Melbourne--Western Bulldogs

The bulldogs, we went to Western Bulldogs for company visit as the second station of our first day. A gentle man Nick Truelson gave us a nicely presentation about Western Bulldogs and its future strategic plan.

 The future organizational goals in five years can be covered as:

• 5 years plan to aggressively increase members
• Growth focus on Melton and Wyndham membership
• Continuous fan and community engagement
• New brand positioning- begin with the western Front

Nick Truelson explained Western Bulldogs has the intention to target customer in Wyndham and Melton (west Australia) for the following reasons:

•  In Melbourne west, there is a potential group of customers that Western Bulldog interested in: Wyndham and Melton together have 18,000 people to move in 2009. The largest number of population moving in.
• $180 millions new retail spending will be generated
• Lend Lease is going to build shopping centre in western Australia: is important for Western Bulldong as once it built a building in some where, WB got prospective customers to target for.
• Big businesses or companies also have great influence on WB. Engagement with these businesses is good for WB to enhance their brand.

WB has launched a campaign aims to inspire western Australians and bring their attention to WB.

• Campaign objectives:
• Brand positioning : link identity to the west, positive and growth focused
• Celebrate growth in west
• Tell a new footballing story
• Turn fans into members

Strategies that will be employed in the future:

•  Localised campaign
• Continuous use of messaging and imagery: Ad in the Herald Sun in a half front page in newspaper, SMS, television
•  Initiate season’s fan engagment activities-junior programs and match day experience
• Customer service is also important—car park
• Choose the right time and right place to put the ads
•  Iphone, andorie and blackberry apps launch before the season

Currently, in terms of using social media, WB has already build a big community for its members and customers to share ideas and enjoys their experience. WB have 33,500 members, 7500 twitter followers, 37000 facebook fans and 80000 unique website users.

 Challenges of using social media : media or press may use the photos or stories in the wrong way

that it does not need to be.