British Cycling and HSBC (and diversity in cycling)

[Bollo]

The 'arms length' relationship between BC and Team Sky/Sky Pro Cycling is only blurred if you don't understand it. Anyway, that's why you have highly-paid laywers, to sort all that stuff out.

Hypothetically, a deal with Virgin, Talk-Talk, EE, Vodafone, O2 or similar may have seemed 'messy' to some, but BC's contract with BSkyB would not have precluded such a thing from happening if it came to it, I would have thought. I doubt there would have been any obvious legal barrier to prevent it from happening.

Putting on my Tim Farron hat (it's ginger and makes you invisible) I can see both sides. Joe and Joanna public probably don't know or care about the distinctions between Team Sky, the GB Track cycling team and, if they've heard of it at all, British Cycling. The branding has been very effective at creating the appearance of a single, monolithic British success machine. By muddying the branding waters, it might confuse and dilute the message.

On the other hand, BC and Sky are commercial entities and are entitled to renew, renegotiate or expire contracts as they see fit. There's no history or tradition to stomp over. It's not like they're trying to rebrand ManU as Yanmar Tractor Allstars.

 

[S-Express]

On the other hand, BC and Sky are commercial entities and are entitled to renew, renegotiate or expire contracts as they see fit. There's no history or tradition to stomp over. It's not like they're trying to rebrand ManU as Yanmar Tractor Allstars.

Agreed - although the way things are panning out for MUFC, it's only a matter of time...

 

[livpoksoc]

Whilst I am obviously biased, working in the marketing team at HSBC (though not on this team), I know the work we have done with Golf and Rugby has been excellent. The fan parks at events like the 7s and the Open have been well staffed and organised, so I would expext the same for BC events from 2017.

 

[dellzeqq]

Whilst I am obviously biased, working in the marketing team at HSBC (though not on this team), I know the work we have done with Golf and Rugby has been excellent. The fan parks at events like the 7s and the Open have been well staffed and organised, so I would expext the same for BC events from 2017.

do you think your colleagues might shoehorn some non-white faces on to the BC website? I'd hate HSBC to be tarnished by association.

 

[S-Express]

do you think your colleagues might shoehorn some non-white faces on to the BC website? I'd hate HSBC to be tarnished by association.

Might be useful to clarify what you mean by that?

 

[coffeejo]

The BC and HSBC websites don't just have white backgrounds...

 

[livpoksoc]

do you think your colleagues might shoehorn some non-white faces on to the BC website? I'd hate HSBC to be tarnished by association.

Might be useful to clarify what you mean by that?

Huh?

 

[S-Express]

Are you asking me to clarify my request for clarification?

 

[dellzeqq]

Are you asking me to clarify my request for clarification?

I think he might be asking me to clarify your request for a clarification. Or something.

Anyroadup - BC's website, along with the CTC mag and any number of cycling publications, both electronic and print, is remarkably short of black faces. Compare and contrast with the Wiggle ads on TV.

Now HSBC puts a lot of effort in to portraying itself with people - customers, people who work for them and so on. It thinks about the mix of people that are shown on print, on the telly, and on the internet. Somebody, probably a colleague of livpoksoc, is going to look across and see a bit of a deficit.

I'm surprised that Sky didn't lean on BC - whatever I think of Sky they are no less careful than HSBC.

 

[coffeejo]

I think he might be asking me to clarify your request for a clarification. Or something.

Anyroadup - BC's website, along with the CTC mag and any number of cycling publications, both electronic and print, is remarkably short of black faces. Compare and contrast with the Wiggle ads on TV.

Now HSBC puts a lot of effort in to portraying itself with people - customers, people who work for them and so on. It thinks about the mix of people that are shown on print, on the telly, and on the internet. Somebody, probably a colleague of livpoksoc, is going to look across and see a bit of a deficit.

I'm surprised that Sky didn't lean on BC - whatever I think of Sky they are no less careful than HSBC.

TMN to me, though you used more words.

 

[dellzeqq]

TMN to me, though you used more words.

to be fair I've been banging on about this for years. I sat on the CTC Council from 2005-2008 and I'm telling you, coffeejo, they simply did not get it. At all.

 

[S-Express]

I think he might be asking me to clarify your request for a clarification. Or something.

Anyroadup - BC's website, along with the CTC mag and any number of cycling publications, both electronic and print, is remarkably short of black faces. Compare and contrast with the Wiggle ads on TV.

Now HSBC puts a lot of effort in to portraying itself with people - customers, people who work for them and so on. It thinks about the mix of people that are shown on print, on the telly, and on the internet. Somebody, probably a colleague of livpoksoc, is going to look across and see a bit of a deficit.

I'm surprised that Sky didn't lean on BC - whatever I think of Sky they are no less careful than HSBC.

I can assure you that inclusion, equality and equal opportunity are at the very heart of everything BC does at grass roots level, if that helps. Perhaps a few more token BAME pics may help restore the balance among those who only see things superficially.

 

[dellzeqq]

I can assure you that inclusion, equality and equal opportunity are at the very heart of everything BC does at grass roots level, if that helps. Perhaps a few more token BAME pics may help restore the balance among those who only see things superficially.

While I entirely accept that BC are in any way unique in this respect, I simply don't believe you.
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/m...ntst-Regional-Events-Officers-Contacts-0?c=EN
By my count 19 men and 4 women. And that's an improvement.

 

[S-Express]

While I entirely accept that BC are in any way unique in this respect, I simply don't believe you.
https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/m...ntst-Regional-Events-Officers-Contacts-0?c=EN
By my count 19 men and 4 women. And that's an improvement.

Well, I'm involved with BC at grass roots level and have sat on various regional committees as a volunteer. What have you done for them?

Just to be clear - I thought we were talking about ethnic minority representation? Because you now seem to have moved on to gender representation instead.

Not sure what a random gender analysis of the regional events officers actually proves either way, to be honest. Such a role is completely agnostic to gender in any case. A perfect gender balance in such a role would achieve nothing. Unless your only purpose is to make vacuous gender points.

 

[dellzeqq]

Just to be clear - I thought we were talking about ethnic minority representation? Because you now seem to have moved on to gender representation instead.

Not sure what a random gender analysis of the regional events officers actually proves either way, to be honest. Such a role is completely agnostic to gender in any case. A perfect gender balance in such a role would achieve nothing. Unless your only purpose is to make vacuous gender points.

No - I'm saying that I don't believe that BC is inclusive. In any way. That's not unique in cycling, but it's the case nonetheless.

I'm not a member of BC. I did once discuss affiliating a club to BC, and I have to say that the people I corresponded with were very helpful (and agreed that the CTC offer was the better deal), but, in a general way, I've no reason to join.