The Premiership Cake Shop

[BurntFaceMan]

Have you considered changing the name of your cakes and hoping no one notices the drop in quality?

 

That was Director 3's idea! They all thought he was a genius.

 

Perhaps we've been selling our cakes to the wrong customers, perhaps if we make our cakes even cheaper, we'll open up a new cake market? Perhaps people that don't normally eat cakes because they can't afford cakes, will now try cakes, there's millions on the bread; I mean cake line, that will now be able to afford our cakes!!

 

They've been using that logic for over 10 years now and look what happened? The cakes keep getting worse and the customers keep falling away. People aren't as poor as some seem to think they are. Money is tight for a lot of people but we all still have an entertainment budget! The budget that the Sky TV comes out of, the holiday fund, the weekend days out. It's all about making the product worthy of a chunk of that budget.

 

I imagine the price of speedway will stay the same this year, despite the drop in quality. The amount I'd spend on attending a (what I would deem very low quality) meeting with my girlfriend could instead get us a pretty good meal out! I'm talking starters, mains, desserts, refillable cokes and even a bottle of wine on the way home!

 

 

Price of the cakes is the same but the quality of the ingredients is being reduced. It is possible to spend less on the ingredients and get a great product but it will always depend on marketing. The cakes sell-by date is the biggest concern if you use cheaper ingredients. Younger people seem to have gone off cakes so we are relying on the older generations appetite! How do we get young people to try the cakes?

 

That's exactly the right attitude to take. It needs a combination of getting the youngsters in to try the product, but also having a decent product for them to try!

 

The second director.

 

There are a lot of casual followers in speedway and to keep them constantly coming is a challenge.

 

They don't care about rules or rider strength. They care about how cold it is on a night out, if they can afford to take the kids or how the facilities and food are.

 

Die hards will always go and if they don't, they wont.

 

That's exactly how most of the promoters think, and that's exactly why the top flight has become so poor over the years. It's a completely backwards way of thinking. It's nothing to do about how cold it is on a night out... The rain perhaps, but not the cold! When you're paying near £20 a person for an evening out, you'll need more than 15 minutes of second rate riders and inexperienced Brits.

 

Die hards will always go until the die hards die and there's nobody left to go.

Edited November 15, 2016 by BurntFaceMan

[Tyrion]

I can understand why the sport feels it has to adjust to the audience it does attract, rather than pander to an audience it no longer attracts, or simply doesn’t attract in the hope they might return purely based on rider strength. It has done that for too long now and fans haven’t returned or began to follow the sport in the numbers to justify any sort of pandering.

 

There is little point having running costs that you need 3 or 4,000 fans to pay for them when you are only attracting 1 or 2,000 – and there is now a large enough sample size to suggest that is somewhere around par for British tracks.

 

The question that has to be asked and answered is where Speedways (this cake shops) place is in the market and what the target/core audience is and the standard this season is around about that mark IMO.

 

It is best to run it at a cost that possibly affords clubs cash reserves or at least the chance to finish the season with a clean face rather than running at loses hoping for fans who will never come.

 

I think a lot of ego has to be dropped re Speedways market place in this country. It appears promoters have made that decision it is possibly time fans do and then riders might follow. It is now evident that clubs/fans can no longer pay the wages of riders the ilk of in particular Hancock, Pedersen and co and thus they can no longer be here and nor should the product be geared towards them as the fans don’t turn out to justify their existence in this country - and if new fans come (and in the long term they have to) what does it matter to them who they are watching per se thus the "Elite" riders aren't really doing that much for new fans either.

 

This season does feel key/big there is now a visible and tangible drop of the “Elite” tag, yes for branding purposes - but it also feels like a subconscious “look this is the standard we can offer now” – it will be interesting to see if attendances massively differ as a result of this watering down of the product, my though is they won’t and thus the cost reduction (if that is what some see it as) will hopefully be justified and more money will find its way back to the clubs rather than riders – it is then on the promoters to justify that extra income (if that does occur) the hope has to be this season sees things on a steady footing, and then moving forwards funds can possibly be invested into infrastructure (stadia, facilities etc) - which is an absolute bag of scrap and won't improve much while so much money seemingly drips out to riders or the continent (not meant in a little Englander way).

Edited November 15, 2016 by Tyrion

[BurntFaceMan]

I can understand why the sport feels it has to adjust to the audience it attracts rather than pander to an audience it no longer attracts or simply doesn’t attract in the hope they might come back. It has done that for too long now and fans haven’t returned or began to follow the sport in the numbers to justify any sort of pandering.

 

There is little point having running costs that you need 3 or 4,000 fans to pay for when you are only attracting 1 or 2,000 – and there is now a large enough sample size to suggest that is somewhere around par for British tracks.

 

The question that has to be asked and answered is where Speedways (this cake shops) place is in the market and what the target/core audience is and the standard this season is around about that mark IMO.

