Attendance looks sad...

Discussion in 'San Jose Earthquakes' started by davethefourth, Apr 10, 2009.

  1. davethefourth

    davethefourth New Member

    Oct 1, 2007
    Other threads have discussed the sad state in the stands but I think this is a huge marketing issue that must be discussed. I'm sure with Blanco coming to town the stands will be full tomorrow, hopefully, but Blanco ain't coming every week.
    The one major problem I see is television marketing.
    The Quakes are on Comcast Sportsnet, where is that? What are the chances of a non-fan coming across the game? San Jose's lacrosse team does a much better job marketing their game(I don't know their attendance) on KRON, which is between NBC and CBS on my tv, between coverage of March Madness and Golf. Comcast Sportsnet provides very little opportunity for discovery of great family fun. Parents flipping channels could see a sport that their children are doing and take them to the game.

    2. Huckerby commercial sucks. I get it. I'm sure you get it, but the non-fan won't get it. Its so monotone. It sucks.

    KRON 4 and other independent stations are dying for programing. The Earthquakes need to make a move to a relevant station.

    Thoughts?

    :)
     
  2. krudmonk

    krudmonk Member+

    Mar 7, 2007
    S.J. Sonora
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    I see an equal amount of Quakes and Stealth billboards. Both are always pleasant surprises.
     
  3. OffMyLine

    OffMyLine Member

    Nov 30, 2007
    San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'd love to see KRON cough up a couple million for the local TV rights.

    Wonder what they'd be willing to pay, and wonder what the Quakes are getting from Comcast.
     
  4. RD84

    RD84 Member

    Mar 6, 2008
    Tacoma
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't see any Stealth ads anywhere. They must be doing a REALLY good job being stealthy with their promotion. i see Quakes ads all over the buses here, with the occasional bench back and billboard.
     
  5. don gagliardi

    don gagliardi Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    Feb 28, 2004
    san jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Get some schedule posters and pocket schedules from the front office and go put them up in your favorite local joints. Invite someone new to each game. If we all did this, problem solved.

    On my way to work this morning, I stopped by my local donut shop, Rollo's, and put up a Quakes schedule poster and left some schedules in Espanol. (Owner gave me a box of free donuts.) Then I was off to Japantown where I left some pocket schedules in the new coffee house, Roy's Station. Got to work and gave a freebie ticket in the Ultras section to a copyboy in my law office. All before 9 a.m.

    What's the big deal? If I can do it, you can do it. When is it going to resonate that we fans are part of the team?
     
  6. sj_oldtimer

    sj_oldtimer Member

    Nov 18, 2005
    Clovis CA
    My guess is that the Quakes are paying Comcast.
     
  7. markmcf8

    markmcf8 Member+

    Oct 18, 1999
    Vancouver, WA, USA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Truly, you rule like a God on High.

    I would follow your example, except that I live hundreds of miles away. I am going to start beating on one of the local radio stations though to give some love to our local Portland Timbers.

    GOOOOOOO QUAAAAAAAKES!!!!!!!!!! :D

    - Mark
     
  8. pguerra

    pguerra New Member

    Oct 11, 2007
    The major problem is the product on the field. Other than Huckerby and Alvares, there are no exciting players to watch. And with two losses and unattractive team play, team cannot overcome too much quality soccer on TV.
     
  9. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    Depends on the individual. I'd much rather come to see the hometown team play live than watch soccer on TV, no matter what the quality of play differential might be.
     
  10. markmcf8

    markmcf8 Member+

    Oct 18, 1999
    Vancouver, WA, USA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nonsense. The major problem is that somehow "soccer fans" in the South Bay don't give a crap about their local side. Last season, the Portland Timbers increased their attendance by 25% from the previous season, while simultaneously going from being one of the top teams in 2007 to absolutely dead last in the league in 2008. It was a completely horrible, awful, dreary, very bad season. But attendance was way up.

    If you are a soccer fan, then you go out and support the local team. I don't care if the local team are fourth division and bottom of the table. We have alleged fans who would rather watch some English or German side that they have never seen and have no connection too than to go out and watch the local lads. What makes it worse is that these supposed fans can easily tape the Euro game off their TV's and go watch the local team also.

    Yes, the team need and especially the league need to do a much better job of marketing, but the fans need to step up too. That 25% attendance boost in Portland? It's mostly driven by the Timbers Army going out and recruiting new fans.

