(Jamaica Observer) After signalling an intent to increase their online presence last year, the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) has now commenced the innings to bowl over cricket enthusiasts with more exciting and engaging content, particularly on social media.
President Wilford “Billy” Heaven and chief executive officer Courtney Francis yesterday announced a partnership with digital marketing company Chic Digital, which they believe will assist JCA to strengthen and enhance its digital footprint online.
According to Heaven, the move, which also includes redesigning the JCA’s website at cricketjamaica.org, is a part of an aggressive drive or in this case, run-up, to deliver greater output of online traces from the association on social media.
Heaven acknowledged their awareness that the current JCA website and social media pages are not much to brag about and, as such, the necessary steps will be taken to address the issue in the coming months.
“This (partnership) is a significant milestone for the JCA, I don’t think anyone here can really say we got cricket out in the communities or we got cricket out into the public in a meaningful way, and we have depended on mainstream media to bring our messages out there.
“Everybody here can admit that we need to reach more people, especially the young people, and so we have to look at the media that can do this and there is no better way to do this than digital footprint,” Heaven said during a brief press conference in the President’s Suite at Sabina Park.
“One of the things that we have recognised is that young people in particular have a certain way of relating to events and doing things that they like, so we are bringing the activity to them. We have to go to them with our stories and our programmes and that is what we seek to do with this partnership that we have with Chic Digital.
“The game of cricket has lost some interest and that is something that we are aware of and we intend to bring back that interest through the media and the very space that our young people enjoy and that is the digital space,” he added.
Meanwhile, Francis revealed that once optimised, the relationship with Chic Digital will provide greater value to all JCA stakeholders as well as the opportunity for existing and potential sponsors to use the association’s digital platforms to reach Jamaicans near and far.
“The ultimate aim is to return the vibrancy because we need more eyes on our page. We found out on the Facebook page that the largest following is through video content. This is telling and the public can expect to see more of that across a variety of our online platforms.
“We can also, through this partnership, secure sponsorship through effective strategies and this relationship will help us to better negotiate partnership investments and sponsorship,” Francis noted.
For Chic Digital’s managing director Anika Wilson, the partnership will be mutually beneficial, as it allows her company the opportunity to spread its wings in the business of sport.
Wilson pointed out that the aim was to revamp and renew the association’s digital footprint.
“I think all agencies like to pride themselves on going the extra mile in offering originality, strategy and a team that is not only reliable, but also dedicated to a client’s need and more so to their vision. At Chic, we pride ourselves in putting that little extra in ordinary and making it extraordinary,” Wilson reasoned.
“We focus on brand inbound and digital marketing strategy and social media to help generate leads and convert those (social media) likes to actual seats in the stand, paying customers as well as brand advocates. Our aim is to also keep the JCA top of line for local sports and entertainment, so we want to go on a robust marketing strategy,” she ended.
