Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

The ECB has agreed a new two-year deal with Laithwaite’s Wine to become ‘The Official Wine Partner of England Cricket.’
The agreement will enable Laithwaite’s

Wine to promote its range of wines at all England’s home international matches as well as undertake a range of wide commercial activity to maximise the sponsorship. The arrangement is scheduled to run until the end of the home and away Ashes Series that will be played in 2013.
ECB Commercial Director John Perera said: “Laithwaite’s Wine is an excellent addition to our family of official ECB sponsors and suppliers. We will be working closely with its commercial team over the next two years to help achieve increased exposure for its superb range of wines through its association with the world’s number one ranked Test side.”
Commenting on today’s announcement, Laithwaite’s Wine Managing Director, Glenn Caton said: “The ECB sponsorship agreement gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase our diverse range of wines and our new branding to an audience that’s the ideal demographic fit for our business.”

The ECB has launched a new £400,000 initiative with Build Center which will benefit hundreds of cricket clubs nationwide participating in the award-winning NatWest CricketForce initiative. The project requires each participating club to make an initial payment of £100 from their own funds to activate a Privilege Account. On activation, a further £400 will be added to the account at no charge to the club. The club is then able to spend £500 at Build Center branches nationwide at preferential rates on materials and products required for NatWest CricketForce events.

ECB will invest £400,000 in the scheme which was formally launched at Old Trafford Cricket Ground today (Monday) and will be open initially to the first 900 cricket clubs to apply.
A total of 1,914 cricket clubs and an estimated 85,000 volunteers took part in last year’s NatWest CricketForce event – the biggest turn-out since the project was first launched by ECB in 2002.
NatWest CricketForce encourages cricket supporters, their friends and families to give back to their local cricket club by volunteering to undertake renovation work in clubhouses and grounds over a designated weekend at the start of each season.
ECB Managing Director – Cricket Partnerships, Mike Gatting said: “The key to NatWest CricketForce’s success has been the way in which it has engaged community-wide support – enabling cricket fans, the wider public and businesses and traders to actively help their local clubs.
“Build Center was one of the first companies to become an official supporter of NatWest CricketForce and this new initiative is a fantastic example of how businesses can help clubs regenerate their facilities and support ECB’s wider investment in the grass-roots game.”
Build Center’s Head of Divisional Sales, Alan Bawden, said: “Build Center is proud to be an official supporter of NatWest CricketForce 2012 helping to support and develop local cricket clubs across the UK.”

Buxton Natural Mineral Water is to continue as Official Water Supplier to England cricket teams for a further two years. The company, which first became an ECB partner in 2008, will continue as the exclusive supplier of bottled water to the England men’s and women’s cricket team for all home international matches until the end of the 2013 season.
In return Buxton receives a range of commercial assets that includes access to England cricketers for promotional purposes, specific branding opportunities around England cricket teams, in-stadia advertising and a variety of rights across England’s fan community, TwelfthMan.
On announcing the two-year extension, ECB Head of Commercial Partnerships Mark Pearce, said: “We’d like to thank Buxton for their continuing support for English cricket. This is the second time in four years that the company has renewed its agreement with ECB and their nationwide in-store marketing activity has played an important role in raising the profile of our England teams.”
On the announcement, Jenny Bond, Head of Marketing and CCSD, Nestlé Waters UK said: “We are proud to continue as the official water supplier to England men’s and women’s teams. Like cricket, Buxton Natural Mineral Water is quintessentially British, and the sponsorship remains a fantastic opportunity to promote Buxton and drive sales for our retail partners.”

Kingfisher Beer will be the headline sponsor for the National Club Championship for the next three years. The competition will be renamed the Kingfisher Beer Cup.

The knock out competition, which is open to ECB Premier League clubs and lower league clubs alike, was won by Shrewsbury Cricket Club last year at The County Ground, Derbyshire.

256 teams will play in the first round of the 2012 Kingfisher Beer Cup on 29th April with the final scheduled for 16th September at a First Class County ground.

Kingfisher has long been associated with cricket internationally, most recently sponsoring India’s tour of England. With an established international presence in cricket Kingfisher are keen to extend their links by investing in the recreational game.

Laura Mitchell, Marketing Manager for Kingfisher Beer Europe said: “As India’s No. 1 beer, cricket has long been a core passion for Kingfisher in its home market. We are therefore excited to build the brand’s association with ECB recreational cricket and plan to drive investment into the sport through a number of fundraising initiatives for clubs through the Kingfisher Beer Cup. In addition to this, we are delighted to be able to offer the 2012 winning team £5,000 to invest in their club as they see fit. Good luck to all participating clubs.”

ECB Commercial Director John Perera said: “It will be an excellent boost for the competition to have a sponsor that is committed to supporting cricket clubs at a recreational level and the valuable pairing of Kingfisher Beer and club cricket will benefit both sponsor and clubs across England and Wales.”

adidas has renewed its agreement with the ECB to be the official team-wear supplier to the England team for a further four years.

The new agreement will run from 2013 to 2017 and will give the sportswear manufacturer the exclusive right to supply match and training wear to all England teams from Test, One-Day and T20 sides through to England Lions, EPP, England women and England disabilities teams.

It is the second major financial deal secured by the ECB Commercial team in recent weeks following the announcement earlier this month of Investec as the new title sponsor for Test Match cricket in a ten-year deal.

adidas became England’s official team-wear supplier in 2008 and is one of ECB’s key Commercial partners. The partnership gives adidas a range of marketing rights around the England team and the right to design and market official England team-wear.

Commenting on the deal, John Perera ECB Commercial Director said: “Major global brands want to be associated with winners and we are delighted that both our men’s and women’s teams have achieved major successes on the international stage since entering into partnership with adidas.

