Contact the ECF Publicity Manager

[Mark Jordan]

Mark - thanks for stepping in as a reserve at a league game on Monday. Against the legend Ken Inwood a champion long before I was born.
Something on league chess, or county chess was actually hoping we had some Crystal Palace Surrey Players v Crystal Palace Kent Players in the u160 match last Saturday.

Would have been fun! It's not often one gets to play against team mates in team matches! I was lucky to get a draw against Ken! I didn't play the opening well, he very efficiently took advantage of my failings but then could not quite find the right plan against my obstinate defence and I was just able to grovel out!

[benedgell]

Hi Mark,

Could you offer any further details on this part of the Finance report:

"It is envisaged that £4,000 will be spent on an initiative to engage the public by bringing a chess master to local pubs"

[Angus French]

Hi Mark,

Could you offer any further details on this part of the Finance report:

"It is envisaged that £4,000 will be spent on an initiative to engage the public by bringing a chess master to local pubs"

As a Bronze Members' Direct Representative, I've received several comments asking me about this and I notice the Option A budget spreadsheet says the estimated cost is based on 10 events. It would be useful to know what benefit it's anticipated will be derived from this.

Also, the extra expenditure on publicity is broken down into four areas:
- (1) Chess Master at the Local - £4,000;
- (2) National Chess Day in support of MIND - £1,000;
- (3) Road shows - £2,000; and,
- (4) Net presence and the You Tube Channel - £2,000.

Some of these I like the sound of - and so, they've told me, do other Bronze members. But more information would be helpful. I think extra expenditure of £10K per annum (note the cost of the items listed above sum to £9K - £1k short of £10K) deserves a lot more explanation.

[Bob Kane]

I can only imagine the in-depth research and planning that went in this ...

Director one ..Well the council gave us 10K last year without a problem , lets ask for the same again.
Director two ..yep but we had better make up something to justify it.
Director one .. I know lets get that new publicity bloke to front it, then he can get the blame if it all goes wrong .

[Nick Grey]

Looks like this was the master plan for squeezing a pint or two out of membership fees over 3 years or so.

Sorry but it does look like one of those fund raisers we come up with at the pub rather than a plan from the governing body of chess.

That is not to knock the events on the main website which we will try to support.

[Mark Jordan]

Hi Mark,

Could you offer any further details on this part of the Finance report:

"It is envisaged that £4,000 will be spent on an initiative to engage the public by bringing a chess master to local pubs"

As a Bronze Members' Direct Representative, I've received several comments asking me about this and I notice the Option A budget spreadsheet says the estimated cost is based on 10 events. It would be useful to know what benefit it's anticipated will be derived from this.

Also, the extra expenditure on publicity is broken down into four areas:
- (1) Chess Master at the Local - £4,000;
- (2) National Chess Day in support of MIND - £1,000;
- (3) Road shows - £2,000; and,
- (4) Net presence and the You Tube Channel - £2,000.

Some of these I like the sound of - and so, they've told me, do other Bronze members. But more information would be helpful. I think extra expenditure of £10K per annum (note the cost of the items listed above sum to £9K - £1k short of £10K) deserves a lot more explanation.

I'm going to be at the Finance meeting to discuss these ideas in more detail. What you have there are basically headings from a much more detailed report. For example "Chess master at the Local" is rather more than nipping down the pub with a GM! The other £1,000 was also take into account in the report. The report itself and the suggested budgets was the result of a number of discussions with various Directors and others and was influenced by my first few months in post. It was not written on the back of an envelope.

[Martin Regan]

Although I applaud the fact that the ECF is at least thinking about marketing, I am less than impressed with its ideas on how to spend £10k of its members money.

The ECF always confuses marketing with either publicity or sponsorship. The object of marketing, which can take in publicity, is simply to put the "brand" before more people - the problem is that the ECF has never thought about its brand and by default English chess has become associated with geeks, weirdos and elderly white men.

On that basis sending GMs into pubs is the last thing English chess needs - one drunken GM, or a scuffle in a bar would sink the entire project.

The immediate answer - a sticking plaster admittedly, is to accentuate the positives about chess - and in the minds of many parents chess is associated with cleverness; this is the only positive image chess has. Build on it.

It should not be beyond the wit of an incoming marketing director (not me to be clear) to make sure that every junior entry into the British Championships - at all age levels - is made known to their local newspapers, complete with a press release and pictures to save the journalists the bother of doing too much work. Ditto the seniors entries and the women.

The press release can be a standardised format with only the names and a few details needing to be changed for each one. Virtually every entry in the champs should be appearing in their local newspaper - ditto with the winning teams of the 4NCL, The National Schools and tournaments such as Hastings.

