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Cricket's winning sales pitch

Alan Kohler

Updated January 11, 2012 09:31:36

Marketers and their CEOs everywhere are watching what James Sutherland and Mike McKenna are doing to Australian cricket and taking notes, and not just because they like the game.

Sutherland and McKenna, CEO and head of marketing respectively at Cricket Australia, are completely transforming the sport's demographics and revenues - almost entirely through marketing.

In the process they are having a big impact on the broadcasting business as well.

It is a fascinating demonstration of the enduring power of a well-constructed marketing strategy, as well as the importance of live sport in the age of digital media.

Whatever the Test cricket purists might think of the Big Bash League (and count yours truly among them), it is clearly working.

The gate crowds are already beating rugby league and the pay TV audience is averaging 293,000 per game.

Foxtel's ratings are up 20 per cent purely because of Twenty20 cricket.

Cricket Australia had two problems: the audience was skewed towards older males and the main "product" involved games against other countries that were hard to control - that is, they could only happen when the other national teams were available.

Cricket is apparently Australia's most popular sport, but only among those over 25 and the followers are, or rather were, two-thirds male.

Among 15-25 year olds and women, the feedback was that the games just took too long.

There had been a Twenty20 state competition going for five years, but it was limping along, failing to get much traction.

In August last year Cricket Australia received a report on the game from Don Argus and then the first ever national conference of all state and territory associations was held to discuss the future.

Out of that came a reconstructed 20-over competition with eight teams instead of six (two from NSW and Victoria) and each with new names and uniforms, and a smattering of star players like Shane Warne and the West Indies' Chris Gayle.

A salary cap of $1 million, in total, per team was set, but that only applies to cash direct from the club.

The big-name players are able to get much more from sponsorships and other payments.

Matthew Dwyer, the national sales director of Mars Confectionary, was brought in to run the sales and marketing effort and he quickly put together a team of 17 marketers and sales executives. By the way, Dwyer was chosen because he knows how to market to kids.

To help fund them it was decided to sell up to 49 per cent equity in two of the teams - Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Thunder - to investors. Credit Suisse was hired to do that and Information Memoranda were circulated among potential investors.

But unlike the Indian sale of IPL franchises, the process didn't attract very big offers, perhaps because control was not on offer - only a minority stake.

Also there was a risk that the cricket business would entirely lose its not-for-profit status for tax purposes if part of the game operated at a profit to service outside investors.

Anyway, Cricket Australia and the six state associations that own CA decided not to go ahead with the sales, and to retain full ownership of all eight teams (although most have outside directors).

Now McKenna says it's likely that none of the teams will be sold at all and that they will eventually be set up as clubs. Memberships in some of the teams are already being sold.

The result, however, is that the $15-20 million needed to fund the Big Bash League has had to come entirely from Cricket Australia's resources, which has been a strain.

One of the differences between cricket and other sports is that the contracted players get a fixed percentage (26 per cent) of revenue, shared 55/45 between the national and state players.

It means, in effect, that the organisers and marketers of the sport are in a joint venture with the players and their own organisation, the Australian Cricketers Association, and everyone is highly motivated to get the revenue up.

Another thing the success of the Big Bash League has created for Cricket Australia is a lot of complexity: most sports have just one game with same rules played at various levels - local, state, national and international.

Cricket has all those levels, plus three different games - five-day Tests, one-day games, both international and domestic, and 20-over games. They all use bats and balls, but the different lengths create entirely different games.

As you'd expect from marketers, the team at Cricket Australia sees this as an opportunity, not a problem.

"We had Coke, then Diet Coke, and now we've got Coke Zero," said one.

And it's true: cricket is in the unique position of having several different games to appeal to different audiences, including one that is obviously attracting the next generation while they hang onto old guys like me.

Maybe one of the forms of the game will eventually fade and die (most likely 50-over one-day cricket), but so far it's still rating well and attracting crowds.

And as we all know, customers are always right.

