Promoting the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Europe Division 2 Qualifiers in Guernsey

A long-lead PR and social campaign that turned a one-week youth tournament into a summer-long showcase for Guernsey Cricket and the island.

Guernsey Cricket

Photo credit: Martin Gray

Service areas: PR and social media

Campaign length: May – August 2026

The brief

Guernsey Cricket hosted the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup Europe Division 2 Qualifiers on the island, featuring up-and-coming players from Guernsey, Belgium, France, Germany, Isle of Man, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.  

Guernsey Cricket wished to use the tournament to raise the sport's local profile and highlight the island's capability to host international cricket. For this activity, success meant consistent media visibility, strong social engagement, and a steady stream of stories that would keep the sport in the news after the final ball. 

What Black Vanilla did

  • Developed the PR and social media strategy for the ICC Under-19 World Cup Qualifier from May, integrating the client's social media provider and videographer into one joined-up plan 
  • Launched the tournament to the media in June, then kept stories flowing with features on volunteers and visiting teams, media interviews and photo opportunities 
  • Ran social content across five platforms before, during and after the tournament, from squad announcements and fixtures to results and Player of the Match posts 
  • Worked with sponsor Smarter Payments and stakeholders Aurigny, Guernsey Ports and Hand-Picked Hotels to ensure maximum support, coverage and visibility 
  • Delivered on-the-ground event promotion, with banners across St Peter Port 
  • Maintained consistent coverage into August with post-event stories on the tournament's legacy and its value to the island 

The impact

  • 411,000+ social media views and impressions and close to 6,600 direct engagements across five platforms 
  • 20 pieces of earned coverage across Guernsey's key media outlets, giving cricket visibility on a par with other sports 
  • 400+ new followers, mostly on Facebook and Instagram 
  • Positioned the tournament as a win for sports tourism, with coverage such as "Howzat for a tourism success" showing its value to the island's economy 

Photo credit: Guernsey Press

Why it worked

The tournament itself lasted a week in July, but our support ran for four months. We started planning the strategy in May, launched communications in June and kept the story going into August. That meant the media and public knew the tournament was coming before the first ball, and coverage continued after it ended. 

Alongside live match updates, we pitched human-interest stories about volunteers, visiting teams, and their families. This gave the media angles that tied cricket to tourism, community and Guernsey's international profile. 

“Black Vanilla played an invaluable role in supporting Guernsey Cricket throughout the ICC Under-19 World Cup Qualifier, providing professional, proactive and creative communications support that helped showcase both the tournament and Guernsey on the international stage.  

“Their enthusiasm, expertise and commitment were greatly appreciated and contributed significantly to the success of what was a truly memorable event for Guernsey Cricket and the wider island community.”

RHRichard Headington, COO, Guernsey Cricket

Get in touch to find out more about our social media offerings by contacting krista@black-vanilla.co.uk