Similarly the ECF should prepare a chess column by a Grandmaster (the title still earns the public's respect, though choose one who looks as if he lives on planet Earth) aimed at those who know the moves but are not yet club players. Format it and design it with a little blank space at the bottom where a newspaper can fill in the address of the nearest club. And offer it free on a regular basis to every weekly and bi-weekly newspaper in the land.

The cost of these two simple things would be less than the cost of Grandmasters in pubs and immeasurably more productive.

And before someone asks me why I didn't do this when I was in charge. A) there was no budget. B) The marketing director had been told by a man he met in an airport lounge that it wouldn't work (I'm serious)

[Mick Norris]

The marketing director had been told by a man he met in an airport lounge that it wouldn't work (I'm serious)

[David Pardoe]

Martin...your publicity comments are well made..
I`d add some points..
Firstly, instead of `GMs ....Chess in a pub(s)`, I`d go for grand rolling `Simultaineous` events in big shopping malls on a Saturday afternoon..it could raise some pretty healthy sums played over say several hours....and be a great platform for bringing chess to the attention of local communities. Particularly over the Summer months, when outdoor options could draw big crowds, and maybe add something to the `Saturday afternoon shopping experience`..!! If the GMs and IMs made it known that funds raised would go towards projects like .... the `National Team` (perhaps) ... all the better.
As for Chess`s appeal... I`d put it more widely..
Its not just for clever people, its for `the man in the street`...yes, chess has real appeal to joe public, and the `Mr Average` should certainly not be put off joining his/her local chess group because they may not necessarily rate themselves as `Clever`... An evenings entertainment, modestly priced, social aspects, etc... all need to be highlighted. Yes, if this leads to some players reaching the top (with the right encouragement), ...great. But you`re right to say that the ECF must go out and sell the product..
But its not just down to the ECF to sell itself and chess..its also for local and regional bodies to get out there and extol the vertues, including at Summer Fairs, etc... Book stalls and other material/literature and other chess publicity material would also help.

And for publicity... yes, lets tell the local Press across the land about successes in various chess events.... and I`d definitely include telling our bigger regional Press about The National Counties Chess` events/matches and results.. County chess is one of the great under stated events of our game across the regions, I believe.

[Mark Jordan]

Martin...your publicity comments are well made..
I`d add some points..
Firstly, instead of `GMs ....Chess in a pub(s)`, I`d go for grand rolling `Simultaineous` events in big shopping malls on a Saturday afternoon..it could raise some pretty healthy sums played over say several hours....and be a great platform for bringing chess to the attention of local communities. Particularly over the Summer months, when outdoor options could draw big crowds, and maybe add something to the `Saturday afternoon shopping experience`..!! If the GMs and IMs made it known that funds raised would go towards projects like .... the `National Team` (perhaps) ... all the better.
As for Chess`s appeal... I`d put it more widely..
Its not just for clever people, its for `the man in the street`...yes, chess has real appeal to joe public, and the `Mr Average` should certainly not be put off joining his/her local chess group because they may not necessarily rate themselves as `Clever`... An evenings entertainment, modestly priced, social aspects, etc... all need to be highlighted. Yes, if this leads to some players reaching the top (with the right encouragement), ...great. But you`re right to say that the ECF must go out and sell the product..
But its not just down to the ECF to sell itself and chess..its also for local and regional bodies to get out there and extol the vertues, including at Summer Fairs, etc... Book stalls and other material/literature and other chess publicity material would also help.

And for publicity... yes, lets tell the local Press across the land about successes in various chess events.... and I`d definitely include telling our bigger regional Press about The National Counties Chess` events/matches and results.. County chess is one of the great under stated events of our game across the regions, I believe.

Lots of good ideas! The "local" doesn't always have to mean pubs by the way. I'm trying to construct a coherent strategy that will make competitive chess world rather less insular and get it out to the broader public, some of whom are very interested in chess but often find clubs and tournaments rather daunting territory to enter. Bringing some chess to them and offering avenues in which people can get more involved, if worked in planned and systematic way, will engender public interest, generate local and, hopefully, national media coverage and maybe whet the appetite of business. Local clubs and associations getting involved would be very useful and maybe crucial.

[Roger de Coverly]

I'm trying to construct a coherent strategy that will make competitive chess world rather less insular and get it out to the broader public, some of whom are very interested in chess but often find clubs and tournaments rather daunting territory to enter.

To what extent do you find the ECF's attitude to universal membership an inhibiting factor?

[Mark Jordan]

I'm trying to construct a coherent strategy that will make competitive chess world rather less insular and get it out to the broader public, some of whom are very interested in chess but often find clubs and tournaments rather daunting territory to enter.

To what extent do you find the ECF's attitude to universal membership an inhibiting factor?

I just work in line with the policies and procedures as they are and I'll adapt my approach should they change at any time. I won't make comments on net forums which might be construed as positive or negative towards any ECF policies as this is not part of my role of Publicity Manager.