Cricket Cares
The different kinds of sports and its related activities are intended primarily to help the individuals from the diverse parts of the world to use their leisure time in meaningful manner (Shani & Sandler, 2015). Furthermore, they also seen as uniting forces that unites the diverse entities of the world in a cohesive bond and it is a reflection of this particular fact that the various sports teams have fan followers from the different parts of the world (Shani & Sandler, 2015). It is this purpose that has helped the various kinds of sports to gain such significance within the framework of the modern day world. In addition to these, the diverse kinds of sports provide the much needed entertainment in the lives of the people and gives them something meaning in which they can invest their leisure or free time (Fetchko, Roy & Clow, 2016). In this particular context, it needs to be said that the game of Cricket is the one which has gained much popularity within the mould of the present day sports world. Furthermore, within the present day sports industry it is seen that perhaps the sport of Football is the only one which has the number of supporters that the sport of Cricket has (Fetchko, Roy & Clow, 2016).
Cricket is one of the highest revenue generating ones of the world and on an annual basis generates more than $1 billion through the various sporting events and tournaments (Cricket Australia, 2018). In addition to this, there are various kinds of endorsements as well as promotional activities as well through which the various Cricketing teams and the players who are involved with them earn a significant amount of revenue (Gallagher, O’Connor & Gilmore, 2016). In the present times, it is seen that the various sports as well as the organizations related to the industry are following the concepts of marketing which are commonly used in the world of business (Gallagher, O’Connor & Gilmore, 2016). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has attained a significant amount of prominence within the framework of the modern day sports industry and more particularly within the world of Cricket. The various Cricket teams and the related organizations are thus following the concept of CSR to improve the image of their teams and thereby not only boost the fan following that they have but at the same time to enhance the revenue earned by them as well (Chanavat & Desbordes, 2014). This paper will discuss about Cricket Cares and the various CSR initiatives undertaken by them with the objective to make the game of Cricket a more profitable one.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Marketing
Cricket Cares is an Australian organization which is concerned with improving the image of the game of Cricket through the undertaking of diverse kinds of CSR activities as well as policies (Cricket Cares, 2018). There are various factors or reasons that had lead to the establishment of this particular organization and the effective use of the concept as well as the policies of CSR within the framework of the game of Cricket (Lu, 2016). One of the major factors which has lead to the establishment of this particular organization and the resultant use of the concept of CSR as a marketing tool to the enhancement of the fan following of the game is the fact that in the recent times it is seen that the game of Football is gaining a much larger popularity and fan following and this is negatively affecting the game of Cricket (Schmid, Kexel & Djafarova, 2016). In addition to this, in the recent times it is also that the various events like the ball tampering incident in Australia, the terrorist attacks on the cricketers of Sri Lanka in Pakistan and others have adversely affected not only the reputation of the individual teams, players and the nations but at the same time has defamed the entire game itself (Cricket Cares, 2018). These factors along with the other ones like the rise of new sports and others have necessitated the rise of this particular organization and the use of CSR for the promotion of the entire game itself.
Cricket Cares is mainly concerned with the arrangement of various kinds of charitable events and also requires the various players who are associated with the game to denote money towards the cause of charity on a regular basis so that the condition of the poor and the other people who need help can be improved (Cricket Cares, 2018). The basic idea behind all these undertaking that the organization in the recent times have undertaken can be summed up in the words of Dawn Benton, the Assistant Vice-President of the organization when he said that “Philanthropy is part of Cricket’s cultural DNA. We work with national and regional charities to make a significant impact where it matters most – in the community. Whether donating cell phones and wireless service or helping a worthy citizen renovate their home, Cricket prioritizes giving back” (Cricket Cares, 2018). The organization under discussion here was formed in the early years of this decade and in the recent times have undertaken various kinds of charitable actions like contributing money towards the cause of the poor people, educating the children of the under developed nations, fighting the diseases of cancer, Alzheimer and others (Cricket Cares, 2018). The most recent activity that the concerned organization has undertaken is to donate cell phones to the under-privileged people so that they would be able to stay connected with their friends and family and also seek help from them when they require it (Cricket Cares, 2018).
