JTB has lost its focus THE EDITOR, Sir: I HAVE been following the ongoing debate regarding Mr. Butch Stewart's call for more of the JTB's resources to be devoted to destination advertising. The JTB's response that it provided $1.5 million in tagged advertising support to Air Jamaica last year is most misleading. My understanding is that at the end of each 30 or 60-second advertisement on Jamaica, about two seconds were reserved to give viewers a number to call Air Jamaica Vacations for bookings. The total cost of the JTB advertisements was $1.5 million. This means that in real terms, only a little over $100,000 worth of the advertising cost could reasonably be said to have accrued to the national carrier as a result of this co-operative advertising arrangement. Is this what the JTB calls half of its advertising budget? Jamaica is consistently late in spending $1.5 million dollars on television advertising, when its competitors are spending several times that amount. In my view, they confirm Mr. Stewart's point that the JTB has lost focus. Rather than trying to discredit the messenger, Mr. Pringle and the JTB should heed the message. I am, etc., BARBARA JOHNS Exchange Ocho Rios
|
