Big Sport Management, which will trade as Openfield Talent, is arguably one of the top celebrity and talent management companies in South Africa and represents some of South Africa’s most well-known athletes and celebrities.
Donne Commins, the well-respected founder and managing director of BSM, will now assume her role as managing director for the Openfield Talent Management division and will be based in the Cape Town offices. Commins has exceptional knowledge and experience in this field, especially in cricket. She and her team are well versed in all facets of the commercial, administrative, and relationship activities that are so important to the success of this business.
“We are truly excited about the partnership with Openfield,” said Commins. “While the business has formed excellent commercial and personal relationships with celebrities and brands, we now look forward to taking the business to a new level within the Openfield stable. There is a great symbiosis between the Talent division and the broader Openfield business. Where the Talent division’s primary focus is on planning, managing and guiding the professional athletes and entertainment celebrities to maximise the commercial benefit and longevity of their careers, Openfield Marketing looks at the sportspeople and celebrities in relation to the influence and impact they can have on a target market for specific brands,” commented Commins.
“The marketing led, results orientated approach so espoused by Openfield will ensure that not only do we continue with the great relationships we have started, but that we focus on achieving results for both the people we manage and the brands we work with,” Commins further added.
Over her many years in the industry Commins has built an extensive footprint in South African sport and entertainment, most notably in cricket, with a holistic management approach in respect of a number of national and franchise players. This includes strong relationships with the ICC, CSA, IPL and other local and international federations.
Openfield’s Group managing director, Franco Barocas says, “This newly formed relationship is a very important addition to our offering to clients. Openfield is a specialist in finding creative, meaningful and sustainable ways to build emotional bonds between brands and their target market. One of the most emotional environments in sport and entertainment is the relationship between a fan and his/her favourite sportsperson or entertainer. Sportspeople and entertainers can be powerful influencers of the behavior of their fans. Their fans revere them and what they say or do therefore has huge credibility.”
“In addition, due to the continued growth of social media penetration the talent we manage are in fact media platforms in their own right with hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter and Facebook. We can now strategically assist our clients in congruently aligning their brand with the right Influencers who via their endorsement, actions and communication can positively impact brand appeal, preference and purchase,” adds Barocas.
“With Donne and her team on board we can confidently tell our current and potential clients that we now have all the ingredients and knowledge within Openfield to build lasting and memorable emotional bonds which will help to achieve their objectives. And we can also promise the same to the people we manage,” concludes Barocas.
For more information on Openfield, visit
www.openfield.co.za.