Alan Kohler is Editor in Chief of Business Spectator and Eureka Report, as well as host of Inside Business and finance presenter on ABC News. View his full profile here.

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, cricket, sport, economic-trends, twenty20

First posted January 11, 2012 08:41:43

View the original article here

Camel Crickets

How to Get Rid of Crickets

Jiminy Cricket's Christmas [VHS]

RIKKI TIKKI TAVI/YANKEE DOODLE CRICKE - DVD Movie

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The Music of Buddy Holly and The Crickets: The Definitive Story

Go behind the scenes of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup with an access all areas pass. Exclusive footage takes you inside the dressing rooms, on the team coach and up close and personal with the world's finest players during the biggest cricket tournament on earth. Featuring never before seen material and interviews with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Ricky Ponting, Graene Smith, Andrew Strauss and many more as well as the best of the on-field action. Ever step of the way our cameras are granted unprededented access to the team camps as the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup reaches its thrilling conclusion.

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What Do Crickets Eat?

Crickets are insects that belong to the Order Orthoptera and the Class Insecta. Crickets are an important part of the ecosystem since they help in the breakdown of plant material. They are also an important source of food for other animals like small owls, spiders, birds, mice, shrews, snakes, frogs, raccoons and opossums. There are many species of crickets: house crickets, field crickets, ground crickets, cave crickets, mole crickets, camel crickets, snowy tree cricket and mole crickets.

Crickets are reared and used as bait for fish and as food for some pets. The Chinese also use crickets in medicines. They are popularly used as a sport like cock fights. Crickets are also believed to bring luck. Rearing crickets is very easy since they tend to eat anything. Providing a nutritious diet to the crickets is very important as it helps in breeding. Another reason is that the nutrition from the cricket's diet would be passed on to the pets, which each these crickets.

Crickets are omnivores and feed on almost anything-usually organic materials, plant decay, grass, fruits, seedling plants, fungi and even meat. Crickets need good diet otherwise they tend to feed on each other. Cricket foods are commercially available in the market at feed shops. There are specific brands of cricket feed also. For a few crickets, tropical fish make a good meal though it would be expensive. Rolled oats with fresh fruits and vegetables is an ideal food for crickets. Cornflakes, bread and digestive biscuits can also be given. Crickets also relish fruits like apples, bananas and grapes and vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce and cabbage. Chicken laying mash is also good cricket food and is cost effective for feeding large number of crickets. Some food supplements like alfalfa, calcium supplements and raw vegetable scraps can also be added for additional nutrition. The food can be placed in an open and shallow container that is placed firmly on the ground. This container needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent the formation of mold.

Crickets also need a good supply of water. However, keep the water away from the food to keep the food dry and fresh. Insert cotton swabs into the water vessel to prevent the crickets from drowning. Raising crickets is very easy.

Crickets provides detailed information about crickets, live crickets, mole crickets, cave crickets and more. Crickets is the sister site of Gatlinburg Cabins Web.

Crickets Clubhouse/Around the World [VHS]

RIKKI TIKKI TAVI/YANKEE DOODLE CRICKE - DVD Movie

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Crickets

Crickets are insects that belong to the order Orthoptera. Crickets are an important part of the ecosystem since they help in the breakdown of plant material. They are also an important source of food for other animals like small owls, spiders, birds, mice, shrews, snakes, frogs, raccoons and opossums.

Crickets are generally brown or black in color, have antennae which is as long as the distance from the head to the end of the abdomen and have two kinds of wings: front wings covering nearly the entire abdomen and hind wings that are folded and hidden under the front wings. However, some species of crickets may not have wings at all.

There are many species of crickets: house crickets, field crickets, ground crickets, cave crickets, mole crickets, snowy tree cricket and mole crickets. Crickets live outdoors in open spaces like meadows, pastures and roads. In winter, they go under rocks or logs or inside buildings to escape the cold. They are nocturnal and are very active during the night. Crickets are omnivores and feed on almost anything, usually organic materials, plant decay, grass, fruits, seedling plants, fungi and even meat.

