31/10/2004 13:47:02 Dave There are two discussions arising from our committee meeting of 30th October. They are similar, but different! They are: 1. How do we get more people on our mailing list? 2. How do we get more people on our mailing list to attend track days. The current statistics show that we have just over 510 people on our mailing list. This still increases slightly over time, but we have plateaued since the big rise after becoming a branch of the MGCC and having our regular column in Safety Fast. Of these less than a third (161 people) have actually attended an event, if we include North Weald events. The vast majority (114 people or 71%) have only attended one event. Another 15% (24 people) have attended 2 and only 14% (23 people) have attended 3 or more. This thread is to discuss how we might increase the 510 number.

31/10/2004 13:51:16 Steve Hill One thing that we could do is to find a way of accessing the MGOC audience.

31/10/2004 21:19:58 Cannonball Bob It would appear then that our association with the MGCC has provided all the boost in members it ever will. We need to look elsewhere now, ie MGOC or even non-club MG owners. So here's the catch, and it applies as much to any other register, how do we reach people who know absolutely nothing about us? Can we afford to advertise in non-MG publications, classic car mags etc for example?

01/11/2004 14:11:50 Rob Bell [QUOTE=Cannonball Bob] Can we afford to advertise in non-MG publications, classic car mags etc for example?[/QUOTE] As expensive as this option appears to be, this may be the way forward Bob - although another approach would be to takle the Classic car press with a 'Feature Car on an MGoT track day' - which would be a good deal cheaper! Joe mentioned at Pembry that his car had appeared in a recent edition of one of these Classic car mags - but without mention of us, I suspect. Then there is also totalMaxG and MG Pipes&Slippers Enthusiast. Dave and Steve are hopefully meeting up with Phil Raby today, but there is no reason for us to have an exclusive arrangement with totalMG - and we could look to broaden our horizons. Is there anyway that we can tap into MG S&Rs publicity machine? i.e. in their catalogue, offer track day opportunities to their customers at a reduced rate, perhaps to be sponsored by S&R?

12/11/2004 16:39:51 Steve Hill [b]The Great MGoT Membership Challenge 2005[/b] Aim to double the number of registrations. Method, everyone currently registered is challenged to find at least one more! Easy! We could have some king of display on the site to show how we're doing.

12/11/2004 17:27:19 Rob Bell Regarding building our mailing list, here are a few more ideas: We could revive the advertising idea for the MGBBS - if you recall Mike Plumstead was offering us a free month's trial. No risk to us. We should look to using our contact with totalMG - and exploiting that to its full potential The MGOC contacts via the chap organising Goodwood is another good avenue to tap into the MGOC pool of MG owners. As for converting mailing list members into active participants, well, that's just down to pursuasion through glowing reports by us and our 'active' members regarding what terrific fun track days are. We just need to work on building critical momentum.

18/11/2004 18:11:03 Dave [QUOTE=Rob Bell]Regarding building our mailing list, here are a few more ideas: We could revive the advertising idea for the MGBBS - if you recall Mike Plumstead was offering us a free month's trial. No risk to us. We should look to using our contact with totalMG - and exploiting that to its full potential The MGOC contacts via the chap organising Goodwood is another good avenue to tap into the MGOC pool of MG owners. As for converting mailing list members into active participants, well, that's just down to pursuasion through glowing reports by us and our 'active' members regarding what terrific fun track days are. We just need to work on building critical momentum.[/QUOTE] The BBS advert becomes more realistic with some money in the bank, but we seem to have a lot of potential uses for it ;) Deposits on track days are going to have to take priority I think :) £1K to Donny soon I hope. Any news Steve? The MGOC guy didn't get his meeting with Goodwood last week, but is hoping to get it this week. I'll be talking to him again after that. Crossed fingers on the totalMG relationship developing. Have you and Bob come to some arrangement about the article for Feb 2005?

18/11/2004 18:25:03 Steve Hill All good stuff. I'd still like us to enthuse the members to find one more each. They are an under exploited asset. You know the way it is when someone that you know encouarges you to get involved, it really works much better than cold canvassing.

