SLJAF…Beyond The News Soundbite.
INNOVATION and ambition are two defining characteristics of the brand distinguished worldwide as ‘the Gentleman’s Beer’. .
In the quest to build an internationally positioned and sought after music festival, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) knew that it needed to look for and align with brands with market reputation for quality and market leadership. Back in 1992 when the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival got off the marker, Heineken Beer was already packing a 115 year history of innovation, backed by an enviable ranking as world’s third-largest beer brewer operating breweries in some 70 countries around the world. In fact, while in the world there is possibly a national beer brand in most countries that can leverage nationalistic affinities to rank in popularity at domestic level, Heineken remains in a class of its own at the number 3 position in the global beer market.
Thomas Leonce, Marketing Manager of Saint Lucia’s Heineken brewers – Windward & Leeward Brewery (WLBL) – recalls that the decision to partner with the SLTB in 1992 resulted from WLBL’s clear grasp of the SLTB’s bold vision and stated intention to leverage the economic potential of the event, especially in the areas of tourism and entertainment. With Heineken already enjoying international brand reputation and loyalty, aligning the two brands would enhance the trust factor among international audiences. It would be left to the SLTB to continue to innovate with the product to the extent that reputable artists would want to be associated with the Festival, thus building its profile within their fan base, and that of the destination.
“It was about aligning an international premium brand with an international premium event. Our confidence was well placed. The SLTB has continued to elevate its game year after year. We’ve felt like a part of the process of building the Festival to what it is today, and are proud to be distinguished as one of the original sponsors,” Leonce said. He also noted that the SLTB/Heineken story is consistent with that of a beer which started from humble beginnings in a small brewery in Amsterdam, to lead the way in creativity in the beer sector 140 years later.
“For us it’s a big pleasure to see that we are contributing to an event which consistently reflects innovation and growth from year to year. The Festival’s trajectory makes it easy for us to justify retaining the brand alignment every year,” added Gaius Harry, Heineken Brand Manager.
“From the vantage of the SLTB, the years have proven the extent of mutuality in the Heineken partnership and those with other large sponsors,” observed SLTB’s Deputy Director Tracey Warner-Arnold.
“The partners themselves were able to create an experience on site that is first class aesthetically and in terms of the hospitality they offer their corporate VIPs, high-value partners and preferred customers,” Mrs. Arnold said.
Such innovations, the SLTB executive indicated, have complemented the efforts of the Board especially at main-stage venues, and have multiplied the wow factor in areas such as venue layout, venue aesthetics, range of facilities and amenities which meet international standards, and in some instances, have eclipsed other similar regional festival experiences.