Cricket: so much more than just a game at Lord’s
THE English invented cricket, and although they certainly haven’t perfected it, the breathless hush at Lord’s this week as the home side seized test match victory from a resurgent New Zealand was about as close as you can get.
Lest you think you’ve stumbled into the sports section, the game was as much about batting and bowling as it was about branding. I was able to see this clearly from the excellent vantage point of my scalped £40 (about R745) ticket at the Nursery End, just to the left of the Edrich Stand.
The ground is festooned with flags and banners proclaiming the key brand proposition that the ground is the home of cricket. And playing on the powerful heritage theme, in the rafters of the covered stands are signs showing record-breaking statistics achieved at the venue.
When the rain comes — and it does, frequently — they make for excellent conversation starters, particularly if you happen to be sitting next to an old coot wearing a grubby yellow-and-red tie and a faded Panama hat, who quaffs champagne and was on first-name terms with WG Grace.
Heritage marketing aside, the merchandising strategy is equally impressive, with a shop that heaves with fans wanting a little, overpriced piece of the match. I’m not sure whether I’ll ever use my branded Father Time tea cosy but, dammit, I have one and you probably don’t!
There is also an impressive social media strategy, with free Wi-Fi throughout the ground allowing spectators to comment on and follow the match on various platforms. That’s testimony to the growing influence of second-screen media.
Even my old-coot neighbour was nose down at times in his Samsung, although I think he was calling his wife and was baffled as to why he kept talking to someone at a call centre in Mumbai.
Organisers have also nailed the experiential side of the marketing equation. Even the drinks breaks are sponsored.
I liked the idea of a hydration session brought to you by . . . with special product offers available for a limited time — and even more so the afternoon tea session in association with another well-known beverage brand.
These messages are so powerful that I found myself wandering in search of a cup and a slice of Eccles cake. I didn’t have to go far, as a complete section of the ground is given over to high-quality food branding, including a champagne garden and a leading supermarket chain — one of the principal sponsors of the national side erecting a pop-up food store.
Now compare this with your average Wanderers, FNB Stadium or Ellis Park visit. More often than not it’s a stressful, haphazard affair where little or no attention is paid to customer service, creative brand development or touch-screen interactivity. They are all blank brand canvases waiting to be painted — and either we don’t know how to or don’t care to.
Maggs is a broadcaster and edits the media and marketing website theredzone.co.za