I'm part of the Fasken, and glad to be

 

Some time back there used to be rugby tournament organised by Roodepoort Rugby Club at this time of the year, for “stayers” – boys in grade 11 or younger. They had a sponsorship from the West Rand branch of ABI and it was called the Coca-Cola series.

That sponsorship disappeared at some stage, but the tournament went on (it’s gone now, I think, and the Rand Leases ground where it used to be held is now an informal settlement I’m told) but it was still referred to as the “Coke series” for as long as it survived.

I was reminded of that story this weekend while attending the St David’s Time Cricket Festival because we were discussing the value of branding and how the quality of a sponsored event (sporting in this case) can create an enduring bond between the sponsor and the occasion.

The St David’s festival is sponsored by Sandton Law firm Fasken, this is the sixth year of the partnership and already the name has stuck. “Are you going to the Fasken week this year?” “Gee, we wish we could be invited to the Fasken next year.” Those are phrases spoken among schools cricket people that I’ve heard, and I’m sure those sorts of things are said quite often in those circles.

This is the Fasken Festival, no question. I’ve no idea how long-standing the sponsorship will be, but they, together with the very clever marketing people at St David’s, have made their brand part of the schools cricket lexicon. And what the word means is “long format time cricket.”

Two-day matches are something unique in schools cricket and they are based on both cricket and educational principles, which is why the concept has caught on and why there is a demand from schools around the country to be included, which can’t happen until someone who is here drops out, which is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

I’m not just saying the St David’s marketing department people are clever because they invite me each year to say nice things about their event. They’ve applied the marketing principle of differentiating themselves and standing out from the crowd by finding a niche – this type of cricket, and a football tournament that is inclusive in its outlook – and overdelivered in terms of organisation, facilities, level of competition and hospitality.

There’s a case study in there, I think. I’m lucky and glad to be part of it.

And I get to watch another set of two-day games involving some of the fabled cricketing schools of the land, starting today!