Cricinfo appoints first chief to beef up global marketing

Cricinfo, which claims to be the world’s biggest single-sport Website, has appointed its first dedicated marketing manager, with a brief to beef up global marketing.

Andrew Hall, who joins from the Press Association where he was client services manager, says: “The sheer potential of this Website, given the amount of eyeballs it’s got, is quite amazing.”

In the past, Cricinfo’s marketing has not been extensive, having run a limited TV advertising campaign in India. But now it is seeking global sponsorships and major ad deals. “We’re looking at making a major impression this year,” says Hall. “We’re open to whatever way we can target cricket fans across the world.”

Sponsors and advertisers on Cricinfo’s Website and sub-sites (such as www.baggygreen.com) include BT, the BBC, Nestlé and Compaq. It has established various deals with the likes of Channel 4 and the Australian Cricket Board to produce and manage affiliated Websites.

Hall is “in the process” of confirming the size of his marketing budget, which will have to stretch a long way.

Established in 1993, Cricinfo is an independent company that is majority-owned by its founders.

It has no plans to change its focus. “We’re a cricket specialist, and that is one of our strong points,” says Hall. “There are no plans to become another CBS, but we are increasingly moving into new forms of delivery, such as video highlights.”