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Marketing Brand Jamaica in the post-Beijing/Berlin era
R. Anne Shirley - Business Writer
As Jamaica once again prepares to welcome home our locally based athletes who performed with such distinction at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany, we are still awaiting the presentation of concrete plans to market the image of Brand Jamaica on the global stage.
The interesting thing to note is that while the plans by Jamaican officials to leverage the success of the Jamaican team at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 Berlin World Championships are still a work-in-progress, others have been using the image of our Jamaican athletes, particularly Usain Bolt, to promote the sport of athletics internationally.
But it is not only the image of Mr Bolt that has been transmitted worldwide over the past 12 months, but also the image and essence of Jamaica. The black, green and gold colours of the Jamaican flag, and the name Jamaica, our music, food and culture have featured prominently at major meets on the international athletics circuit, in promotional materials for sports sponsors (brochures, advertisements), etc.
For example, at the Areva Paris Saint-Denis Golden League meet in July, the promoters focused their entertainment package on Jamaica - "paying special homage to the country where athletics is king". And Puma has developed a Street Meet Event that it is taken around the world, promoted as "a fun and unique running event dropped in the middle of a Jamaican street carnival".
At Areva, which was held at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France in Paris, before spectators reached their seats they enjoyed entertainment provided in two Jamaican villages set up at either side of the stadium. In the Jamaican markets, fans could drink Jamaican smoothies and eat Jamaican food, as well as participate in running against the image of Usain Bolt in a race developed by his sponsor Puma called the 'speed trap'. This is an event in which anyone interested can see how fast they can run (recorded by a radar gun) and compare their time with Bolt's top speed in Beijing - 27 miles per hour.
The six fastest men and six fastest women in the contest on the night then had an opportunity to run a 100-metre race on the Stade de France track, with Bolt present to cheer them on. Jamaican music, colours and even fireworks permeated the air during the meeting, which is one of the six major Golden League meets in the world of track and field.
The question is whether the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Trade and Invest, and others charged with promoting Brand Jamaica were involved in this event?
In terms of the Puma Street Meet contest, this was launched in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, in April, the day after the running of the Boston Marathon and the Penn Relays. At this inaugural meet, Mr Bolt brought some of his Olympic teammates and some of the fastest Jamaican high-school athletes to, in the words of Puma, "hang out, have fun or run". And to enjoy "Bolt's favourite things - good music, tasty food and lots of dancing".
There were races open to anyone, and then a series of races that pitted teams from Boston high schools against Jamaican high schools. Jamaican food, music, colours, and Puma merchandise were on display and/or for sale.
Again, it would be interesting to know if the official Jamaican agencies which have been charged with the goal of leveraging the performance of our athletes in Beijing/Berlin and the marketing/ promotion possibilities for Brand Jamaica were involved in the running of the Puma Street Meets to date.
Millions of dollars have been spent on trips by Jamaican officials over the past few years starting with the "legacy building" from ICC World Cup 2007 to Beijing and Berlin. We have yet to see the tangible results of these efforts, but others have walked the walk in taking advantage of marketing the essence of Brand Jamaica.
The record speaks for itself.
renee.shirley@yahoo.com
R. Anne Shirley - Business Writer
As Jamaica once again prepares to welcome home our locally based athletes who performed with such distinction at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany, we are still awaiting the presentation of concrete plans to market the image of Brand Jamaica on the global stage.
The interesting thing to note is that while the plans by Jamaican officials to leverage the success of the Jamaican team at both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 Berlin World Championships are still a work-in-progress, others have been using the image of our Jamaican athletes, particularly Usain Bolt, to promote the sport of athletics internationally.
But it is not only the image of Mr Bolt that has been transmitted worldwide over the past 12 months, but also the image and essence of Jamaica. The black, green and gold colours of the Jamaican flag, and the name Jamaica, our music, food and culture have featured prominently at major meets on the international athletics circuit, in promotional materials for sports sponsors (brochures, advertisements), etc.
For example, at the Areva Paris Saint-Denis Golden League meet in July, the promoters focused their entertainment package on Jamaica - "paying special homage to the country where athletics is king". And Puma has developed a Street Meet Event that it is taken around the world, promoted as "a fun and unique running event dropped in the middle of a Jamaican street carnival".
At Areva, which was held at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France in Paris, before spectators reached their seats they enjoyed entertainment provided in two Jamaican villages set up at either side of the stadium. In the Jamaican markets, fans could drink Jamaican smoothies and eat Jamaican food, as well as participate in running against the image of Usain Bolt in a race developed by his sponsor Puma called the 'speed trap'. This is an event in which anyone interested can see how fast they can run (recorded by a radar gun) and compare their time with Bolt's top speed in Beijing - 27 miles per hour.
The six fastest men and six fastest women in the contest on the night then had an opportunity to run a 100-metre race on the Stade de France track, with Bolt present to cheer them on. Jamaican music, colours and even fireworks permeated the air during the meeting, which is one of the six major Golden League meets in the world of track and field.
The question is whether the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Trade and Invest, and others charged with promoting Brand Jamaica were involved in this event?
In terms of the Puma Street Meet contest, this was launched in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, in April, the day after the running of the Boston Marathon and the Penn Relays. At this inaugural meet, Mr Bolt brought some of his Olympic teammates and some of the fastest Jamaican high-school athletes to, in the words of Puma, "hang out, have fun or run". And to enjoy "Bolt's favourite things - good music, tasty food and lots of dancing".
There were races open to anyone, and then a series of races that pitted teams from Boston high schools against Jamaican high schools. Jamaican food, music, colours, and Puma merchandise were on display and/or for sale.
Again, it would be interesting to know if the official Jamaican agencies which have been charged with the goal of leveraging the performance of our athletes in Beijing/Berlin and the marketing/ promotion possibilities for Brand Jamaica were involved in the running of the Puma Street Meets to date.
Millions of dollars have been spent on trips by Jamaican officials over the past few years starting with the "legacy building" from ICC World Cup 2007 to Beijing and Berlin. We have yet to see the tangible results of these efforts, but others have walked the walk in taking advantage of marketing the essence of Brand Jamaica.
The record speaks for itself.
renee.shirley@yahoo.com
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