI's way of unofficially giving sanction to the section, to the BB'ers who aren't on the net or email.
Perhaps?

Does this mean we can bring and hang our banners from that area in Croke Park?

The sending out of the flier is even a big mockery now considering the tickets for the forthcoming games arrived today in the post, a mere two days (for me) after the initial unneeded rubbish.

Anyone who did want to change to the singing section after reading about it on Tuesday would surely still receive their tickets for their original seats.

what is all the fuss about? they have a database of blockbookers addresses who probably know other fans, not blockbookers, who may want tickets and are advertising how tickets can be purchased. its just advertising. big deal

It's wasteful and shows a lack of basic business understanding from the FAI. It would have been better getting the people who dispatch the tickets to combine the mailshot into the one posting, or contact people via email or both.

I suppose whilst we're paying 50/70 euro a ticket waste isn't really a concern of the FAI.

What next? They'll probably be posting out each of my block booking tickets individually :)

[QUOTE=Bluetonic;1094724]It's wasteful and shows a lack of basic business understanding from the FAI. It would have been better getting the people who dispatch the tickets to combine the mailshot into the one posting, or contact people via email or both.
QUOTE]

the sale of about 300 tickets at €50 each would probably well cover the cost. id say they reckoned they'll well exceed that amt and thought it worthwhile

Its very worthwhile not spending money unnecessarily, common business sense should prevail.



[QUOTE=jbyrne;1094780]

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Originally Posted by Bluetonic

It's wasteful and shows a lack of basic business understanding from the FAI. It would have been better getting the people who dispatch the tickets to combine the mailshot into the one posting, or contact people via email or both.
QUOTE]

the sale of about 300 tickets at €50 each would probably well cover the cost. id say they reckoned they'll well exceed that amt and thought it worthwhile

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

the sale of about 300 tickets at €50 each would probably well cover the cost. id say they reckoned they'll well exceed that amt and thought it worthwhile

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Anyone who has a block booking and has been to the games at Croker can see with their own eyes that there are oodles of tickets available for every game. I don't see how we need a mail shot to tell us what we already know. Even at that a separate one to the post we already received this week.

I don't know of too many companies who carry on with marketing like that and last.

when they dont promote things they get abuse and when they do they get abuse

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

when they dont promote things they get abuse and when they do they get abuse

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Don't give me that auld sob story, who is abusing them? It's called constructive criticism.

What people want to see is intelligent marketing not marketing for marketing sake which is not targeted to the right demographic and shows blatant waste of cash and presumably resources. Do you not see the link between receiving a mail shot on Tuesday made up of how to buy tickets and guidelines for access to Croke Park, then on Thursday receiving tickets, which were already paid for long ago, along with more of the same guidelines for access to Croke Park?

If a transition year project came up with a proposal for marketing like this for their fictional company they would be failed.

Even if the mail shot was going to sent out surely someone could put one and one together and say lets email the mailshot to those who pay their invoice online, however it's relevance would still be in doubt.

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Originally Posted by Bluetonic

Don't give me that auld sob story, who is abusing them? It's called constructive criticism.

What people want to see is intelligent marketing not marketing for marketing sake which is not targeted to the right demographic and shows blatant waste of cash and presumably resources. Do you not see the link between receiving a mail shot on Tuesday made up of how to buy tickets and guidelines for access to Croke Park, then on Thursday receiving tickets, which were already paid for long ago, along with more of the same guidelines for access to Croke Park?

If a transition year project came up with a proposal for marketing like this for their fictional company they would be failed.

Even if the mail shot was going to sent out surely someone could put one and one together and say lets email the mailshot to those who pay their invoice online, however it's relevance would still be in doubt.

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surely Irish football fans is the right demographic? it was to advise fans of the singing section and that tickets could be purchased. id say existing block bookers are exactly the type of people who may know others wanting to buy tickets. also, a lot of clubs are block bookers so they could pass on the details to other members in a club for example. not everyone has access to email

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

surely Irish football fans is the right demographic?

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Any good marketers would combine a number of variables to define the suitable demographic profile. It's not good enough to simply say 'Irish Football Fans', you need to at least say 'Irish Football Fans who don't already purchase tickets'.

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

it was to advise fans of the singing section and that tickets could be purchased. id say existing block bookers are exactly the type of people who may know others wanting to buy tickets. also, a lot of clubs are block bookers so they could pass on the details to other members in a club for example.

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The singing section item took up a tiny part of the page, surely it would have had exactly the same effect if included with the tickets received today as if for instance I had decided to move from the Cusack Lower to the singing section my current allocation still would have been dispatched due to the closeness of the two mailings.

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Originally Posted by jbyrne

not everyone has access to email

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The FAI not so long ago sent another mail shot (around the time of the Abbottstown move) asking their block bookers to confirm their details online, one of which was to enter an email address if you used one. Why bother asking for this information if it's not going to be used? I've already mentioned more than once above that email addresses should be utilised where they have been provided. In fact most people can make a good case that an email is far more accessible than a traditional mail shot - there are many block bookers who are in rented accomodation and have their family addresses as their block booking address, people on holidays etc.., An email also has a massive advantage in that it can be forwarded on many times with little effort and thereby reaching a more people than any traditional mail post from the FAI.

Can you not see anything wrong with this weeks mailshot or is marketing something you have no interest in? Honest genuine question. If they are going to do something they may as well put a little though into it, I get the impression from your reply in post #16 that your just happy to see something coming in the door from them and give it little or no thought that thats what some of your match day money is going towards.

It's almost comical that the FAI have this little gem on their website.

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Your privacy preference and opting out
To opt-out of receiving communications you have expressly requested (such as e-mail newsletters etc.), use any of the following methods:

* Select the e-mail "opt-out" or "unsubscribe" link, or follow the opt-out instructions included in each subscription communication
* Write to the FAI Webmaster, webmaster@fai.ie - be sure to provide your name, e-mail and postal address, and relevant information about your FAI registrations.

http://www.fai.ie/index.php?option=c...1994&Itemid=37

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I'm not trying to argue with you or anyone by the way, I'm just trying to look at the way the FAI do thing with regards to us, the block bookers.

Tickets on the mat today

Ergo I could not have used said flyer letting me know about the signing section to move seats there had I wanted to! Knew about it already because of here, but thats beside the point.