Alright, how about this. What are your suggestions? What do you say we should change/keep the same regarding off-ice aspects?
First, the biggest factor above all else is going to be winning, which can't be controlled by off-ice stuff. The team wins, people jump aboard (see how easily they moved tickets for the playoff run a couple years back, even as prices skyrocketed by the finals). The team wins, people stop complaining about minor to medium level things. It's a trickle down. Why are all of these complaints coming up repeatedly this year? Because the team sucked last year and hasn't taken the league by storm this year either. Most of these aren't "new" things.
In regards to fixing any off-ice issues... its complicated, because again, not everything is solely up to them. The top thing which they need to resume/pick up again is fan engagement. Easiest way to do that is social media. They made great strides and I think it took a step back. That's probably largely to do with the former Director of Marketing leaving within the last year (as he was spearheading much of their social media involvement in recent years) to go do social media for the Mets. Best thing about social media for a sports team is that it gives them a voice/face. Use that to interact directly with fans and it goes a long way. It becomes a source for feedback, both positive and negative, and makes fans feel the team is more approachable.
Take the Diablos, destroy the entire thing, and start from scratch. The idea in theory isn't bad. It's current execution is. Changing/fixing a few things will be a band-aid on a giant wound. Tear it all down. Start over again with a better, more definitive vision of what this group
should be, and then make it happen. And I'm not saying this should be done without fan involvement. But it should be a few specific individuals, or a group of 5-10 as the "management" of sorts for any supporters group/groups.
Ignore the crap about the goal song. People will always find something to complain about. Those who still care are too stubborn to ever win over. If they want to change it, feel free, but do it in the off-season, make a poll with 5-10 choices, without the old song being in the mix, and go from there. Who cares. But constantly re-visiting it serves no purpose, bringing back the old one serves no purpose, harping on this serves no purpose, etc. The general solution here is make sure the employees in charge of game presentation site down and really assess what they have in their script on a regular basis, take out old things that don't work. Put in new things to try to mix things up. This means everything everything. Video bits, audio choices, promos and contests, etc.
Better sponsorship relations. This is what Scott O'Neil will largely be involved with. This is his specialty. If this is what he is doing here, it will be fine in time. But it can't be ignored or put on the back burner. Sponsorship deals will lead to better/additional promo items and benefits to fans. They'll enjoy it, as stupid of a thing as it may seem.
Figure out ticket prices. Consolidate some zones (way too many price points for the average fan to make sense of). Assess some numbers of what sells, what sells to individual game buyers, what sells to full seasons, what doesn't sell at all. Lower some STH prices a bit. Lower individual game prices, but not by as drastic of a percentage as full seasons. Create a bigger gap between the two. Allows for a bigger cushion for a STH to sell their tickets where they can get their money back, but potentially keeping it low enough that people will buy them on the secondary market. This still does create demand for tickets (on a secondary market), which will make it a little more worthwhile for people to own season tickets since they know they can sell them. The big ticket games will likely sell at a premium over face, and so will playoff tickets if they don't break the structure to try to capitalize pricing options on those. Like always, if the team wins and gets that far, its great for the season ticket holder.
And the one thing to add about season ticket holders... go back to making it about "the experience." All of these meet the team events, special access opportunities and what not is the non-monetary value associated with owning tickets. Yes, many people may get a little burned out when you have the same events every year, especially the basic ones. But they'll be far more pissed having them eliminated than repetitive. Work on keeping them fresh as you go, but keep them there. "Owning the same seat for every game" isn't a perk any more. Events, access, perks, and tangible items that aren't given to non-STHs provides some exclusivity/incentive/sense of being valued. That's what people want. They can spend a few hours at the DMV to be treated like **** for far less money.
Pay the operations people more money. Never seen an Ops staff for any building that hasn't been overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated.
...... There. Happy?
(I'm referring to the load of fans from Viking Nation & South Ward that wanted to join us at Rock but were treated poorly and felt unwanted by the org).