19/11/2004 08:24:30 Neil [color=black]The cost of advertising in some of the magazines is not necessarily as much as you think. Okay, if your thinking of the high volume car mags then they want substantial sums of money but in reality they're more likely to be purchased by people who can't afford most of the cars and are very unlikely to take a car on track. It's a bit like lad's mags, full of pictures of scantily clad women purchased by blokes who aren't getting any.[/color] [color=black] [/color] [color=black]If you turn your attention to some of the recent specialist publications such as Retro and Kit and track or something they post up forthcoming track day and event calendars for free. Retro this month has Lotus on Track written on the front cover, although I think this is coincidence. [/color]

19/11/2004 10:33:14 Rob Bell [QUOTE=Neil][color=black]If you turn your attention to some of the recent specialist publications such as Retro and Kit and track or something they post up forthcoming track day and event calendars for free. Retro this month has Lotus on Track written on the front cover, although I think this is coincidence. [/color][/QUOTE] Very good idea Neil - similar to what Dave's been doing with [b][i]Circuit Driver[/i][/b] - let's do it, let's get our calender in as many Retro mags/ MG mags as we can! :)

11/12/2004 13:26:59 Tim Can we market ourselves across the marque boundaries and to Austin Healeys and Triumphs....an other GB car makers.....?

12/12/2004 11:04:37 Steve Hill [QUOTE=Tim]Can we market ourselves across the marque boundaries and to Austin Healeys and Triumphs....an other GB car makers.....?[/QUOTE] That would be a significant move, we would no longer do what it says on the tin! Mg's on Track!

12/12/2004 11:11:01 Steve Hill [b]The Big Red Turbo Charged MGoT Membership Challenge[/b] The Big Red Turbo Charged MGoT Membership Challenge! Aim To double our membership by Easter 2005. Method Challenge all current members to sign up a least one new member. Reward An exciting programme for 2005 that is better than anything we have done to date, inc Silverstone Double Whammy, Angelsey Lambusters, Bedford Autodrome, Donington Park etc etc. Only possible if we significantly increase membership. Web site display to show progress, prize of 1 free trackday for the member who introduces the most.

12/12/2004 12:46:23 Tim [QUOTE=Steve Hill]Web site display to show progress, prize of 1 free trackday for the member who introduces the most.[/QUOTE] A good idea needing only one modification. Make it the member who get the most newbies on track. An enterprising individual could easily suggest names for the mailing list with none having any interest in attending a track day. An additional, complimentary, method to Steves ideas could be to provide discount incentives: (as a starter for 10) Bring 2 new people on any one track event and receive 25% discount. Bring 3 new people on any one track event and receive 30% discount Bring 4 new people on any one track event and receive 50% discount We have records of cars and people who have already attended so it would be difficult to abuse. This method would give a rolling incentive programme for each event and build the membership. Tim

12/12/2004 15:53:24 Steve Hill [QUOTE=Tim]A good idea needing only one modification. Make it the member who get the most newbies on track. An enterprising individual could easily suggest names for the mailing list with none having any interest in attending a track day. An additional, complimentary, method to Steves ideas could be to provide discount incentives: (as a starter for 10) Bring 2 new people on any one track event and receive 25% discount. Bring 3 new people on any one track event and receive 30% discount Bring 4 new people on any one track event and receive 50% discount We have records of cars and people who have already attended so it would be difficult to abuse. This method would give a rolling incentive programme for each event and build the membership. Tim[/QUOTE] Great thoughts Tim. Could this be the beginning of Track Miles? Collect enough and get a discount.

13/12/2004 16:50:57 Dave [QUOTE=Steve Hill]That would be a significant move, we would no longer do what it says on the tin! Mg's on Track![/QUOTE] I presume Tim's just meaning advertising to like-minded people who possibly also have MGs or have friends with them rather than widening membership to non-MGs.

13/12/2004 16:58:27 Dave [QUOTE=Tim]A good idea needing only one modification. Make it the member who get the most newbies on track. An enterprising individual could easily suggest names for the mailing list with none having any interest in attending a track day. An additional, complimentary, method to Steves ideas could be to provide discount incentives: (as a starter for 10) Bring 2 new people on any one track event and receive 25% discount. Bring 3 new people on any one track event and receive 30% discount Bring 4 new people on any one track event and receive 50% discount We have records of cars and people who have already attended so it would be difficult to abuse. This method would give a rolling incentive programme for each event and build the membership. Tim[/QUOTE] Some good thinking there guys - I like the discount idea and yes, of course it should apply only to tyres on the track not names on the mailing list :D Does everyone like the concept? If so, then we just need to work out what we think is a reasonable incentive and not too much of a drain on our pricing for any one event. Tim's numbers seem pretty reasonable, although I guess we'd start it at one new person giving, what 10%? How about 1 person = 10% 2 = 20% 3 = 30% 4 = 40% etc. nice and easy to remember! Bring ten and get the day free! :D If we'd had this scheme in place for Brands then Ian Stevenson would already be getting pretty close to his free place given all the new V8 drivers that are signed up!