    GOOOOO QUAAAAAAKES!!!!!!! :D

    - Mark
     
  11. bigdumbgod

    bigdumbgod Member+

    Jun 25, 2005
    San Jose, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A win over BlancoFire while lots of Mexican fans are watching surely would help.
     
  12. sjquakes08

    sjquakes08 Member+

    Jun 16, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just a note on the stealth thing, I'm almost positive their attendance is under 5,000 a game, and they only have 8 home games.
     
  13. athletics68

    athletics68 Member+

    Dec 12, 2006
    San Diego & San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    While I understand attendance at the Dynamo game was a tad disappointing, why the thread about "attendance woes"? We sold out the season opener, and we're likely to sell out the game tomorrow. Let's wait and see how the game after the LA game in Oakland goes before we start worrying about attendance.

    And also keep in the back of your minds that the economy is in the shitter. Even if our attendance drops a big, attendance will likely be down league wide, just as it will be for MLB, etc...
     
  14. Hydrapelican

    Hydrapelican New Member

    Apr 7, 2004
    San Jose, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wasn't there also a sharks game that night as well?

    I had my son's school auction, sharks tix and quakes tix...if my wife would have let me live I would have chosen the quakes...but figured I wanted to be able to walk without a limp into buckshaw for the rest of the season.

    I think that there is a fair overlap between sharks and quakes ticket holders...so maybe some of them chose the hockey game.

    Also, and its been said before, that we have a smallish stadium (not gonna get that much better with the new one either) and an owner who is notoriously tight with the purse strings (not knocking Lew...god rest his everlasting soul for bringin our quakes back...just sayin') I don't see us making investments in big name branded players since there's no big stadium to fill.

    and...I think that attendance picks up when its warmer (would be interesting to see the stats on that actually) in the evening.

    Finally...I can think of 4 or 5 guys that would gladly go hang out at the game if they could drink beer in the stands...if not, they'll drink beer on their couch at home and watch.

    The newness is off...the core group is here...now we need to socialize and motivate the casual fan to start going to more games...I agree that there's nothing like seeing a game live so lets share those extra tickets with friends instead of trying to sell them...
     
  15. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Attendance looks pretty healthy on TV against Chicago.....
     
  16. SCQuakes408

    SCQuakes408 Member

    Nov 27, 2007
    Santa Clara, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    9,717

    I dont think so...there were A LOT of people standing. The stadium looked like it was sold out. Maybe the stupid sun and its blaring heat from the stupid afternoon game threw off my judgement.
     
  17. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    9,717 sounds about right to me. There were a lot of people standing, but some empty bench / seat space as well. It wasn't a bad crowd for a day match, which is a more difficult draw, and also factoring in bad economy and relatively pricey seats. Blanco / Fire fans helped fill out the crowd a bit.
     
  18. Via_Chicago

    Via_Chicago Member

    Apr 1, 2004
    Bay Area, California
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It looked excellent on TV though.
     
  19. krudmonk

    krudmonk Member+

    Mar 7, 2007
    S.J. Sonora
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Indeed, it looked better than the Houston game. Numbers say otherwise, which is perplexing.
     
  20. ant0n

    ant0n Member+

    Jun 12, 2007
    San Jose, Ca
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well it was raining in the Houston game wasn't it?
     
  21. OffMyLine

    OffMyLine Member

    Nov 30, 2007
    San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Historically what the MLS has reported as attendance is an Inflated Number of Tickets Distributed. It's not a gate count.

    Lot of open space in the north end of the university side.
     
  22. athletics68

    athletics68 Member+

    Dec 12, 2006
    San Diego & San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How do numbers say otherwise? Today's attendance was up over the Houston game (Houston 9,177, Today 9,717). And no it wasn't raining vs Houston, it was a clear cold evening though the USNMT and the Sharks were both playing in concert with the Quakes game.
     
  23. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    They didn't show that part on TV. They never do....the numbers will improve for the Galalxy game with or without Beckham....
     
  24. krudmonk

    krudmonk Member+

    Mar 7, 2007
    S.J. Sonora
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Oh. Okay then.
     
  25. TyffaneeSue

    TyffaneeSue moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 15, 2003
    Upstairs
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    The El Camino stands looked full and those are the stands that you see on tv. There was lots of space around me on the university side. Maybe it wasn't such a good FO decision to bump up the price of those tickets? We were second tier pricing last year, and this year we are first (even though we are nowhere near the center line) and tons of empty seats every game.
     

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