How Falkirk’s commercial operation ‘got innovative’ and took on coronavirus closedown with virtual sponsorship and matchday income

In the absence of players – and in the absence of matchday money – Falkirk’s cash income began to dry up as the coronavirus closedown began to bite into club business.

So commerical director Kieran Koszary stepped up his game while the matches were missing and has tried to “be as creative and as innovative as possible” to bring money into the accounts and to keep the Bairns supporters close to the club.

The former advertising sales manager at The Falkirk Herald covered as many surfaces as he could within the stadium since moving into his role in 2013, but with no games and no eyes to see the branding all over the ground he had to change tact.

“The commercial role has changed in the football world,” he said. “It’s trying to be creative and trying to use virtual platforms to keep the fans engaged through the summer months.

“Our Falkirk Fix started with daily highlights plus a tie-up with the Herald for a fan vote and full re-run of a match on a Saturday, and then we grew it with website feature interviews and such like. It was to engage the the fans, re-affirm contact and re-establish their place with the football club even when there’s no games on.

“It’s only since COVID really hit us that we began to monetise it with the 50-50 and such like.”

That idea – to hold a half-time draw virtually, complete with Stadium MC Dave McIntosh and a socially-distant Jean Sneddon – came to Kieran in his dreams. Literally. And the money raised has been beyond his wildest, with the club recouping £19,000 and paying out just the same.

“The virtual 50-50 came to me while lying in bed. The draws have been a revelation and taken an existing matchday revenue stream and tried to generate it virtually. It has been a rip-roaring success. We sell more online than we do on a matchday. We’ve generated almost £40,000 and paid out half as prizes. Given the current climate, it’s fanastic to give back to the fans who have supported us.

“We are aware the 50-50 product is now a different sale. We promote during the week, we have a former player promote it on matchday and introduce our sponsors – and we’ve had some notable success with Sammy McGivern, Will Vaulks and the ever-enigmatic Simon Stainrod.

“He actually called me a pest when I eventually tracked him down!”

That’s maybe not quite what announcer and quizmaster on a Friday night – another Falkirk fix engagement idea – ‘Dave Mac’ calls him as Kieran dresses him in some outrageous T-shirts to advertise the Saturday draws.

“You can win those T-shirts and it’s a bit of fun – and no, I don’t feel guilty about the T-shirts at all! We’ve started introducing a second prize – it started with the new strip and in the last couple of weeks we’ve been coming up with unique merchandise through our partners at Fanatikool.

“We are still trying to keep the commercial revenuestreams following – flow in the arteries of the club. Instead of the conventional match sponsorship, ball sponsorship and safe pair of hands sponsorship I made the decision to create virtual sponsorship packages to keep that revenue going – I’ve not seen other clubs do this – making best use of the Falkirk Fix and Watch it Again Weekend which was a joint initiative between the Falkirk Herald and Falkirk TV.

“Every week we sell sponsorship packages as we would for every home game – only this time it’s without the hospitality.

“Over the last few lockdown weeks it has generated around £5000 revenue which we wouldn’t have had otherwise with no football to speak of.

“We’re really trying to re-enact their matchday ritual. The 50-50 and Jean Sneddon is part of the matchday experience at Falkirk FC and we’ve recreated it on a virtual level.”

With no furloughed players to help market the products or even the new strip, he’s been an ever-present feature in the club’s community work publicity too, such as delivering groceries to the club’s OAP volunteers and sending strips to schoolchildren attending local community hubs (pictured).

He added: “The role has always been a multi-facet role with commercial and community.

“But it’s probably taken on a third aspect even more so recently with the circumstances and the very small number of staff working in the organisation.

“I’ve been doing a general manager role at the club as well as the commercial side. My role had evolved anyway into operational responsibilities at the football club.

“I’m still doing commercial, still doing the community and most – or all – has been done virtually, even the strip launch.

“I’ve done it all with support from around the boardroom table.

“We don’t get everything right but we are trying our best in these tough times to keep the fans engaged, to do our very best for the club.”