Football Preview: Fantasy footfall
The inspired Skinner and Baddiel TV show Fantasy Football League may not be on telly any more but that hasn't stopped the game around which the programme was based being as popular as ever.
Fantasy leagues, in which participants pick imaginary dream teams of players drawn from across the real-life Premier League and rack up points based on their performance throughout the season, are proving to be a draw to pubs, too.
The Orchid Group successfully ran an inaugural fantasy league across its estate last football season. Marketing agency Twist operates leagues with hundreds of pubs throughout the country and claims to have thousands of pub customers taking part.
Customers sign up and select their teams in the pub. Results - based on stats such as goals scored, passes completed and tackles made - are compiled by the organiser, updated regularly and posted on noticeboards in the pubs. Other leagues make the results available online, but in the interests of driving footfall, these pub-specific versions do not. Instead, the system encourages punters, eager to see how they're ranking, back into the pub to keep up to date with their results, in many cases while watching live games.
Twist suggests that licensees offer prizes to the winner as an incentive, and also work in drinks offers.
Twist account manager Catherine Bradburn (pictured right) says: "Last year, clients were offering as much as £5,000 for the main prize. It becomes quite an obsession with some players. There are three 'transfer windows' [during which participants are allowed to alter their team]. Each window affords two transfers, but through drink-related offers, that can be extended to five.
"Ultimately, the competition is a massive footfall driver, and we've experienced a wider take-up of the service this year following last year's success. As the new season is just a matter of weeks away, it's a great opportunity to win loyalty from a customer base."
Case study: Orchid
With a jackpot prize of £2,500, the Orchid Group's Fantasy Football League was free to enter and allowed football fans the chance to assemble their dream team from players in the Premier League. As a further incentive, the team of the season at each pub was also awarded a £50 food and drink voucher and monthly prizes were given to players at the top of the pub league.
Orchid operations director Jerry Robinson puts the scheme's success down to the fact that "our managers have taken the ball and run with it".
One such manager is Barrie Edmands at the Cricketers in Grimsby, South Humberside - the pub that had the overall winner of last season's competition.
"It has created a huge source of conversation, with people interacting who might never have spoken before the league launched," says Barrie.
"Even customers who are not taking part are keen to keep up to date with the contest. There's been lots of friendly banter between competing teams and much in-depth discussion about the best way to fine-tune teams when the transfer windows open."