Man has always been fascinated by crickets. Some people even have crickets as pets. The most interesting thing about crickets is the sound they make. They have a unique chirp which many people find attractive. This chirp is actually a way of communication. Crickets make many different kinds of sounds depending on the purpose: a calling note indicating that defense of their territory, an aggressive chirp symbolizing other male intruders to move away, and a quieter call which announces their presence to deaf females. Female crickets are deaf and they can identify males from the smell that emanates from under the wings of the male. Crickets produce the sound by rubbing their forewings against each other. In fact, crickets have gained their name from the French word "Criquer", which means little creaker.

Crickets are reared and used as bait for fishes and as food for some pets. The Chinese also use crickets in medicines. They are popularly used as a sport like cock fights. Crickets are also believed to bring luck. Crickets are very easy to rear. However, crickets can be real pests, especially because the chirping may get very irritating. Crickets also cause damage to plants, seeds of grain crop, stored tubers and fruits, and baler twine. When they enter the house, they can damage clothing, furniture upholstery, draperies etc. since they are very fond of cotton, silk, wool and even rayon and nylon. They also eat paper products.

Crickets can be controlled by using some insecticides like bendiocarb (Ficam D), chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Duration, Empire, and Engage), diatomaceous earth (Answer), propoxur (Baygon), diazinon, pyrethrins, or resmethrin. Drione or Boric Acid and other dust products can be used to treat wall voids and crawl spaces. Granular bait like Larvalur or Niban can also be used indoors and outdoors. Some common outdoor insecticides that can be used are; cyfluthrin (Tempo), cypermethrin (Demon, Cynoff, Cyper-Active), Ficam W or Plus, propetamphos (Safrotin) lambdacyhalothrin (Commadore), or permethrin (Dragnet, Flee).

Crickets provides detailed information about crickets, live crickets, mole crickets, cave crickets and more. Crickets is the sister site of Gatlinburg Cabins Web.

Jiminy Cricket's Christmas

Go behind the scenes of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup with an access all areas pass. Exclusive footage takes you inside the dressing rooms, on the team coach and up close and personal with the world's finest players during the biggest cricket tournament on earth. Featuring never before seen material and interviews with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Ricky Ponting, Graene Smith, Andrew Strauss and many more as well as the best of the on-field action. Ever step of the way our cameras are granted unprededented access to the team camps as the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup reaches its thrilling conclusion.

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Jiminy Cricket's Christmas [VHS]

The Lost Christmas Classic

A delightful, animated musical version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, A Cricket on the Hearth, tells the story of a poor toymaker and his daughter whom a helpful Cricket named Crocket befriends on Christmas morning. When tragedy strikes the family, it’s Crocket who comes to the rescue and restores peace and happiness.

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Live Crickets

Crickets are a species of insects that belong to the Orthoptera order. Crickets have always fascinated man. Some people even have crickets as pets. The most interesting thing about crickets is the sound they make. They have a unique chirp which many people find attractive.

Crickets are reared and used as bait for fishes and as food for some pets. The Chinese also use crickets in medicines. They are popularly used as a sport like cock fights. Crickets are also believed to bring luck. There are many species of crickets: house crickets, field crickets, ground crickets, cave crickets, mole crickets, snowy tree cricket and the northern mole crickets.

Crickets are very easy to raise. They can be placed in any metal container like a garbage can. The inside of these containers should be smeared with mineral oil or any other greasy substance to prevent the crickets from escaping. Crickets need a minimum temperature of 80° F. Warmer temperatures help crickets to grow faster. Stale bread, powdered dog food, cornmeal, poultry mash and fruits and vegetables like apple, banana, lettuce and cabbage may be provided to the crickets as food. Water supply also has to be sufficient. Place cotton in the water container to prevent young crickets from drowning.

