A few weeks ago I told you about a section of the ECB’s 2014 annual report entitled ‘engaging with the fans’. It documented the board’s efforts to galvanise supporters by issuing a series of videos through their social media channels.
Highlights included England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler trading tips with fellow England glove-man goalkeeper Joe Hart at an exclusive training/cum net session filmed at Manchester City’s training ground and Emirates Old Trafford; England fast bowler James Anderson and captain Alastair Cook going head-to-head in a darts exhibition match as a curtain-raiser prior to the World Darts Championship in London; and batsman Joe Root showing off his strumming skills on the ukulele.
Yesterday I received an e-mail from a PR firm representing – as far as I could make out – the MCC.
I’m reaching out to see if you may be interested in publishing or doing a write up on Lord’s latest video. It features Radio 1 DJ Greg James taking part in the Lord’s Catching Challenge which a number of County clubs have also taken part in.
The incentive behind the strand is to get the fan community engaged with Cricket’s digital presence as well as showing the fun and more approachable side of the game by encouraging viewers to take part and film their own attempts.
As one of the premier Cricket blogs, it would be reallly benefitial for the video to reach as large of an audience possible and fulfill it’s potential. As well as this, James’ presence in the public eye and popularity would be sure to push more traffic your way.
Here is the video.
Leaving aside the e-mail’s slightly wonky wording, and the question of why we would care about “getting the fan community engaged with Cricket’s digital presence”, the point is this. Ten years ago this summer, we witnessed the 2005 Ashes, a thrilling and pulsating series of epically edge-of-the-seat proportions, all live on free television. And, to repeat a point I made yesterday, the nation fell in love with cricket again, because an entire population had access to meaningful cricket of the highest calibre. What engages people with cricket is cricket itself, not videos of Joe Root playing the ukelele or Radio 1 DJs catching balls in the Lord’s Rose Garden.
Engaging the ‘fans’ that only subscribe to Sky, mainly for the football, or mayhap the die hards on TMS who cannot afford to/will not subscribe? They just dont get it do they??
PR firms – ten a penny and not with tuppence of a clue as to reality….I suggest they ask KP to participate…..I’m sure he’d be delighted to be involved at lords, and would surely be welcomed :)
shame they can even spell…surely it’s benefiTial (sic) if they could at least get that right – and totally agree with IronBalls too
Hardly worth a comment but still. The ECB haven’t a clue. It really is all so pathetic, fatuous and childish and we’ve had this for eighteen months. We,the fans weren’t even worth a spell check. We were dismissed as ‘irrelevant’ long ago and that does not seem to have changed. Rightly or wrongly, thanks to the ECB I will not be supporting the England team again any time soon.
What engages people with cricket is cricket itself, not videos of Joe Root playing the ukelele or Radio 1 DJs catching balls in the Lord’s Rose Garden.
Couldn’t of put it better myself
I despair! How fatuous. It’s enough to make me weep.
Hi Maxie. I’ve played with these guys for a few years now. They are MCC and not ECB. They are just trying to build their YouTube channel. They are good videos and nice guys.
what, from the right sort of familty?
April the 1st was three months ago, anyone who’s Outside Cricket knows that for a fact!
I remember what made me take up spin bowling, it wasn’t watching Warne and May twirl away all day from both ends at Old Trafford in 1993, it was seeing them practice their spoon juggling in the Oval kitchen with well known children’s tv presenter Andy Crane.
As someone who has just exited the corporate world after 25 years I was hoping never again to hear phrases like ‘I’m reaching out’………