“Over the last three and half years, the England Test side has reached number one in the ICC’s world Test rankings, the England T20 side has won an ICC global event for the first time and our women’s team were victorious in both the Women’s World Cup and the Women’s World T20 tournament.

“adidas has provided world-class support for all our England teams throughout this period and we look forward to working ever more closely with the company over the next four years to secure even greater exposure for the Team England brand.”

Robin Money, Head of Sports Marketing for adidas UK & Ireland said: “Since we signed our partnership in 2008, we have worked extremely closely with the ECB and individual players to ensure the England teams have the best technical apparel required to allow them to be at the top of their game. It is fantastic to see the hard work and efforts pay off and to celebrate the team’s fantastic achievements. We very much look forward to continuing this relationship over the next four years.”

Club cricket has seen a five percent increase in participation across all age groups according to a survey of participation in community cricket. The work of the Cricket Foundation through the Brit Insurance supported Chance to Shine programme has further introduced a total of 1.4 million children to cricket in schools. This survey is a comprehensive review of participation in cricket and reflects participation in all age groups.
ECB Chief Executive David Collier commented: “It is very rewarding that during difficult economic times there has been such a substantial increase in participation numbers. In our strategic plan we recognise that the current levels of participation, if they are to be sustained, require an increased investment in facilities and coaches. The £52 million of investment in 699 projects in the past year demonstrates ECB’s commitment to community sport.
“ We further recognise that families are prioritising youth participation in sport during the difficult economic climate but we are seeking to expand both adult as well as youth programmes to support our club network.”

International specialist bank and asset manager Investechas agreed to become the new title sponsor of Test Match cricket for the next ten years.
The sponsorship, which will run until 2021, is the longest sponsorship agreement secured in ECB’s history.

It will begin next summer when England take on the West Indies and South Africa. This will be followed by three home Ashes Test series against Australia in 2013, 2015 and 2019, and major tours by India in 2014 and 2018, Pakistan in 2016 and South Africa in 2017.

ECB Chief Executive David Collier said: “This is excellent news for all supporters of Test cricket and a further boost for our five-day game following the England team’s recent achievement in becoming the world’s number one ranked Test side.

“Investec are an established brand with extensive experience in the sports sponsorship field and we are delighted that they have made such a significant, long-term commitment to promoting Test cricket in this country.

“The extent of their investment reflects the fact that our five day game continues to command very significant audiences – both at home where we achieved record attendances for international cricket in 2011 and abroad where the England team is gaining increased exposure in markets such as Asia, South Africa and Australia.

“ECB has an excellent track record in developing and sustaining business partnerships across professional and recreational cricket and we look forward to working closely with everyone at Investec over the coming decade.”

As part of the agreement announced today, Investec will receive a comprehensive range of sponsorship and advertising rights which will include ticketing, hospitality and access to England players.

The London and Johannesburg-based firm becomes only the third company ever to sponsor Test Match cricket in this country and succeeds the energy provider npower whose ten-year association with English cricket concluded at the end of the 2011 season.

Raymond van Niekerk, Global Marketing Director of Investec, commented:
“Investec is delighted to announce this landmark ten year sponsorship of Test match cricket in England. The five day game requires intelligence, teamwork, adaptability and a strong competitive spirit; attributes that are closely aligned to Investec’s business values.

“We are excited to begin our sponsorship with England as the world number one team in the Test rankings, following their impressive defeat of India in the summer. Investec has an established track record of enhancing the sports events it is associated with and we look forward to working with the ECB over the coming years.”

 Sports nutrition brand Maximuscle. part of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Group, is to continue as Official Nutrition Supplier to the ECB and England cricket teams until the end of 2013.
 
As part of the contract renewal Maximuscle, who originally became an ECB supplier in 2008, will continue to work with the ECB Science and Medicine team, based at the National Cricket Performance Centre, to develop a range of bespoke products that are designed to improve physical condition and preparation of all the England teams. 

Commenting on this announcement Nick Moore, ECB Head of Sales said: “Over the past three years Maximuscle has been instrumental in working with the ECB’s Science and Medicine staff to help ensure the England cricket team is one of the best prepared in world sport.

Mark Morgan, Senior Sponsorship & PR Manager from Maximuscle added, “We are pleased to be continuing this successful partnership and look forward to carrying on our work with the ECB to provide their players with first class sports nutrition.  It has been an honour to be a part of the recent momentous successes of England Cricket, including being crowned ICC World Twenty20 Champions and bringing home The Ashes.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Veuve Clicquot has signed a three-year contract with Veuve Clicquot for the brand to remain the English cricket’s Official Champagne until December 2013.

As part of the contract renewal, Veuve Clicquot, who originally became an ECB partner in 2005, will provide magnums of Brut Yellow Label as part of the end of match presentations at all international and domestic fixtures. In return, Veuve Clicquot receives a range of sponsorship assets including brand exposure during post match presentations, ticketing, and match-day hospitality.

On announcing the new three year contract Nick Moore, ECB Head of Sales said:  “We feel there is an excellent fit with English cricket and look forward to working with Veuve Clicquot over the next three years.”

Thirty three thousand  coaches have graduated from the Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme since the scheme was launched four years ago. The latest figures, which include 10,000 coaches who qualified in the last year alone, were revealed as ECB announced that Sky Sports will continue its sponsorship of the programme for a further three years.
Former England coach and Sky Sports commentator David Lloyd said: “This is a fantastic programme and I’m not surprised it’s delivering such impressive results.  There are teaching modules to suit all ages and abilities and the quality of training gets better and better.  Everyone at Sky Sports is proud of the association and I’m pleased this will continue for another three years.”    
The Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme aims to attract and train coaches at all levels of grassroots cricket.