Live crickets can be kept in plastic containers or glass jars. The container has to be covered with wire screen or muslin. Spread a layer of about four inches of brick sand at the bottom of the container, and then add another layer of coarse wood shavings. This will keep the small crickets safe from the bigger ones. Another small container can be filled with moist sand and placed within the larger container to act as an egg-laying site.

There are a few things to consider while rearing live crickets: keep the material at the bottom of the cage dry; remove the dead crickets immediately and keep the cage clean; transfer the egg-laying containers to another container regularly in order to keep crickets of the same size together; avoid keeping wild crickets as these may carry some diseases; do not use insecticides near the live crickets; ensure that ants and other pests do not enter the cage. Crickets breed well in temperatures ranging between 80° and 90°F. Artificial heat can be maintained within the container by suspending a light bulb into the container. Newly hatched crickets should be separated from the adults to prevent them from being eaten.

Crickets provides detailed information about crickets, live crickets, mole crickets, cave crickets and more. Crickets is the sister site of Gatlinburg Cabins Web.

Cricket: Cricket's Clubhouse Vol. 1 [VHS]

Includes 7 Holiday Favorites:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Who’s got a nose for Christmas? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! Just in time for the holidays, here comes Rudolph in the most beloved special of all time! Packed with a sleigh full of memorable songs and unforgettable characters, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer lights up the hearts of young and old alike.
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
Where does Santa’s suit come from? Why does he slide down the chimney? Why does he live at the North Pole? The answers to all these questions and the origins of our favorite holiday traditions are revealed in this delightful classic about Kris Kringle, the world’s most famous gift giver.

Frosty the Snowman
Look at Frosty Go! What’s become a bigger holiday tradition than building a snowman? Watching the original Christmas classic, Frosty the Snowman! Grab your scarf, bundle up, and get ready for the incredible adventure of a magical snowman who’s got enough personality to win over the whole family. You can’t go wrong with Frosty!
 
Frosty Returns

Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
Bah Humbug, Mr. Magoo! In this first-ever animated holiday TV special, the bumbling and loveable Mr. Magoo is Ebeneezer Scrooge in a hilarious and heartwarming musical retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic, "A Christmas Carol".

The Little Drummer Boy
This story has touched the hearts of families everywhere. In this holiday classic, the true spirit of Christmas is revealed when a lonely orphan stumbles upon the birth of the baby Jesus and affirms what the holidays are really about – giving and love. Featuring a beautiful soundtrack by the Vienna Boys’ Choir, this timeless tale of generosity makes the perfect addition to your holiday collection.

Cricket on the Hearth
A delightful, animated musical version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, Cricket on the Hearth, tells the story of a poor toymaker and his daughter whom a helpful Cricket named Crocket befriends on Christmas morning. When tragedy strikes the family, it’s Crocket who comes to the rescue and restores peace and happiness.

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Types of Crickets

Crickets are insects that belong to the order Orthoptera and the class Insecta. Crickets are an important part of the ecosystem since they help in the breakdown of plant material. They are also an important source of food for other animals like small owls, spiders, birds, mice, shrews, snakes, frogs, raccoons and opossums. There are many species of crickets: house crickets, field crickets, ground crickets, cave crickets, mole crickets, camel crickets, snowy tree cricket and the northern mole crickets.

House Crickets: these are the most commonly seen crickets. They are also very troublesome since they tend to enter the house and cause damage. Length of adult house crickets ranges between 3/4 inch and 7/8 inch. They are light yellowish-brown in color and have three dark bands on the head. They have long, thin antennae ,which is much longer than the whole body. They have antenna-like cerci attached to the sides of the abdomen. Female house crickets have a thin, long tube-like structure known as the ovipositor projecting from the abdomen. This is used for laying eggs. Female house crickets can lay an average of 728eggs.

