Monday, 7 September 2009

A Social Media Revolution in Cricket


I recently read in the digital edition of Revolution magazine that more adults use twitter than kids.
After spending the best part of a day with young kids from all over the country I have been running a social media workshop with a number of 15-18 year olds on behalf of the ECB (English Cricket Board) for the initial start of the legacy campaign to get more kids engaged with the game of cricket.

At Folk we have over the last 12 months, been developing a social networking site that allows kids of all shapes and sizes, passions and interests to share their love for cricket with others via the internet. The ECB have set out to do something that no other sporting body has ever achieved and that's create a proposition which creates debate, intrigue, passions and beliefs of a sport that is rapidly rising in the UK thanks to this years Ashes and Twenty Twenty World Cup. Stix which is due to go live in a few weeks time provides for the very first time kids to create dialogue, improve performance and generally discuss all aspects of cricket.

Part of the process is to give the kids the opportunity to engage and promote the site for themselves, create their own content and become the face of the site and so with the help of the ECB academy and marketing team, I had the privilege of meeting and working for one day with the next generation of Flintoffs and KP's discussing social media and how they might help to engage and energise other friends as well as improve their own performance.

We discussed ideas generation, blogs, twitter and facebook and all were keen to continue using Facebook. Most had heard of Twitter but not one used it. However after showing them tweetdeck and a couple of other apps they were amazed by its fluidity, ease of use and power. Kids might not be using it yet but give it 6 months and watch the online explosion of kids using this form of social media.

By the afternoon we then had them tweeting each other and creating their own content, blogs and ideas they even had a response from Bumble. I heard incredible heartfelt honest funny stories from the crying tarzan through to sledging between girls and boys at a local club. You see this is a networking site where the kids own the content and they are in control of the conversations, the dialogue has started to happen.

Right from the outset, the ECB have proudly sat back and listened to what the kids have wanted, way back in October when we held workshops around the country with county clubs, schools and associations they have remained firm that this is a site that should be owned by the kids. Not what you expect from a perceived stuffy duffy age old sporting institution, but they must be applauded and congratulated for their insight courage and endeavor to make this a success story and legacy for cricketing future of England.

Needless to say we are starting to get a firm following on the site, even Monty Pansear has got involved, watch out for the launch in the next week or so.

This years talk is very much about how the internet, mass collaboration and We-Think attitude will change the face of the world forever, well in a little room at lords last week maybe we have started to change the way in which cricket will be seen forever, using social media that puts the real heart and beliefs and future of cricket, firmly back in the hands of the very people that love and cherish it.... watch this space

Check Cricket stix out now....

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