Industry Shorts: Summus Sports, Dugout, Warwickshire
Sports marketing agency Summus Sports Group, which specialises in athlete marketing and sports marketing consultation, has released a report on diversity and inclusion within Olympic sports in the UK.
Entitled “Diversity within the Olympic movement in the United Kingdom,” the report co-incided with Olympic Day (23rd June) and presented clear recommendations for driving diversity and inclusion.
Summus says the report highlights the importance of using its influence within Olympic sport and working with the athletes it represents, as well as their partners, to facilitate accelerator programs in the areas where they are needed most. The agency says it will also continue to prioritise purpose, equality and diversity at the heart of every athlete strategy and partnership it creates.
Dugout has launched a new competition initiative, Dugout Play, to offer football fans the chance to win prizes, and help clubs to grow their digital fanbase.
The initiative will offer fans the chance to win exciting prizes, including exclusive signed shirts, experiences and memorabilia, and Dugout says the new platform will allow clubs to increase their understanding of their audience.
The online football platform says that 80% of competition entrants attempt to win prizes from clubs other than the one they support. The initiative will tap into that, with the aim of allowing clubs to expand their reach beyond their existing supporter base and increasing international awareness.
Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Lead Partner for T20 cricket, Marston’s, has donated branding rights on the new Birmingham Bears children replica shirts to disability charity SpecialEffect.
The logo of the beer brand’s 61 Deep ale will feature on the Bears’ playing shirts for the next two years, but all children’s replica shirts will feature the brand of SpecialEffect, which creates opportunities for physically disabled people to play video games.
Using technology ranging from modified joypads to eye-control, the charity provides equipment that enables people with physical disabilities to take part in gaming and esports.
Four tennis players including Novak Djokovic and Gregor Dimitrov, as well as Djokovic’s wife, have tested positive for COVID-19 after taking part in the Adria Tour.
The tour was a series of exhibition matches in Serbia and Croatia and organised by Djokovic himself. The Serbian player – who is also also the President of the ATP Player Council – said in a statement posted on social media that he was ‘deeply sorry’ the tournament had ’caused harm’.
He went on to say: “We believe the tournament met all the health protocols and the health of our region seemed in good condition to finally unite people for philanthropic reasons. We were wrong and it was too soon. I can’t express enough how sorry I am for this and every case of infection.”