 

It is best to run it at a cost that possibly affords clubs cash reserves or at least the chance to finish the season with a clean face rather than running at loses hoping for fans who will never come.

 

I think a lot of ego has to be dropped re Speedways market place in this country. It appears promoters have made that decision it is possibly time fans do and then riders might follow. It is now evident that clubs/fans can no longer pay the wages of riders the ilk of in particular Hancock, Pedersen and co and thus they can no longer be here and nor should the product be geared towards them as the fans don’t turn out to justify their existence in this country.

 

This season does feel key/big there is now a visible and tangible drop of the “Elite” tag, yes for branding purposes - but it also feels like a subconscious “look this is the standard we can offer now” – it will be interesting to see if attendances massively differ as a result of this watering down of the product, my though is they won’t and thus the cost reduction (if that is what some see it as) will hopefully be justified and more money will find its way back to the clubs rather than riders – it is then on the promoters to justify that extra income (if that does occur).

 

I hope that it will work out that way and I hope that the extra money finds itself being invested into growing the sport again. However, you cannot expect to cut quality without cutting costs. Too many fans will feel they are being ripped off, and I am one of them.

 

A night of speedway, a programme, a burger (or chips) and drink for two will cost nearly £50!

 

My local club classes anybody aged 16 or over to be an adult. An 18 year old working on minimum wage would need to give up 9 hours of pay for that and a 16 year old on minimum wage is looking at 12 hours! You've got to ask yourself whether £50 for a night out for 2 is worth it? To see the best in the world? Yeah, I'd say it is! To watch this new "premiership" speedway?... I just can't justify that sort of money.

Edited November 15, 2016 by BurntFaceMan

[barncooseboy]

maybe a name change for the product, couldn't give them away with cans of oil when they were pilchards now renamed as Cornish sardines they fly off the shelves, move around the coast a flat fish that used to be called witch despite being beautiful fish wouldn't sell, now its called Torbay Sole it is a big seller

[Shale Searcher]

 

I hope that it will work out that way and I hope that the extra money finds itself being invested into growing the sport again. However, you cannot expect to cut quality without cutting costs. Too many fans will feel they are being ripped off, and I am one of them.

 

A night of speedway, a programme, a burger (or chips) and drink for two will cost nearly £50!

 

My local club classes anybody aged 16 or over to be an adult. An 18 year old working on minimum wage would need to give up 9 hours of pay for that and a 16 year old on minimum wage is looking at 12 hours! You've got to ask yourself whether £50 for a night out for 2 is worth it? To see the best in the world? Yeah, I'd say it is! To watch this new "premiership" speedway?... I just can't justify that sort of money.

 

Or knock 2 packets of cigarettes on the head, and a McDonald's and you're at the speedway!!

[Starboy118]

Let's pretend for a second that Premiership speedway is a cake company, and you are the director.

 

We've been making cakes now for over 60 years and supplying them to customers all over the country. Unfortunately, our cakes have been through a rough patch and we now don't have as much money to invest in our cakes as we once did. As a result of this, the decision has been taken to reduce the cost of the cakes. In order to achieve this we are now using a slightly lesser quality flour but we are keeping the price of the cakes the same.

 

The new cakes have been out there for almost a year now and the sales have dropped further... the customers do not like the changes we have made to the cakes. The customers tell us that the quality of the cake is not good enough. They feel that for the price they are paying, the quality of the cake simply is not good enough. We now don't have as much money to invest in our cakes as we once did. As a result of this, the decision has been made to reduce the cost of the cakes. In order to achieve this we are now using a much lesser quality flour, and we're reducing the amount of icing we use, but we are now increasing the price of our cakes.

 

The newer cakes have been out there for almost a year now and the sales have... dropped much further. The customers do not like the changes we have made to the cakes. The customers tell us that the quality of the cakes have deteriorated drastically from what they once knew and loved. The price of the cakes are simply far too high for the quality they are offering.

 

Director 1 says:

 

"The quality of the cakes must be improved. We must invest in using the best flour, the icing must be plentiful, and the customer should feel like they are receiving a premium product for their money. Once we've made these changes, we must get out there and inform all our existing and prospective customers of the quality of our cakes. We must show them that the money we are asking is worth every bite of our delicious cakes. This will bring the customers back."

 

Director 2 says:

 

"The reduction of customers is nothing to do with the quality of our cakes. We must cut our costs further. We must reduce the quality of our flour, cut back further on the icing and reduce our packaging. We need to make these cakes as cheap as we possibly can. Nothing we can do will increase the customer base, we must simply continue to reduce costs and keep hold of as many of the few remaining customers we have."

 

Which director do you think will save the Premiership cake company?

 

Which director will save the company? Neither. People don't eat cakes anymore.

[BurntFaceMan]

Or knock 2 packets of cigarettes on the head, and a McDonald's and you're at the speedway!!

