Melbourne, Australia – Following a robust pitch process, Initiative has been appointed as Cricket Australia’s media agency of record, effective immediately.
Initiative’s remit covers all media strategy, planning and buying – including contra activities for offline, online display, performance and addressable – with a clear brief to amplify fan engagement across Cricket Australia’s product portfolio including International, Big Bash Leagues, and Participation.
Sam Geer, national managing director of Initiative, said cricket has iconic status in Australia’s sporting landscape and pop culture and the partnership represents an exciting opportunity to increase the visibility and reach of the nationally loved sport across various media platforms.
“I believe there are no bigger icons in Australian sporting culture than our cricket teams. CA set out to find a partner that had a proven history of delivering successful and innovative media campaigns and could demonstrate a clear strategic approach to cut through and engage its broad fan base, including multicultural audiences. Initiative is perfectly placed to meet that brief – and more – and we can’t wait to share our ‘smarts’ and get started,” said Geer.
Sarah James, MD of Initiative Melbourne, commented, “Sometimes an agency experiences a pivotal moment in its journey: partnering with Cricket Australia is one of those “gotcha” moments. I never knew we had so many cricket devotees among the team, and we are stoked to be driving the account out of Melbourne, drawing on the skills and capabilities of Initiative’s national team wherever necessary.”
She continued, “Cricket is an integral part of Australia’s sporting culture, and we are excited to have the opportunity to help CA achieve its ambitious growth objectives, connect with fans… both new and the die-hards …and bring the excitement of the game to new audiences by leveraging our extensive network of media partners. Our partnership marks a significant milestone in both organisations’ next growth phase and underscores our shared commitment to delivering excellence in sports media and communications.”
Teresa Basile, head of brand and marketing of Cricket Australia, said, “We are very excited to partner with Initiative and applaud their leadership in cultural insight, alongside data and analytical solutions that deliver real-world tangible results. Initiative’s team brings energy and passion and their pursuit and delivery of excellence clearly stood out. We’re looking forward to a strong partnership.”
Work begins immediately with the first campaign expected in the market ahead of the summer cricket season.
