Marketing Fiasco

New Everton Kit Delayed - Marketing Fiasco

Everton have just announced that there has been a delay in production of the new kit for season 2008-2009. Thousands of kids were waiting to get their hands on the new strip when it was promised for Thursday 10th July. Now we’re told it won’t be available until Thursday 24th July, 14 days late. We’ve been inundated with complaining emails and they've got a point.

This looks like yet another commercial cock up in a series of similar cock ups by the club. Over the Summer Evertonians have seen the team across the park selling their new strip for six weeks while we’re telling our kids, “Ours is better so it takes longer to make.” You can only fib to the kids for so long before their disappointment gets to you. Can’t the club get ANYTHING right on the commercial front?

All of this was supposed to change when the club made an agreement with a new partner JJB who were supposed to be expert in the sports retail field. Well we all know what that means after walking around their Queen’s Square city centre store. JJB couldn’t give a rat’s arse about Everton merchandise and it shows, because what little they have on show is stuck at the back of the store. Anyone seeing it would think the so called flagship store is nothing more than an extension of the pinkies place next door.

We have had to bite our lips as we saw giant advertising hoardings all over the city advertising the fact that there's was going to be out before ours. We’ve also had to stand and watch while the biggest new shopping development in Europe opens with Everton Football Club nowhere to be seen while our biggest rivals opened a second shop there and with the city crawling with foreign visitors during Capital of Culture 2008. The lack of any presence in the city centre by Everton Football Club is scandalous. It just isn’t good enough for a club that’s supposed to be restoring itself at every level. How can they hope to encourage more Evertonians to buy merchandise with such an inadequate inept display? Surely a shop in the City centre is a necessity. Even the little store near Central station was something. Even a paste table next to the fella selling the Echo at Lime Street station would be better than nothing.

It’s long overdue for the club to get its commercial house in order and the sooner the better. We’ve waited long enough. Get it sorted, Bully. (09/07/08)

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