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Cable & Wireless has been the dedicated and proud sponsor of the West Indies cricket team in each home series since 1985. In February, the telecommunications company signed a new three-year (2002-2004) agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to the amount of US$8.3 million.

In this week's column, Cable & Wireless' corporate sponsorship manager Rhonda Kelly looks at the marketing promotions for this year's home series, the partnership between Cable & Wireless and the WICB and the positive impact this relationship is having for the telecommunications company.

Question: Can you tell us about the concept of Answer The Call, the theme for this year's cricket series?

Answer: The concept is based on the passion of West Indies cricket the passion of the fans and the players and the passion that Caribbean people, in general, have for West Indies cricket.

Q: In recent years, the series themes have been a double entendre between cricket and communications?

A: Yes, this year it was a nice way to link up Answer The Call, meaning telecommunications call, and the idea of fans and everybody answering the call to support West Indies cricket. We thought it was a really suitable theme that brought communications and West Indies cricket together.

Q: We have seen, in recent seasons, that Cable & Wireless' marketing of the West Indies home series has gone to new heights. Can you explain what goes into such a major campaign, how it starts, how long it takes and what is involved?

A: We started working on this campaign in July last year and we intend to start even earlier for the 2002 series. It's a very long process that involves detailed briefs to an advertising agency that can then take the stories we want to tell and the messages we want to convey and put them in an informative and entertaining context.

It's a joint effort between Cable & Wireless and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) jointly conceived and jointly funded. I think this partnership has worked really well, to the benefit of cricket, to the benefit of the WICB and to the benefit of Cable & Wireless as well.

Q: Does Cable & Wireless do any market research to determine public response to its efforts?

A: Yes, we do market research at the end of every home series and it has showed consistent improvements for us and that more people are getting our message.

We do specific research for the under-25 market so we can see how we are impacting them and we do advertisements specifically geared towards that market.

Q: For Cable & Wireless, which sometimes gets bad publicity in the Caribbean, how do you see this continued linkage with West Indies cricket impacting positively for the company?

A: It definitely demonstrates our commitment to the region, just look at the recent renewal of our sponsorship of West Indies cricket. We are committed to the Caribbean, its people and the sport of cricket and this relationship with West Indies cricket is one that we value highly. It's helping us accomplish a lot of goals we have for the region.

Q: Are there any new aspects to this year's marketing package?

A: The main thing we have added is the on-line aspect. Our website has been renamed www.cwcricket.com and we are going to sell all sorts of merchandise related to the series. The WICB has added its own website www.windiescricket.com to the mix so we have really made it very easy for Caribbean people all over the world to be a part of the home series, which was a big goal of both ours and the WICB.

Q: A major part of your campaign's success is getting the players' co-operation in various ventures. What was your message to players at the beginning of the series?

A: My message was that we are a team and this is a partnership involving the WICB, the players and Cable & Wireless. I have been extremely pleased with the players. They have been absolutely fantastic doing the giveaways and the autograph sessions. All of them have worked really well with us.

It's clear that fans are enjoying the accessibility we provide to players through these ventures. It allows them to get closer to players than they can at a cricket match.

© The Barbados Nation