CIPR Sports Network

"Paris was the TikTok and Instagram Games. LA looks like it will be the celeb and influencer Games." Fascinating insight from Scott Field in our first webinar of the new series "Evolving role of communications with Olympic athletes, brand and audiences". Look out for the full webinar which will be released here on Friday 29th November.

Can good communications HELP high performance in the sporting environment? Who better to answer that question than Scott Field, Director of Communications and Marketing at Team GB, fresh from a summer in Paris, who we're delighted to welcome as our first guest in a new series of webinars we hope you will find useful. The first and full webinar will be released on Friday 29th November - follow the page to ensure you get the link. #sportPR #communications #PR

Get your questions in for Scott by end of the day 💡

We are delighted to reveal the first in a new series of regular CIPR Sports Network webinars we’ll be hosting and who better to kick us off, fresh from a huge stint in Paris this summer, than Team GB’s Director of Communications and Marketing, Scott Field. Scott will join us to delve into the topic of “Evolving role of communications with Olympic athletes, brands and audiences” giving his expert insight into his role with Team GB, how the four-year cycle impacts communications planning, in-Games execution and his personal experience of success, resilience, and the importance of comms to Team GB Olympic success. We have dedicated time in the session to answer audience questions, so should you have any questions you want to put to Scott for the session, please message below, DM us or send a note to [email protected] before Thursday 14 November. We’ll share a link to our first webinar shortly, which will be prerecorded in the first instance, with more live events planned for the remainder of 2024 and beyond. 

We are delighted to reveal the first in a new series of regular CIPR Sports Network webinars we’ll be hosting and who better to kick us off, fresh from a huge stint in Paris this summer, than Team GB’s Director of Communications and Marketing, Scott Field. Scott will join us to delve into the topic of “Evolving role of communications with Olympic athletes, brands and audiences” giving his expert insight into his role with Team GB, how the four-year cycle impacts communications planning, in-Games execution and his personal experience of success, resilience, and the importance of comms to Team GB Olympic success. We have dedicated time in the session to answer audience questions, so should you have any questions you want to put to Scott for the session, please message below, DM us or send a note to [email protected] before Thursday 14 November. We’ll share a link to our first webinar shortly, which will be prerecorded in the first instance, with more live events planned for the remainder of 2024 and beyond. 

Our final weekly roundup of October is here – what's happened this week in the world of sports communications: Campaign of the Week: The Premier League has launched a dedicated No Room For Racism campaign across all fixtures from 19-27 October https://lnkd.in/eV8miXTy Appointment of the Week – Wrexham AFC FC have appointed Robert Faulkner, ex-comms and marketing director of the European Club Association (ECA), as their new Chief Business and Communications Officer https://lnkd.in/g_ecQqjY Listen of the Week:  Our very own Chair David Alexander (Chart.PR, FCIPR) gives his views around Navigating Sports PR in this podcast https://lnkd.in/eGSXBrMx Recruitment: This is some role - Department for Culture, Media and Sport are looking for a Chief Communications Officer for the Shadow Football Regulator  https://lnkd.in/evwVEWne

We’re back in business with the Weekly Round of everything sports PR and comms. What’s been happening this week… Campaign of the Week: Sports Direct launched ‘Fast Enough’- a new podcast for Muslim runners this Ramadan https://lnkd.in/e_CiDUnK Agency News: Video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) has appointed PREMIER to handle PR https://lnkd.in/e7VqDquR Read of the Week:  We enjoyed this piece with Manchester United’s Matt McKie and Campaign UK about unlocking growth opportunities via sports marketing in the Middle East  https://lnkd.in/esZYKzVc Recruitment: What a job – Liverpool Football Club are recruiting for a new Men’s First Team Communications Manager https://lnkd.in/ehf3YmFu

