When lockdown hit back in March, we never anticipated an extended off-season like this.
When lockdown hit back in March, we never anticipated an extended off-season like this.
We have used this opportunity to look at how we do things here at the Devils and what we need to do to get better. We've been re-focusing on you, our fans, and how we can bring you the very best Devils experience.
BUT LET'S REWIND...
Back in June, we launched a fan survey that was all about getting to know you better.
We asked 7 simple questions that took just 3 minutes to complete (yes, we actually timed it), but would let us know exactly what you want more of, less of, and how we can give you a Cardiff Devils fan experience like no other.
The response was huge. Over 1,500 of you took part, and we’ve never received so much feedback in one hit. But we didn't stop there. We picked up the phone, we followed up on email and dug deeper into some of the additional feedback you gave us, good and bad.
WHAT WE FOUND...
Some stuff we already knew, like the fact that you are extremely loyal to the Devils and we are a huge part of your social lives and social circles. For many of you, we are the one weekly constant with your partner, friends or family.
Some stuff we thought we knew, like the fact you tend to be engaged with us and the league on social media but we didn't quite realise how much. For example, 50% of you told us you are basically online all day every day and 73% of you hit the Devils website at least once a day. 73% of you also use twitter to get your daily dose of Devils info.
Ice Arena Wales may be empty right now, but our online arena is packed!
You also told us things like you wanted to see more interviews, you loved the weekly merchandise offers we introduced this off-season, you wanted more engagement with players through social media, you loved our open communication but we could do it more.
SO WHAT IMPROVEMENTS WILL YOU SEE...
Fan First Approach To Everything We Do – We need to always put the fans first. We cannot just make this a clever strapline for the organisation, we need to ensure everything we do is rooted in the fan experience, so expect some cool changes when you return to Devils games.
More Focus On Our Next Generation of Fans – It is a proven fact that if you go to live sports as a kid, you are 70% more likely to attend as an adult. We need to ensure we continue to have kids specific promotions throughout the season and that we make “Kid’s Night” an annual event.
More Content – you love content, especially video content. So more interviews with players, coaches, management, owners is a must and we will bring you this on all our platforms.
Communication - is something we can always improve on. We will continue to keep you in the loop of what we are doing throughout the season and off-season going forward. We can’t always promise to get you the information first, but we will make sure we give you the correct information, good or bad in an honest and open way. For example, re-read the key takeaways from Todd Kelman's recent twitter takeover HERE
Off-Season Engagement – we have learned how vital it is to stay engaged with our fans throughout the off-season. In year’s past we limited ourselves to player signings or any major league updates, but we realise now that we can stay engaged with things like raffles, merchandise offers, contests, giveaways, longer interviews with players and updates from management or coaches.
Easier To Buy From – We have worked to improve the online ticketing system to make it even smoother for you to purchase tickets. We have also set it up so you can buy vouchers for merchandise or tickets online, which saves people the hassle of coming down to the Arena to buy flexi tickets or merchandise gift certificates.
Merchandise – Expect the 2020-21 merchandise range to launch in October including new jersey designs, updated casual wear and a new range of caps. We also now offer exclusive deals to those fans that sign up to our merchandise newsletter. You can get early access to sales just by agreeing to let us send you updates straight into your inbox – SIGN UP HERE
New Website – The stats don’t lie, 50% of you told us you are basically online all day long and our website is still the first place you look for your Devils news, so we are overhauling our website to bring you a better online experience. Well, we aren't but the talented folks at LIMEGREENTANGERINE are. Expect the brand new www.cardiffdevils.com to drop real soon, but for now…
