Struggling rugby league clubs should crowdsource their fans for help: Super League clubs like Bradford Bulls and London Broncos should take inspiration from an ice hockey franchise in Canada that asked its supporters for ideas and drew on their expertise Bradford Bulls and London Broncos have finally been put out of their misery and their time in the top flight will come to an end after 40 and 19 years, respectively. It is hoped relegation will bring new attitudes and fresh impetus for both. Their plans for next season should include asking their fans for help. Bulls owner Marc Green and whoever runs the Broncos, and indeed most Super League club executives, could do worse than casting an eye across to Canada to see how one club reacted to being in a hole. They crowdsourced. After yet another miserable season, fallen ice hockey giants Edmonton Oilers decided perhaps they should ask their thousands of fans for help. Not ask for their pocket money like Bradford infamously did, nor desperately hope they might actually come to a game (London). The Oilers went to the people of Edmonton and said: What should we be doing? Have you got any decent ideas? Please tell us. Just like the places where most of our Super League clubs are based, Edmonton a provincial capital and university city is home to hundreds of academics, students, politicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and inventors. The club had a brainwave: a lot of these people like us and want us to do well. Perhaps we should see if they can help us solve our problems. In 2011 the Oilers set up an analytics working group. In 2012 they worked with the local council to ask residents to come up with ideas to solve city-wide problems. And last year they reaped the benefits of Hackathon 2.0, where they invited brainy fans to analyse anything of potential value to the Oilers. It could involve marketing, ticketing, recruitment, development, tactics: anything. They expected 100 ideas and got 550, of which they loved about 20. And the club have used them. Continue reading... #Guardian
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 13:16:29 +0000
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