You'd fit right in at the AGM with that kind of response I can just picture the other promoters nodding and mumbling positively amongst themselves as if they'd finally hit the nail on the head.

 

Everyone has an "entertainment budget", whether it's for McDonalds, Sky TV, drinking, smoking or samba classes. It's about making the product worthy of a slice of that budget.

 

I can afford to go to speedway, but the percentage of my disposable income it will take vs the experience I will receive does not represent good value to me. I fear that this will be the case for a lot of people, especially those in the 16 - 25 bracket. That's simply not the right formula for pulling fresh blood through the turnstiles.

[Starboy118]

I used to love cakes. I would regularly go to the local shop and buy the same cakes every week. But then something happened. The shop never seemed to be open and, when it was, the cakes were somehow different. The taste had become rather unpleasant and there were huge chunks missing from them. They were also nearly always stale. And, yes you've guessed, the icing had almost completely disappeared. I miss my cakes and now spend my money on meat pies and the occasional ice cream (from a different shop, of course).

[Aces51]

At the NSS fans had the option of £20 for the grandstand, even more in the premium seats, or £17 in the south stand. There were always significantly more people in the grandstand unless it was sold out. That seems contrary to the suggestion that the sport is way over priced. Surely, if it were, then more people would pay the lower price? Admittedly, with the age profile, a number may need to be seated but that wouldn't account for the huge difference in numbers at most meetings.

[dj350z]

At the NSS fans had the option of £20 for the grandstand, even more in the premium seats, or £17 in the south stand. There were always significantly more people in the grandstand unless it was sold out. That seems contrary to the suggestion that the sport is way over priced. Surely, if it were, then more people would pay the lower price? Admittedly, with the age profile, a number may need to be seated but that wouldn't account for the huge difference in numbers at most meetings.

 

Don't change the subject Aces - we are talking about cakes here!!

[Fromafar]

Most weeks some of the cakes were not avialable and substitute cakes were produced in their place so less people were buying them .

[Glennylion]

The pricing of cakes can be split into 2 sections for attraction purposes. One for those who have an attachment to the old cake and continue to purchase the reduced quality of cake and those that have never sampled any of these types of cakes and prefer the aforementioned meat pie.

 

I know someone who judging by his frame likes lots of meat pies, declined to try the cake due to the price.

 

If it is considered expensive for a current cake enthusiast then you are unlikely to attract non enthusiasts to become the future cake munchers

[A ORLOV]

Most weeks some of the cakes were not avialable and substitute cakes were produced in their place so less people were buying them .

And most of these substitute cakes were bought in from other cake shops.

[Baldyman]

Cakes just are not fashionable anymore, muffins and flap jacks are where it's at now. And I don't see them ever making a big come back, let's face it, kids don't like cakes

Edited November 16, 2016 by baldyman

[dj350z]

Do you think that when we are out of the EU more ingredients will be sourced for the UK as opposed to foreign ingredients?

[Glennylion]

As baldyman says, cakes aren't fashionable.

 

Marketing has kept them in old packaging and they are hidden at the back behind the fashionable and sexier wrapped alternatives and only the selected few know that they are there.

 

The age group of those means that the reduced popularity of the once loved cake diminishes with each batch made.

[Aces51]

 

Don't change the subject Aces - we are talking about cakes here!!

 

I was showing that people would pay more for the same cake if you put it in a more expensive looking paper case.

[A ORLOV]

As baldyman says, cakes aren't fashionable.

 

Marketing has kept them in old packaging and they are hidden at the back behind the fashionable and sexier wrapped alternatives and only the selected few know that they are there.

 

The age group of those means that the reduced popularity of the once loved cake diminishes with each batch made.

Some of the good cakes from a while ago are now impossible to get, the ones with cannabis in them are not sold in Waitrose anymore.

[SteveLyric2]

Loads of cakes in Westminster today!!

[g13webb]

Quite amusing this thread. to compare speedway promotions to a baker is quite absurd. Wouldn't it be easy if it was that simple. I m in no doubt that every imaginable way has been tried to savage our sport from complete disaster. Comparing Speedway now to the way is was back in 70's, are oceans apart, and whatever way you look at it, them days will never come back. The product has become to expensive for the interest it creates. Some fans seem to think if we employed top riders the gates would be full, but you'd only kidding yourself.

 

Bearing in mind the numbers that are interested enough to go and watch, coupled to the amount they can afford to pay, I say £10 would be too much. For the sport to have any chance of survival we need to cut the cost of the machinery to a point that the meeting and promoters can afford to pay.....

 

For crowds of 1000, paying £18 a head to watch 14 riders racing on bikes costing £7000 apiece is suicidal, senseless to a point it won't survive. Now if we had 1000 punters paying £10 a head to watch 12 riders racing on bikes costing £250, wouldn't that be far more sensible. More promoters would get involved, More crowds could afford to go, and more rider would be able to afford the cost to compete............ A win win situation....

 

I think this was from Director No 9.......