World Cup fever hits local companies

He told the crowd that when many companies backed off from funding, TSTT stood by the team. For TSTT, such praise was priceless and put more spotlight on the telecommunications company.

Even before that though, TSTT made the call making sure that its signs were displayed at all the preliminary matches.

And that’s how it’s been since this country was bitten by the World Cup bug and the momentum is building.

The global event, which draws the largest global audience of any sport, is just one day away but the excitement is almost palpable and still heating up.

Local companies, having seen the potential months before, have hitched their star to the World Cup, using advertising as a medium for growth and product promotions.

And what greater way to capture the hearts of die-hard football fans than to dazzle their eyes with a free ticket to Germany, flat screen TVs, Soca Warriors paraphernalia and authentic World Cup footballs, as done by advertising giants Courts, Coca Cola, bmobile and a host of other companies.

With the biggest event in the world, it’s an advertiser’s paradise, said one marketing consultant.

“If there is one event y ou could use as leverage, this is it,” she added.

As a result of promotions, sales have shot up tremendously for most of these companies.

Furniture Stores like CTC Comfort Zone, Standards and Courts have seen an increase in the number of persons purchasing big screen televisions, recliners and chair sets. The Plasma televisions range from $12,000 to about $21,000 while the chair sets start at $3000 and customers, said shop representatives, are forking it out.

“People are spending,” they said, noting that sales of TVs have picked up in the last week.

“Those who cannot afford to make it to Germany have opted to take the game and watch it live in their homes,” said a Courts official.

Advertising executives in the industry say that the World Cup was a boon, as they cited ads done for TSTT and its over-the-top graphics showing the footballers in full flight. SM Jaleel and Company, makers of Busta, took to the field and won the hearts of couch potatoes.

Advertising and signage firm, Graphix Advantage Limited is one company that has put the World Cup in its focus.

The Chaguanas-based company was given the exclusive licence by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) and the Local Organising Committee 2006, to produce and sell Soca Warriors paraphernalia from January. The cost attached to this, company CEO, Imam Baksh would not reveal but he said this has helped boost the company’s image.

The memorabilia ranges from children’s pencil sets to calendars, key chains and key rings, fleet wraps, banners, travel mugs, bandanas, billboard wraps, T-shirts and footballs which are being sold for between $10 and $160.

“This is truly a great opportunity for us to ensure that most, if not every household has something relating to the Soca Warriors by the time the World Cup comes around,” Baksh said.

A company official at Sign Tech, another sign company, thinks people were looking for a free ride.

“A lot of people come to us saying they want an advertisement done in support of the Soca Warriors but we picked up from very early that they actually want free advertising for their company,” he said.

Other companies have scored a hattrick of sorts and deem this year as their most profitable year, all thanks to the attention the Soca Warriors have brought to TT.

“Trinidad and Tobago is already getting a great deal of hype in the World Cup camp and we feel that this is the best time to show the world what Trinidad has to offer,” said Nigel Bissoon, Angostura’s Marketing Manager for Trinidad, as he spoke of the company’s expected launch of a range of rums in Germany this week.

The launch of Angostura’s International Rum Range and its new butterfly range will take place at two major parties planned in two cities in Germany. “Enjoy free White Oak, Black Label, Royal Oak and Forres Park,” an ad said last week. The rums, he said will be sold in supermarkets, hotels, bars and clubs in Germany and added that Angostura has been working with their distributor, Berentzen, in Germany leading up to the World cup.

“So far and they have been running promotions in four cities over the past few months — Dortmund, Munich, Berlin and Hamburg, and will continue to do so until the end of the World Cup matches,” he said.

The company has also put out a new ad where its rums are showcased and which depicts the passion and spirit of Trinidad and Tobago.

Angostura also hopes to gain increased sales with its “Big Football Fete: TT vs Sweden” competition. The competition affords football lovers who cannot make it to Germany, to celebrate in fine Trini style at the Centre of Excellence, Angostura House, Pier 1 and Screamers II by just purchasing a selected range of Angostura rums.

The Cocoa and Coffee Industry Board (CCIB) also expects to see hundreds of blue notes flowing in this year as a result of the World Cup. It recently came out with a limited edition of chocolates manufactured especially for the Soca Warriors called “Danse le Cacao”.

“We saw this time as a great opportunity to increase returns to both the industry and to the farming market,” said CCIB Manager, Barry Joefield.

He expects the sale of these chocolates to pull in ten times the amount of money that the sale of cocoa beans would, in any given year.

He admits that the Soca Warrior chocolates are intended to open a new marketing door for the CCIB.

“Hopefully people will like the chocolates and we will be able to establish a market through the demand for them,” he said, adding that this is the first time in the company’s history that such an initiative has been undertaken.

Two thousand of the chocolate bars were purchased by the Tourism Development Company (TDC) to be used in promotion of TT products in Germany this week, Joefield said.

The actual production of the bars was a joint effort between the CCIB and Scharffen Berger, a chocolate manufacturing company of New York, which prepared a limited edition expressly for TT.

Baker’s Flags and Emblems located in Arima has also used the Soca Warriors glory to launch the sale of a new line of products — Trinidad and Tobago merchandise.

It is not using the Warrior logo itself as a patent fee of $100,000 is required by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to do so but, head of the organisation, Ann Diaz said sales are doing well.

“The whole idea behind the merchandise was to promote the Soca Warriors while at the same time making a profit,” she said.

The red, white and black key chains, bandanas, caps, visors, car flags, body tattoos, car head rests, TT flag pins are all imported, she said.

The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) also played a part in commemorating the Soca Warriors.

In honour of the Warrriors qualification to the World Cup, the CBTT has produced a limited supply of special collector’s coins in the $10 and $100 denominations. The $10 coins are priced at $220 each while the $100 coin costs $550.

“This is your last chance to commemorate the Warrior spirit,” the CBTT said in a recent ad.