Saracens offer Bath fans refund if Gavin Henson scores.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24120369

Saracens will give Bath fans a full refund on their tickets if centre Gavin Henson scores in Sunday's Premiership match between the two sides.
The London side top the Premiership and host third-placed Bath at Allianz Park.
Fans will need a Bath postcode as their home address to qualify for a refund.

"If Gavin Henson scores a point this Sunday we will give Bath fans their money back. It really is that simple." Clare Jackson

Great marketing. It's a bit cheeky sure but I think it'll really generate some interest in this game! C'mon Gav!

HKC well said. I agree with all of that.

Portnoy complaint if you believe Wray is a total pr!ck it doesn't really say anything positive about you.

I have met Wray he's a very pleasant, down to earth sports fan.

Scrumpy wrote:Bath set to offer refund to Sarries fans if Matt Stevens has white line fever!

 

Sniffing the white line whilst at Bath whilst at Bath lest we forget, Scrumpy,

beshocked wrote:HKC well said. I agree with all of that.

Portnoy complaint if you believe Wray is a total pr!ck it doesn't really say anything positive about you.

I have met Wray he's a very pleasant, down to earth sports fan.

Then maybe he should conduct his public utterings in a sportsmanlike rather than profiteering manner and his Saffer masters ought to tell him the same.

HongKongCherry wrote:On one hand I think Sarries should be commended for these marketing ploys.  They are using their financial clout to get people through the gates.  On the other hand they perhaps could go about it another way.  I know there was a lot of distrust from Glaws supporters about this, as there was the belief (which is now proved misguided) that Sarries would announce how many Glaws fans had predicted a Sarries win.  In this instance you have to presume they have selected Henson because he's an ex-Sarries player, not because he's a prat.  So as with the Glaws game, perhaps the marketing team could and should be clearer in communicating their intentions.

Moreover, you do have to question why they are putting in initiatives to bring in away supporters.  Surely with the size of Allianz Park the focus should be to pack it out with home supporters?

Although the offer is only to supporters with a Bath postcode, it's certainly done what I suspect was its principal aim, which was to hype the match up in general.  I suspect the subplot will also result in more home and non-Bath residential Bath fans turning up than might otherwise have.

Something else they might be banking on is bar receipts.  I haven't been there, but from what I understand there isn't much in the immediate vicinity, so I imagine the 110m stadium bar does a decent trade in pre-match drinks.  More people turning up in an expectant atmosphere and celebrating getting a refund even if they end up losing the game will probably see a number of extra pints sunk, helping to offset any potential refund.

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:

beshocked wrote:HKC well said. I agree with all of that.

Portnoy complaint if you believe Wray is a total pr!ck it doesn't really say anything positive about you.

I have met Wray he's a very pleasant, down to earth sports fan.

Then maybe he should conduct his public utterings in a sportsmanlike rather than profiteering manner and his Saffer masters ought to tell him the same.

Like Cockers??  

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:

beshocked wrote:HKC well said. I agree with all of that.

Portnoy complaint if you believe Wray is a total pr!ck it doesn't really say anything positive about you.

I have met Wray he's a very pleasant, down to earth sports fan.

Then maybe he should conduct his public utterings in a sportsmanlike rather than profiteering manner and his Saffer masters ought to tell him the same.

Oh please do stop being such a numpty for once.

Wray is a top bloke.

A top bloke and a sports fan would in my opinion not lever a personality into a marketing advantage in my view.

Wray and indeed his backers may be good blokes to share a beer with or whatever, but I just don't share their rugby marketing approach.

Fancy a beer for the Sarries v Toulouse match so we can actually meet?

I've always thought Wray comes across well in interviews, clearly loves the game and has been involved with Sarries (and poured a lot of his own cash into them) for so long, he can hardly be accused of thinking of short term profits for himself.

As for the Henson thing, it was clearly an attempt to get a bit of publicity and it worked!

Bathman_in_London wrote:I've always thought Wray comes across well in interviews, clearly loves the game and has been involved with Sarries (and poured a lot of his own cash into them) for so long, he can hardly be accused of thinking of short term profits for himself.

As for the Henson thing, it was clearly an attempt to get a bit of publicity and it worked!  

It did, well, at least if you subscribe to the notion that all publicity is good publicity, I suppose

portnoys complaint that's fair enough. You don't believe in Wray's marketing approach. He's admitted he's got things wrong. He's spent a lot of money on Sarries, he's not getting that money back. He goes to virtually every game, for a chairman he has a very hands on approach. He cares a lot about the club and sport in general. He has a huge collection of sporting memorabalia too.

I am not going to the Sarries-Toulouse game. Sorry to disappoint.

Bathman in london well said.

Well, I was going to stay out of this debate, but find myself compelled to give my view, so here it is.

I saw nothing wrong with Saracens offer to the Gloucester fans. It was a bit of fun and gave Gloucester fans a choice whereby they could get their money back by predicting a Saracens win and getting that prediction right. As a fan, it was kind of win win, as if Gloucester won, you have to pay but you'll not care about paying, but if Saracens win you go home with your money back.

This offer for the Bath game feels different. It feels like a deliberate targetting of an individual, with Saracens effectively saying they are confident he is not good enough to score against them. Whatever you think about him as a person, I do not feel that a professional sporting organisation should be targetting an individual in that manner. It smacks of gamesmanship. Do Bath consider the offer when deciding if to select him. Do they let him take an important kick at goal just to get their fans oney back and risk losing the game. I don't like it. It is a misguided decision in my mind.

