Cliff Williams
ONCE AGAIN a major sponsor, working in tandem with the promoting company Caymanas Track Limited, has been able to demonstrate in no uncertain terms that the racing product can be a useful medium to enhance branding of a variety of goods and services.
Although there has been a long-standing relationship between the local Sport of Kings and Red Stripe there is a stated policy that this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
There was some concern when the brand was withdrawn from its association with the Jamaica Derby, the country's Premier Classic, a couple of years ago. However, Red Stripe's promise to make Superstakes Day the outstanding event in the annual racing calendar seems to have materialised in spectacular fashion.
It would seem that no effort and expense is being spared to make the promotion into such a magnetic spectacle that even those with only a passing interest in the racing game try to savour the ambiance of the raceday or follow the event, through media coverage.
For these racedays invitations to join the fun under the big in-field tent are precious as these promotions have now been elevated to the status of important social events through the hard and intelligently smart work of Millicent Lynch, who heads the promoting company's marketing department.
SCEPTICISM
When the concept of getting the major sponsors to deepen involvement by hosting and feting their important clients and customers on these special days emerged, it was greeted with scepticism in some quarters.
The argument advanced at the time was that these sponsors were not contributing to the purses sufficiently and were focused only on utilising the racing product to give further exposure to their brands.
As far as I am concerned, although the sponsors' contribution to purses has been criticised in these quarters, it has to be recognised that the publicity and advertising surrounding these special racedays is something from which the promoters benefit immensely and this is reflected in the sales turnover, thus having the effect of increasing purses.
Over the last decade we have seen raceday sponsorship move from the exclusive domain of the manufacturers of liquors and cigarettes to now involve the likes of the important communication providers, the lottery companies, the major distributor of furniture, the premier broadcasting group of companies and the largest print media house, amongst others.
Despite the efforts of the CTL marketing department and the easily demonstrable ability of the racing product to enhance branding of goods and services, there is still some reluctance on the part of too many of the important providers of local goods and services to develop an association with the sport, but this is not so in certain other parts of the world.
In England, for example, major financial institutions mainly insurance companies and banks have been involved in the sponsorship of races for decades without the shareholders thinking that the gaming aspect of the sport is likely to taint what they have to offer as services.
SPONSORSHIP
One gets the impression that this would be unthinkable in Jamaica and no director of any financial institution here would even dare to suggest horseracing sponsorship in any boardroom.
Truth be told the local racing product, despite its obvious integrity, which is guarded jealously by the relevant regulatory agency, is not likely to shake the general perception that it is merely an endeavour put on for gaming purposes, which can lead to an unhealthy addiction and it is rather strange that the lotteries is definitely not viewed in this light at all.
The general society seems to accept the really heavy bombardment of advertising of the lottery games with the parsons, who were are intent on keeping casino gaming out of the shores of Jamaica, seemingly having absolutely no objections.
The marketing department of the promoting company has done a very good job in attracting and retaining sponsors and it will be very interesting to see if the new investors in the promotional side will be able to improve on the scenario after divestment.
