Olympic medallist launches sports marketing consultancy company

Double Olympic rowing gold medallist James Cracknell is to set up his own sports marketing consultancy and events company.

Cracknell is launching Threshold Sports with Julian Mack, former Sony Ericsson head of sponsorship, and Charlie Beauchamp, formerly a director at sports sponsorship agency Fast Track.

Mack left his position at Sony Ericsson, where he was in charge of a multi-million pound sponsorship portfolio, to set up Threshold with Beauchamp and Cracknell. While at Fast Track Beauchamp managed clients that included Castrol and GSK, for whom he struck Lucozade Sport’s sponsorship deal with the FA Premier League when it launched in 1992.

The company will initially focus on sports marketing consultancy and then use this as a step to build towards creating and owning mass participation events.

Threshold’s consultancy service will work with brands, charities and government organisations to build sporting events and programmes.

The trio say the agency’s long-term objective is to build on the success of events like the Great North Run Series to “create and deliver bespoke mass participation events to the broadest possible audience. Threshold wants to bring 500,000 people into regular sporting activity, within five years, as a result of its work.

Cracknell says Threshold was especially seeking opportunities to deliver on the company’s belief that “increased physical output can address the issue of obesity”.

“The government’s initiative to increase current levels of physical activity from 30% to 70% has encouraged us to support the value of active living through the work we do, creating enjoyable events in a welcoming environment for people of all ages and abilities”.

Recommended

WCRS scoops 12m Carbon Trust account

Marketing Week

WCRS has won the 12m Carbon Trust advertising business after a three-way pitch against roster agencies, Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and RKCR/Y&R. It is now the lead agency for the body for the next three years.