The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) is embarking on a massive marketing campaign with the slogan This Is We, which is intended to rally its members, spectators, cricketers and clubs to take ownership of the island’s cricket.
This was disclosed at a press conference this morning held at Kensington Oval and attended by the top brass of the governing body of local cricket, including president of the BCA Conde Riley, vice-president and chairman of the marketing committee Calvin Hope and chief executive officer Dr Roland Toppin.
A major thrust of the initiative will be the development of interactive apps and a wide range of merchandising.
“While cricket has a tremendous societal and development impact on our society, there are also economic considerations that the BCA has been mandated to steward. We will continue to expand our revenue generation efforts and this will see new products and services being developed in the months ahead. Central to this has been a strategic, all-encompassing assessment of the content generation capabilities of the Barbados cricket experience. Through multi-tiered sponsorship opportunities, new subscription services, the development of innovation, interactive apps, and a wide range of creative merchandising, the BCA intends to enhance its revenue generating capabilities,” Riley explained.
The president said he has always believed that cricket has the power to connect, unite, inspire and transform the Barbadian society, as evidenced by the profound impact cricketers have had in the country’s history.
“In the BCA, we have seen how a committed, disciplined approach to cricket can catapult our young people from playing cricket on the beach to internationally renowned pitches with millions watching. We have seen how our cricket can spark a vibrant community spirit. We also understand how our cricket legends have afforded us a unique place in the annals of cricket history and lore. What we intend to do is to build on these facts and develop the kind of programs, initiatives and events that showcase what makes Barbados cricket so special and unique,” the president said.
According to Hope, COVID 19 has forced the BCA and other local organisations, to critically assess their approach to sports management. Hope described cricket as the glue that injected core values into young men in the past. He stated that cricket is needed to play this role again.
“We must reconcile ourselves to the fact that even though cricket has been the catalyst for social change in both Barbados and the region, there is room for growth and a need to modernise its marketing. Cricket is the avenue through which a young man from Bayland can rise to the top of an international sport to be a national hero of our country. Cricket must evolve in order to attract new players and investors. Cricket is the glue that has bonded Barbadian communities over the decades, it has been the vehicle through which core values have been inculcated into several younger generations and it is urgently needed again to be the cornerstone that helps shape and develop a Barbadian society of which we can be proud,” the vice-president said.
“Under “This Is We’ marketing program, we will rally our internal membership, spectators, cricketers and clubs to take ownership of the game. We want to leverage the personal brands that are a key part of our cricket story, particularly the Barbados Pride players and Barbados Cricket Legends. This communications program will employ various tactics that will be executed through a series of traditional and digital channels. By adopting an integrated communications approach we will be able to maximize a range of channels, thereby ensuring the greatest reach and visibility of the campaign,” he added.
Toppin said the coronavirus pandemic and the economic fall-out has played on the national psyche and social interactions.
“We at the BCA certainly had to think creatively and strategically in order to bring safey to our cricketers and fans back into the stands,” Toppin”, said.
This is We will be rolled out over a three-year period and is estimated to cost one million dollars.
(DH)