The prospects of a business enterprise depends on the effectiveness with which the concerned organization is being able to use the different marketing opportunities that are available to the concerned organization within the business environment in which it is operating (Schmid, Kexel & Djafarova, 2016). This requires the concerned business enterprise to thoroughly analyze the business environment in which they are operational and identify their own key competencies as well as weaknesses. In addition to these, in the present times it is also seen that the various business enterprises also take the help of diverse kinds of market research so that they are being to understand the demands or the needs of the customers in the best manner and at the same time integrate them within the framework of the products or the services offered by them in the best possible manner (Ratten, 2016). The basic idea behind the adoption of such a policy is to provide the customers with the kind of products or services that would be most agreeable with them and thereby to gain a significant amount of sustainable competitive advantage over their competitors (Nufer & Bühler, 2015). The use of these strategies has helped the diverse business organizations in a significant manner for the process of their business and at the same time has helped them to achieve a considerable amount of success as well (Nufer & Bühler, 2015).
Corporate social responsibility or CSR is another important policy which has helped many business enterprises in the process of their business and at the same time to improve the prospects of their business (Nichols, Cobbs & Raska, 2016). One of the major reasons which encourage the diverse business enterprises to take the help of the various kind of CSR is the fact that they help in the improvement of the brand image of the concerned organization in a significant manner (Nichols, Cobbs & Raska, 2016). This is important since in the present times it is seen that the customers have become much more aware or interested in the concept of brand image. Furthermore, it is also seen that the various customers generally like to take the help of the products or the services which are being offered by the companies or the organization which have a positive brand image (da Silva & Casas, 2017). In this light the concept of ethical consumerism has also gained prominence and the customers have become more conscious about the manner in which the products or the services they are opting for are being produced (da Silva & Casas, 2017). It is precisely here that the concept of CSR has gained prominence within the framework of the modern day business world. The various business enterprises by taking the various social issues as well as activities that are important in the context of the present day society try to portray a positive image of themselves and thereby appeal to the brand consciousness of the customers (Plewa et al., 2016). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the various organizations try to indulge in the kind of activities that are important from the perspective of the society. Plewa et al. (2016) are of the viewpoint that the machinery of CSR policies if used in an effective manner can lead to the overall organizational growth.
The marketing concepts followed by the sports industry are more or less in synchronicity with the ones that are being followed in the business world. It is significant to note that within the cannon of the sports industry the fans or the followers are seen as the equivalent to the customers in the domain of the business world (Ramos, Alves & Leitão, 2016). The fans or the followers are the major entities from whom the majority of the revenue that the various sports organizations or the sporting teams generate is being collected and thus they are generally seen as the building blocks of the industry itself (Miragaia, Ferreira & Ratten, 2017). The fans are the individuals who buy the tickets for the various sports events that are being conducted by the concerned sports teams or the concerned organizations and thereby directly contribute towards the revenue that is being generated by the industry (Miragaia, Ferreira & Ratten, 2017). In addition to this, another major trend that is being seen within the domain of the sports industry is the fact that the diverse sports individuals who are not only famous but at the same favorites of the fans are required to do various kinds of endorsements as well as promotional activities and this contributes towards the net revenue generated by the concerned industry in a significant manner (Lacey & Kennett-Hensel, 2016). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the various organizations try to take the help of the kind of marketing strategies which will take into effective consideration the demands as well as the interests of the fans or the followers in the best possible manner (Ramos, Alves & Leitão, 2016).
The innovative use of the concept of CSR activities as well as policies is another factor which has helped the sports industry and also the various sports that are a part of it in a significant manner (Lacey & Kennett-Hensel, 2016). The various sports organizations as well as the teams that are related to them thus take the help of various kinds of social issues like discrimination, racism, women empowerment, charity, fight against various diseases like AIDS, Cancer and others to improve the brand image of their teams or organizations in the most effective manner (Nyadzayo, Leckie & McDonald, 2016). This is important from the psychological perspective as well since it is seen that the fans or the followers generally like to attach themselves with the kind of teams or sports organizations which are working towards the empowerment or the improvement of the society and the planet (Nyadzayo, Leckie & McDonald, 2016). In the present age the concept that the various organizations needs to make a positive contribution towards the cause of the environment and the society has gained prominence and have even being incorporated as part of their ethics (Philpott, 2018). It becomes all the more important for the various organizations especially the ones related to the sports industry to contribute in a positive manner towards the society on which their entire industry is dependent (Philpott, 2018). Therefore, it can be said that the concept of CSR is no longer a choice but a necessity as well for the various sports organizations as well as teams.
