RPM helps T20 Blast off

RPM, the marketing communications agency for English Cricket Board (ECB), has been tasked with creating a dynamic and consistent experience across all 126 NatWest T20 Blast matches.

RPM’s campaign launched as the tournament began in Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground on Friday 16 May 2014 and runs until finals day at Edgbaston on 23 August 2014. With a new T20 Sponsor and a new name for the competition ECB asked RPM to develop comprehensive match day activation that reflects the excitement of the new ‘Blast’ brand positioning. The overall brief was to ensure NatWest T20 Blast had a real point of difference from other competitions making fans feel they are attending a ‘cricket event’, rather than a game of cricket.

In response, RPM harnessed the big hits, excitement and action packed nature of the T20 game to create wow factor celebration moments and a sense of occasion for both players and fans. RPM additionally devised fan engagement strategies through competitions and giveaways, whilst also developing a toolkit and guidelines to ensure consistency across all 18 participating First Class County grounds.

Deliverables include: a bespoke sizzle video for each county, a redesigned Guard of Honour walk out for each match, unique giveaways (LED clappits and county branded paper batting helmets), new music stings, pyrotechnic displays, pitch-side entertainment such as drummers, mascot scripts, staff training, fresh designs for volunteer uniforms and new creative for match day lanyards to help staff better assist spectators.

RPM’s MD, Dom Robertson, said: “Fans won’t flock to T20 matches simply for dancers or pyrotechnics. So we needed to evaluate every consumer touch point; a great opportunity to really interrogate the game and its opportunities. But as the game is played at varying grounds across the country, it was also important to ensure consistency in levels of energy and excitement. So the other challenge was to get country grounds to buy into the new strategy.”

In addition to developing the experiential activation for T20, RPM also works across the TwelfthMan experience at international games including Royal London one day international matches, NatWest IT20 Matches and the Investec Test Series.