Last month AFC launched the brand new AberDNA membership initiative in an effort to engage more effectively with supporters all around the world. Since the launch, over 2,000 supporters have signed-up and will receive a number of compelling benefits in return for their support of the Football Operation.

Running alongside the launch of AberDNA, AFC has appointed a new Commercial Director, Rob Wicks and started to put in place plans for improved Supporter Engagement ahead of the 2018/19 season.

Giving an early insight into what sort of changes supporters can expect to see, Rob said, “We want to make the experience of coming to Pittodrie as good as it can be. We don’t want to be waiting until the new stadium when we can do things here, there are some limitations of course but we can certainly improve the interaction that supporters have on a matchday.

“As part of that we have rebranded the portacabin outside the ticket office and this will become a hub for supporter queries next season. Over the next few matches supporters can expect to see some members of the Supporter Engagement Team around the ground on matchday.

“The plan for next season is to enhance interaction by having a larger team which is fully trained to deal with the type of enquiries that come up on matchday, particularly from first time visitors, and supplement the work that is currently done by our stand reps.”

The plans revolve around improving the experience of supporters on matchday but crucially on improving engagement throughout the season when the majority of interaction happens between the club and supporters.

“It’s not just about a matchday. I have met a number of supporters, formally and informally, during my time so far and the passion for the club is huge. We are fortunate to have a passionate fan base and we want to hear from them. Whether it’s feedback through surveys or meetings with key supporters groups such as Dons Supporters Together, we are looking to engage more as the feedback is vital. The collective AberDNA Influence of all of our members will also play an important role in helping to shape the future of the club and we will be announcing our plans for that soon.

“We are also currently reviewing the way that we engage with supporters online through the website and social media as this is the number one way we communicate. The club made a major investment in new ticketing and access control systems last year which have hugely improved the experience of supporters when it comes to accessing the stadium and buying tickets online.

“We are working with suppliers who are at the top end and should have some exciting news to announce soon in terms of stadium access. In addition to ticketing and stadium access we will also have a new retail website soon which will be a huge step on from what we have now.”

In June last year Lynn Fiske was appointed as the club’s Supporter Liaison Officer and has plans to build on the work that has been done so far to enhance engagement with supporters.

When asked about her time in the role so far and ambitions for the future Lynn said, “Over the past year I have enjoyed meeting supporters at matches and also dealing with enquiries throughout the week. We now have a system in place to deal with all communication from supporters and there are now very few, if any, cases where things are falling through the net.

“One thing that we will be doing in the next couple of months is creating a fans forum. It’s vital that supporters have a say as this is a crucial period for the club and I think that a fans forum will go a fair way to facilitating that input with direct feedback to the decision makers at the club.

“Over the past year I have met regularly with supporters groups and enjoy a good relationship with them and I am very optimistic about what can be done. Similar to Rob I would like to improve the match day experience where possible. The guys in the display team have been fantastic and I would like to help facilitate more colour and improved atmosphere throughout next season.”

In the past four weeks the club has not only launched the new AberDNA membership but has also made season tickets available for 2018/19 and there is positive news on both fronts.

Rob said, “We have been delighted with the response to AberDNA as it has far surpassed the number of Black & Gold members that we have had in the past few seasons and will generate significant funds that can be utilised by the Football Operation.

“In terms of season tickets we are ahead of where we were at this time last season and although it is very early days to be making a comparison it is encouraging as this has been achieved despite the Semi-Final defeat which was of course a huge disappointment for everyone connected with the club.

“Finally, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support of AberDNA and also those who have renewed their season tickets. It’s a really exciting period for the club and with everyone together we can achieve great things.”