Cricket Cares is known for the various charitable activities that has undertaken not only in the past but also in the present times as well (Cricket Cares, 2018). The major donations that this particular organization receives are from the various players as well as the cricketing teams. These donations have helped various individuals from the diverse parts of the world in a significant manner not only in their fight against the various kinds of diseases but at the same time in their fight poverty and diverse kinds of diseases as well (Cricket Cares, 2018). The game of cricket in the present times has faced various kinds of negative criticism because of various kinds of reason and especially the Australian Cricket Team and thus these activities are being undertaken by the national government of the nation with the objective to improve the image of the team (Cricket Cares, 2018). The use of these charitable activities tries to show the players as well as the national team of the nation in a positive light which is important to draw the various fans from the diverse parts of the nation towards the various gaming activities (Batty, Cuskelly & Toohey, 2016). It is significant to note that the game of cricket contributes in a significant manner towards the net revenue earned by the nation and as a matter of fact that the cricketing team of the concerned nation is one of the highest earning ones of the world (Batty, Cuskelly & Toohey, 2016). Thus, it becomes all the more important for the national government of the concerned nation and also the Australian Cricket Association to undertake various kinds of activities that is likely to improve the image of the concerned game so that it is being reflected in the positive light.
The organization under discussion here and the various CSR activities performed by the concerned organization aims to improve the image of the concerned organization as well as the game of cricket in the right light so that the fans and the various followers of the game would feel the urge to support the same (Trendafilova & Nguyen, 2015). These CSR activities are seen as portraying the core values of the national cricket team of the nation and thus taking the help of the various charitable activities as well as others the organization is trying to portray the fact that the aim of the concerned team is to work towards the upliftment of the society and also the nation (Trendafilova & Nguyen, 2015). This is important from the psychological point of view since the people generally have the tendency to attach themselves to the things that are not only constructive but at the same time the things that would contribute a significant value to the society and the environment in large. The concerned organization is thus trying to appeal to the psychology of the people so that they the people can relate if not to the game of cricket or for that matter to the national cricket team of the nation then they would be able to correlate atleast to the ideas or the concepts that it stands for (Carollo & Guerci, 2017). The use of the concept of CSR and its related precepts by the concerned organization can thus be seen as undertaken solely from the marketing point of view so that the game of cricket and thereby the national team of the nation is being not only able to capitalize on the same but at the same time use it in an effective manner for the improvement of their prospects (Carollo & Guerci, 2017).
As mentioned the various charitable activities which have been undertaken by Cricket Care are designed to improve the prospects of the game of cricket and also the game. It is significant to note that till now the concerned organization has invested more than $1 billion in the various charitable actions that has been undertaken by them (Cricket Cares, 2018). In addition to this, the various cricket players are also required to make appearances at the various events which are aimed to collect money and also raise awareness about the diverse important issues (Frawley, Cobourn & Adriaanse, 2016). However, at the same time it is significant to note that these activities are of immense worth for the game of cricket as well as the national team of the nation since by portraying themselves and the game of cricket in the right light they are being able to make a significant amount of money on the basis of that (Frawley, Cobourn & Adriaanse, 2016). The concept of ROI or return on investment becomes important in this particular regard since these investments made by the concerned organization and the nation of Australia are designed to not only bring value to the game of cricket but at the same time to increase the profit percentage gained by the cricket team of the nation (Brukner, Gara & Fortington, 2018). There are other benefits as well which are associated with the charitable activities that are being undertaken by the concerned organization like the improvement of the image of the players which in turn will help in the sale of the product or services endorsed or promoted by them, increase in the fan base of the concerned team and also of the players and others (Brukner, Gara & Fortington, 2018). Thus, it can be said that it is the cumulative effect of all these factors as well as the effective use of the concept of CSR activities that have helped the concerned organization and also the game of cricket to have better prospects in the present times.
