Success for Kent Cricket at the Business of Cricket Awards

Kent County Cricket Club had a successful night at the ECB’s Business of Cricket Awards in London on Thursday, scooping three awards.

The Business of Cricket Awards, which are designed to celebrate Marketing and PR excellence across domestic and international cricket, were attended by representatives of all 18 First Class Counties and MCC, together with guests from the wider sports industry. Kent Cricket won awards for Best Friends Life t20 Match Day Experience and Best Clydesdale Bank 40 Promotion, along with the ECB’s Innovation Award.

The judging panel, led by Karen Earl, Chairman of Synergy, acknowledged Kent’s efforts to improve member and supporter assessment of the match day package, with initiatives such as live music, the Spitfire Sweethearts cheerleading troupe, a mascot challenge, autograph sessions and the distribution of giveaways and prizes.

Kent were also praised for their Clydesdale Bank 40 promotion, and their ‘Your County, Your Team’ campaign. This campaign has contributed to the Club’s 2012 CB40 matches picking up three of the Club’s four highest attendances in the last three years.

Awarding the Innovation Award, the judging panel commented; “This year Kent aimed to improve customer experience through relevant and personalised communications from the Club. Using data management technologies, the Club has set up a new operational approach to customer engagement. Through this new approach the Club are able to see purchasing behaviours and measure the success of campaigns.”

Kent County Cricket Club was also shortlisted for three other awards; Best Friends Life t20 Campaign, Best Improvement in Customer Engagement and Best Membership Campaign or Promotion.

Commenting on the success, Kent Cricket CEO, Jamie Clifford said; “I am absolutely delighted. Our sales and marketing team have worked hard to be at the cutting edge of the promotion of our sport.

“It has been a difficult year because of the weather, so we have had to work smarter to maintain crowds. This work has included a significant shift towards better data management and a detailed customer engagement programme. We also now offer a Friends Life t20 match day experience which is as good as there is – and it is customer research that is telling us this.

“I would like to thank Kent Cricket staff in all areas of the business for their contribution to the 2012 season. The recognition from ECB is a real boost for us all. It is an endorsement that we are not only doing the right things, but that we doing them well.”

ECB's Director of Marketing and Communications, Steve Elworthy said; "The weather has been challenging for cricket this year in England and Wales, affecting almost every club in the country. We have been extremely impressed by the way that the Counties have managed to respond and adapt to these issues as they continually seek to find new avenues to reach their fans.”

ECB Business of Cricket Awards

The list of 2012 winners in full:

Best Friends Life t20 Campaign – Essex
Best Friends Life t20 Matchday Experience – Kent
Best Clydesdale Bank 40 Promotion – Kent
Best Promotion of an International Fixture – Hampshire/Ageas Bowl
Best Sponsorship Activation – Nottinghamshire
Best Membership Campaign or Promotion – Somerset
Best Community Programme – Nottinghamshire
Best Improvement in Customer Engagement – Essex
The Innovation Award – Kent
Team of the Year – Essex