BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

DAMON LEON, Cricket World Cup 2007 Inc.'s marketing manager, has underscored the critical role of Caribbean broadcasters in ensuring the successful staging of next year's mega-event.

Speaking earlier this week at the Caribbean Media Corporation's Caribbean Media Conference on the topic 'Broadcasters as critical CWC 2007 stakeholders', Leon said broadcasters were always key stakeholders in global sports events.

"When you look at any of the top global sporting events, such as FIFA and ICC World cups and the Olympics, the broadcasters are one of the key stakeholders and they play an integral part in helping promote these events to a wider audience," Leon said.

"Licensed Caribbean broad-casters have made significant investments to secure the rights to broadcast the tournament and, to maximise their investment, it is necessary that they engage in event-leveraging opportunities to help generate hype and excitement.

"This would help entice companies to advertise their brands on those stations broadcasting CWC tournament matches live and exclusively."

Leon also spoke on the topic 'Ambush Marketing', and said afterward that broadcasters had been assured that the legal measures put in place for the March 13 to April 28, would protect their investments.

"A lot of interest was shown by broadcasters on the threat of ambush marketing during CWC 2007 and appreciated that through the CWC 2007 Anti-Infringement Programme and Sunset Legislation, that their rights would also be protected as would any other official commercial partner, tournament licensee and supplier," Leon noted.

The CWC official offered a number of promotional suggestions to aid broadcasters in creating advertiser buy-in.

These included on-screen event logo branding during each station's daily programming, use of authorised broadcaster title designations on communications materials such as sales kits and corporate stationery, station ID video and voice-overs.