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that the concept of marketing is an important one whether it be the world of business or be it the world of sports. It is significant to note that the various organizations of the sports industry take the help of the same concepts of marketing which underpins the world of business. In this particular context mention needs to be made about the various CSR activities and policies which are being used by the majority of the organizations for the improvement of their brand image. This is important since the customers or the fans of the present times generally like to attach themselves to the brands or the organizations which are being portrayed in the right or the positive light by the contemporary media. However, one thing is sure that the use of these CSR activities and marketing concepts has significantly improved the prospects of the various sports organizations and at the same time has helped in a significant manner to achieve success in the world of sports in the recent times. It is with this particular objective that the various sports organizations are indulging in these CSR activities with the inherent desire to improve the prospects that galore them and also the kind of sports with which they are related. The major implication of the report thus can be said to be fact that the various marketing principles and more particularly the concept of CSR if used in an effective can contribute in a significant manner towards the growth of an organization or a sport.
- What marketing principles are being used by Cricket Care to mitigate the adverse effects of the problems that it has faced in the recent times?
The major marketing principle which the organization Cricket Care used for the process of the enhancement of the prospects that galore their organization was the effective use of the marketing concept of CSR. It is significant to note that the majority of the business enterprises of the present times are making the effective use of this particular concept for the process of their business (Watson et al., 2016). The use of this particular concept within the framework of the business world provides various kinds of benefits to the organizations and perhaps the major one among them is the improvement of the market or the brand image of the concerned organization (Watson et al., 2016). This is of utmost importance since the customers of the present time have innumerable options before them and thus the focus of these customers is on the market image of these organizations. It is a reflection of this particular fact that the various organizations try to project their organization in the kind of light that is likely to show them as concerned or working towards the benefit of the environment as well as the greater good of the society. It is this particular marketing principle that the organization under discussion here took the help of for the process of their business (Shams, 2016). The effective use of this particular concept has helped the concerned organization to note only improve the image of the concerned organization in the field of sports but at the same time to provide a new leash of life to the game of cricket itself in the nation of Australia (Shams, 2016).
- Depending on the case study mention the kind of investment that the organization made.
The organization Cricket Care has earned a significant amount of reputation because of the various kinds of charitable actions that it has taken in the recent times for the promotion of the game of cricket and also to improve the lives of the poor people from the different parts of the world (Rowe, 2018). The investments made by the concerned organization in this regard for the improvement of the condition of the people has by this time reached way more than a billion dollars and is expected to increase even more in the future times. In addition to these, there are other kinds of investments that the concerned organization has made in this particular regard (Cricket Cares, 2018). For example, the various cricket players are required to make regular appearances in the diverse kinds of social events as well as the charitable events so that they can support the initiatives that the concerned organization had undertaken or the changes that they intend to make for the poor people of the world (Rowe, 2018). Furthermore, the players as well as the other individuals related to the game are also required to provide various kinds of coaching and also mentoring to the poor children so that they are motivated to undertake the sports under discussion here (Rowe, 2018). It is significant to note that these investments have been made with the objective to ensure that game of cricket continues to have the same kind of fan following and also popularity that it has been used to having and also to ensure that it has a safe future (Philpott, 2018).
- What kind of returns has the concerned organization been able to get on the investments that it has made in the recent times?
Rewards or benefits are a very subjective concept and cannot be measured in terms of monetary gains or losses solely (Carollo & Guerci, 2017). In the particular context of the organization under discussion here it will be seen that the rewards that the concerned organization has been able to get is completely from the perspective of the reputational gains and partly from the monetary aspect as well (Carollo & Guerci, 2017). For example, it is significant to note that in the recent times due to various factors the game of cricket has been losing its value that it used to enjoy once and the use of charitable events and other CSR activities undertaken by the concerned organization has helped the concerned organization in a significant manner to gain back the reputation that the game of cricket once used to have (Brukner, Gara & Fortington, 2018). In addition to this, the activities of the concerned organization had at the same time being able to rekindle the love as well as the admiration of the fans and the followers of the game which they once used to have towards the game of cricket (Brukner, Gara & Fortington, 2018). These are significant gains from the perspective of the game itself since these activities have kept the entire game of cricket alive and at the same time have helped to show the humanistic perspective of the game itself. Therefore, it can be said that the organization has been able to gain in a significant manner from the investments that it has made.
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