House crickets are generally found outdoors in places like garbage dumps but tend to get into the house when the temperature outside gets colder. They can jump very high, even up to second and third stories of houses. They can also bite if agitated. They feed on silk, wool, nylon, rayon and wood and can thus cause much damage in the house.

Field crickets: field crickets are also a very commonly seen cricket species. They are 1/2 to 11/4 inches in length. They are black in color and have long, thin antennae and a stout body. They have large jumping hind legs. The ovipositor of a female field cricket may be nearly 3/4 inch long. There are many kinds of field crickets and they also vary based on the size. Field crickets make sounds throughout the day as well as night. Female field crickets lay an average of 150-400 eggs.

Field crickets cause much damage to field crops. They also enter buildings and cause damage to furniture upholstery, rugs and clothes. They can fly well and are attracted to bright lights. They are generally found in cold damp places and inside buildings.

Ground crickets: Ground crickets are smaller in size than house and field crickets. They are less than 1/2 inch in length. They are brown in color with long, movable spines on the hind tibiae. Ground crickets' sounds are soft and high-pitched. They are active at night and are greatly attracted to lights. They are generally found in laws, pastures and wooded areas.

Snowy tree cricket: this species of crickets are pale yellowish-green or whitish pale green in color and about 5/6 to 7/8 inch long. They have one black spot on the fore side of each of the first two antenna segments. Wings of male snowy tree crickets are broad and paddle-shaped, laying flat on the back. The female cricket's forewings are narrow and are wrapped closely to the body.

Snowy tree crickets are found in trees, shrubs, high grassy areas and in weeds. They lay eggs on the bark or stems of fruits and ornamental plants, causing much damage. Snowy tree crickets make sounds that vary according to the temperature. These sounds are generally very loud and are usually used for special effects in movies.

Cave Crickets: Cave crickets, also known as camel crickets or stone crickets, are generally found in caves and other cool damp places like house basements. They have very large hind legs, long slender antennae, head bent backward and drumstick-shaped femurs. They do not have wings. They are about one inch in length and brownish in color. They appear to be humpbacked because of their arched backs. They are also nocturnal but are not attracted to light unlike other crickets. They also do not chirp like house crickets. Cave crickets usually reside in wells, hollow tress, under damp leaves/stones/logs/boards. They generally wander into houses by mistake and are basically harmless.

Mole Crickets: Mole crickets, so called because they look like moles, live underground. They are cylindrical in shape and measure around 1.25 inch in length. They are generally brown in color and are covered in fine silky hair. They have paddle-shaped forelegs, which make them suitable for burrowing. The legs are also very sharp to enable root-cutting. Mole crickets do not bite or sting and they also do not damage fabric or paper products unlike house crickets.

Mole crickets generally cause problems to crops since they reside underground and tend to damage the root systems. Female mole crickets lay hundreds of eggs, hence there are very high chances of fast damage if not controlled. Mole cricket eggs hatch in 10 to 40 days. Though mole crickets mostly stay underground, they are good fliers and are found to fly even up to 5 miles, especially during mating periods. Mole crickets feed on small insects, plant roots, tubers, vegetables, underground stems of grasses and earthworms found in the soil.

Crickets provides detailed information about crickets, live crickets, mole crickets, cave crickets and more. Crickets is the sister site of Gatlinburg Cabins Web.

The Music of Buddy Holly and The Crickets: The Definitive Story

Pirates, rebels, the Fire Nation, and feuding tribes contribute to the greater responsibility Aang faces as the Avatar. Burdened and guilt-ridden because of his previous disappearance, we hear the surprising story of Aang’s past paralleled with Prince Zuko’s.

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Crickets Breeding Made Simple

Finally, there is a way for you to learn everything there is to know about breeding crickets to ensure that you feed healthy, clean, virus-free crickets to your leopard gecko, bearded dragon, or any other pet!

Check it out!

Jiminy Cricket's Christmas

WHITE SEAL/A CRICKET IN TIMES SQUARE - DVD Movie

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