It also raises the question of are Sarries going to do this for every home game and if so what is their angle going to be? If they don't, then this will most defnitely be seen as a targetting of Henson and will increase the annoyance of those who are unhappy with it. There is a real risk with these things of actually alienating rugby fans who are not part of the Saracens family, and actually that isn't really the rugby way. I appreciate that Saracens are not there to win a popularity contest, but the spirit of the game and it's principals of respect for everyone involved in rugby are important still, even in this professional era. This also does appear to be solely aimed at away fans, and I cannot see that as being a great long term marketting strategy.

Ozzy3213 wrote:Well, I was going to stay out of this debate, but find myself compelled to give my view, so here it is.

I saw nothing wrong with Saracens offer to the Gloucester fans.  It was a bit of fun and gave Gloucester fans a choice whereby they could get their money back by predicting a Saracens win and getting that prediction right.  As a fan, it was kind of win win, as if Gloucester won, you have to pay but you'll not care about paying, but if Saracens win you go home with your money back.

This offer for the Bath game feels different.  It feels like a deliberate targetting of an individual, with Saracens effectively saying they are confident he is not good enough to score against them.  Whatever you think about him as a person, I do not feel that a professional sporting organisation should be targetting an individual in that manner.  It smacks of gamesmanship.  Do Bath consider the offer when deciding if to select him.  Do they let him take an important kick at goal just to get their fans oney back and risk losing the game.  I don't like it.  It is a misguided decision in my mind.

It also raises the question of are Sarries going to do this for every home game and if so what is their angle going to be?  If they don't, then this will most defnitely be seen as a targetting of Henson and will increase the annoyance of those who are unhappy with it.  There is a real risk with these things of actually alienating rugby fans who are not part of the Saracens family, and actually that isn't really the rugby way.  I appreciate that Saracens are not there to win a popularity contest, but the spirit of the game and it's principals of respect for everyone involved in rugby are important still, even in this professional era.  This also does appear to be solely aimed at away fans, and I cannot see that as being a great long term marketting strategy.  

 

Ozzy3213 wrote: Do Bath consider the offer when deciding if to select him.  Do they let him take an important kick at goal just to get their fans money back and risk losing the game.  I don't like it.  It is a misguided decision in my mind.  

Thank you Ozzy, it is wrong on so many levels.

I think had this initiative started with Andy Saull and Newcastle then there wouldn't be an issue; but as it's Henson there is so much scope to get the wrong impression.

Ozzy, I don't think the Bath management will give this a second's thought as to whether they select Henson. Their sole focus will be on getting the win, not appeasing the fans that have made the trip and I'm sure everyone of their fans would want it that way. Personally I don't so this as any different to the Glaws offer. You could choose whether you thought Glaws or Sarries would win and this info could have been shared - rather than target one player it could have been announced on the tannoy that 60% of Glaws supporters think they're going to lose; this could cause far more issue than just one player. I think you rightly ask the question as to whether this will happen all season. If Sarries had said all year any team with a returning player will have this deal then it wouldn't be seen as focusing on Henson. As we found out with the Glaws game they didn't use the info to derail the players (Nick Wood did that instead!) and I am sure after this match the same will be said. Sarries are just guilty of dodgy comms, not dodgy practices.

HKC

So we are agreed that this is open to misinterpretation? That is a risky marketing strategy. For the life of me, above all else, I cannot actually see the point in the offer.

Came across this offer for the sarries v bath game.
 
Combe Down RFC on Sunday. All pints £3. Sausage and chips served at half time.

Cost of your sausage and chips refunded to anyone with a Saracens postcode (wherever the hell that is) and if any ex-Bath player gets a yellow card in the match.

Cross bar challenge outside at half-time. 250 pence if you can hit it from the far 22.

And if you really want to settle in for the afternoon, Man Utd vs Man City follows at 4pm.

  

Ozzy3213 wrote:HKC

So we are agreed that this is open to misinterpretation?  That is a risky marketing strategy.  For the life of me, above all else, I cannot actually see the point in the offer.

Totally agreed. I don't think there is any malice behind the gesture, but its been communicated poorly. I agree too that the offer is somewhat surprising, as was the Glaws offer. For my money, they should be doing all they can to get Sarries supporters through the doors, not just capitalise on short term wins with a few more away supporters.

To be honest, they should forget all these marketing gimmicks and just get rid of the tabbards, the drums and right said fred and I'd return to these away games! I've not been to a Sarries game for 2 years now, whereas I'd been 6 years running prior to that. The final nail in the coffin for me was when they blasted music and advertised a domino give away whilst Nicky Robinson was taking a kick.

It's just a marketing gimmick - week 2.
The man once said: there is no such thing as bad publicity. Sarries marketing are getting us all talking on 606 - and elsewhere GBI rugby is followed or reported, so  to their marketeers.
What will they get up to week 3 ?

Yeah, I have to agree, as with a lot of marketing it's not so much about the actual deal but the attention it creates.  This is now the most talked about match of the week and it'll probably result in more both home and away fans (not all of whom will have a Bath postcode) turning up who might not have.  Also, even if Henson does score (I suspect he will), they'll probably make up what they pay out in the extra parking and beer sales from those supporters alone.