Making Matchday Bigger Than the Match - Everyone's a winner baby

One of the projects I've been developing this month started with a simple yet profound question: How can attending an Aberystwyth Town match benefit the wider town too? This inquiry led to the creation of an innovative initiative called Matchday Teammates. The concept is straightforward yet impactful: it allows local businesses to offer benefits or discounts to supporters who purchase digital match tickets. This arrangement creates a win-win situation for everyone involved.

For the supporters, the initiative provides something extra, enhancing their matchday experience. Meanwhile, local businesses benefit from increased foot traffic and exposure, which can ultimately lead to higher sales and customer loyalty. Additionally, the football club strengthens its relationship with the local economy, fostering a sense of community and collaboration. By implementing this strategy, the digital ticket becomes more valuable without the need for the club to simply discount the ticket itself.

What I love about projects like this is that they create a scenario where everyone can win. Instead of viewing surrounding cafés, restaurants, shops, and other businesses as completely separate entities from the matchday experience, why not connect them? A football match doesn't start at kick-off; it begins much earlier in the day. Supporters might meet their friends for coffee, enjoy a meal, visit a shop, have a drink, or stroll through town before heading to Park Avenue. This holistic view of the matchday experience reveals the real customer journey.

Thinking about the entire experience opens up far more interesting marketing opportunities than simply promoting a match with a generic message like "Aberystwyth Town v X, Saturday, 2.30pm." The digital infrastructure we've been building makes implementing ideas like this much easier. When supporters purchase tickets online, that ticket can serve as the mechanism that unlocks additional value, creating a seamless connection between the match and the local economy.

In addition to Matchday Teammates, another slightly unusual idea has been taking shape: an Aberystwyth Town sticker album. This concept may sound whimsical, but there is serious marketing thinking behind it. Football supporters are known for their love of collecting items; they cherish nostalgia and often reminisce about former players. Young supporters, in particular, are eager to forge connections with current players. By creating a physical product like a sticker album, we can foster interactions that purely digital marketing cannot achieve.

Why not create our own collectible product featuring the current squad alongside some of the club's legendary figures? This project represents a unique intersection of creativity and commercial thinking. It has the potential to generate revenue, create engaging content, and attract positive public relations. Moreover, it can help supporters recognize players and educate younger fans about the club's rich history. Most importantly, it can create lasting memories.

Sometimes, marketing should be brilliantly practical and useful. Other times, it should simply inspire someone to think: That's really cool. I want one. As we move through August, I anticipate that these initiatives will not only enhance the matchday experience but also strengthen the ties between Aberystwyth Town and the community it serves.