Next up in our Meet the Committee series is Matt Williams   Job Title and explanation of role: Director of Keep Communications. Matt founded Keep Communications in 2019, a fresh result of years of agency PR experience with international fitness and sport brands.  Keep Communications run PR accounts with sport brands, service providers, retailers, events and communities specialising in building strong identities to take a clear story to its desired market.    Previous experience: Prior to setting up Keep Communications, I worked at leading sports agencies Speed Communications and Mongoose Sports & Entertainment   What are you most proud of in your career? Primarily, I’m proud of setting up a successful and profitable business, following my entrepreneurial dreams to be my own boss. Notable project pride comes in the form of working for two years across the launch of The Hundred with England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), delivering comms around the 150th Emirates FA Cup, being a leading consultant across all Red Bull bike projects and delivering for long term global clients such as Tough Mudder, Spartan and Hytro.   Why did you get into the industry? My passion for sports, mixed with a distinct lack of athletic ability to do it professionally meant I needed to find my calling elsewhere. Understanding that I loved working with people and the impact PR could have on brand creation meant I quickly knew that a career in PR was where I could have an impact. In the last ten years, I haven’t looked back.   Mentor / Person you look to up in the industry and why? Far too many to mention in a sentence but I’ve been incredibly lucky to learn from the best and call them friends as well as colleagues. It’s a small industry and a strong network of trusted faces can never be underestimated.    Best example of comms you’ve seen within the industry - I have huge respect for what the ECB has done for women’s cricket in recent years. Supported by the likes of The Space Between Sports and Curious Panda social team, they have done a brilliant job at driving representation and awareness for future generations.   Favourite sport and subsequent team - If it’s movement, I love it. I will quite literally watch and enjoy anything competitive. A self-confessed golf nerd I have a huge passion for the game and follow it closely. Away from the course I’m an emotionally wrecked Arsenal F.C fan that likes to keep up with weekly premier league action.   Best job in the sport comms? I still love the flexibility that an agency gives you across multiple sports. If I had to pick one, send me to The Ryder Cup.   What one skill would you say is most desired in sport comms? In a world dominated by digital and online comms, you won’t ever be able to beat a good old chat. 

We're back in business with our next Meet the Committee feature. Next up - Jennifer Carter Job Role and detail: Director of Communications at the Grounds Management Association, the UK’s leading membership association for grounds staff - I lead a dynamic team, overseeing all PR, media relations, marketing, social media, and brand strategy. I’m proud to support and champion the incredible work of grounds people across the sports industry at this not-for-profit organisation Previous experience: Graduated with a degree in French from University of Leeds and have spent the last 13+ years in PR across sports, entertainment, and arts. I spent 8 years at Liverpool Football Club FC, overseeing strategic comms for major projects and award-winning sponsorships. I had the privilege of working with top brands like Nike, AXA and NIVEA, and managing communications for major capitol project at Liverpool FC, including the AXA Training Centre, Anfield Road and new Main Stand. Prior to that, I managed PR and sponsorship activation for top clients and athletes at Juniper Sport a boutique sports marketing agency in London. From Wimbledon and the Masters to the Ryder Cup, I’ve delivered strategic campaigns on the global stage. Why did you get into the industry: I never planned to work in sports, but once I landed an internship at Juniper Sports, I was hooked. The passion and energy in the sports world pulled me in, and I quickly fell in love with the creative possibilities it offered. Sports is the perfect platform to craft powerful, emotional campaigns that truly resonate. Mentor / Person you look to up in the industry and why: My mentor in the early days of my career was Jackie Elliot, Chairman of Cathcart Consulting. LR legend and industry pioneer! A true stalwart of the PR and communications industry, a founding fellow and former Chairman of the PRCA. Jackie has helped shape and refined the PR and communications industry – with her influence felt far and wide. Jackie offered me incredible guidance and support as I started to navigate the world of sports PR and marketing. Jackie and I are still in touch now as she has become a lifelong friend! Best example of comms you’ve seen within the industry (campaign / crisis handling etc): I know I am bias, however Liverpool FC’s, handling of Jurgen Klopp’s recent departure was world class! Favourite Sport : I’m a life-long LFC fan. I also enjoy golf - I am learning to play through a women’s ‘get into golf’ programme (albeit very badly!) I also enjoy dance - ballroom and Latin - you can find me every Saturday morning on the dance floor. Top Skill in Sport Comms: Interpersonal skills & stakeholder relations—crucial for building successful partnerships across the industry.

After a damp start in Paris, we’ve all got Olympic fever after a record breaking start for Team GB. Let’s take a look at this week’s round up: Campaign of the Week: Sky have launched Sky Sports + this week with a localised campaign bringing EFL (English Football League) and Super League Clubs together https://lnkd.in/eTpjENPn Agency News: John West Foods, official protein partner to ParalympicsGB, appointed Hatch to help maximise their partnership this Summer  https://lnkd.in/ejGcW-CG Listen of the Week:  An interesting listen about Olympic media consumption in this week's Sports Media Podcast https://lnkd.in/eKxk2cWm Recruitment: Garmin are looking for a new PR manager https://lnkd.in/e5j7mfnj