eDigitalResearch, a leading provider of online market research has developed an online fans forum for Aston Villa Football Club called Voice In The Crowd", providing the Club with immediate feedback on opinions, habits and marketing opportunities.
(PRWEB) May 13, 2004 -- Phil Smith, Head of Marketing for Aston Villa, said We wanted to give the fans a voice to express their views. That voice has helped us to provide them with the services and products they really want – they now have a direct influence on the Clubs activities".
Fans have to register to access the forum, giving Aston Villa the security that they are talking directly to their fan base and providing an accurate profile of each user.
We had a big hole in terms of live fan interaction." Phil continued. It was a question of finding an application to support the technology we knew was out there, and eDigitalResearch came up with the goods."
The forum was announced in a match programme as well at the clubs website and the take up was phenomenal: 2,000 registrations inside four days. Aston Villa now has just over 3,500 members on the forum and are hoping to increase that number to 20,000 by year end. And with 100% of fans so far registered possessing email addresses, Aston Villa can now use the speediest and most cost effective method for notifying fans of upcoming promotions, surveys and events.
The forum has meant a tremendous upturn not just in Aston Villas ability to reach fans in an efficient manner, but in their ability to improve return on investment through accurate research of need and desires. For example, Aston Villa are currently running a survey on replica kit, giving fans the opportunity to express opinions and preferences before it goes on sale.
Fans are also voting for their player of the year on the forum, and participation in the vote has been 35% up on previous years.
Aston Villa is using fan profiles in conjunction with their customer relationship management software, which was previously at the heart of all their interaction with fans for transactions and mail outs. Fans can of course opt out of receiving further information when registering.
Aston Villa intend to run more in-depth and sophisticated surveys in the future, and with a more accurate picture of the demographics, opinions and habits of their fan base they can further improve their return on investment; by targeting the fans regularly going to away games they could gather information on the competition, for example.
The ‘Fan Forum concept developed for Aston Villa has almost limitless applications within other organisations, from clubs involved in any kind of sporting activity, educational organisations and local councils seeking resident feedback.
Visit the Aston Villa Fan Forum at www.avfc.eglobalpanel.com or for further information contact Michelle Fuller at www.eDigitalResearch.com
|
