side-promo

Honey bun school dayz tour

Picture: 

Biko Kennedy, Youthlink Writer

With the slogan 'Education A Di Key' setting the tone of the campaign, the Honey Bun School Dayz team embarked on its seventh annual giveaway competition/tour after being launched on October 5, 2011, at Excelsior High School. With Protoje and ZJ Bambino taking the 'wheel' and delivering the message to their target audience, the team invaded more than 70 schools islandwide, leaving nothing but fond memories for all concerned, including those faces and voices hidden from the spotlight, but who also made the tour possible.
Let's hear their take on this thrilling ride. 

The Gleaner's Youthlink

Kareem LaTouche, Youthlink coordinator

Youthlink (YL): How was it that the partnership between the Youthlink and Honey Bun came about?

"After doing our 'Made in Jamaica' feature on Honey Bun last summer, they expressed an interest in working with us on our bi-yearly charity outreach projects which led to us developing a strong synergy. We knew little about the tour until we started to develop our relationship with Honey Bun. So, when we finally found out about it and the wide range of schools that they visited, we immediately came on board.
I remember having a meeting with Krystal and she was marketing the idea for about 40 minutes. When she was finished I jokingly told her she never had to go on so long, I was sold on the idea within the first two minutes."

With teens as the target readers, what methods were used by Youthlink to capitalise on being present in numerous schools across the island?

"This year, we used the tour to just observe students and hear their views on things such as ideas about the content of Youthlink. It was our first official partnership with the tour, so we were just trying to get a feel of things. For the next school term, we intend to be more active in the school tour by adding a competition component."

Should readers expect more ventures from Youthlink for the upcoming academic year?

"Most definitely. Anything that promotes interaction with students and wholesome entertainment, Youthlink is always interested in. Subsequently, the Honey Bun School Dayz tour is an ideal fit in our editorial content." 

Cariburst

Marvin Campbell, brand manager of Caribbean Producers

YL: Talk a bit on the relationship you share with Honey Bun.

"Due to a close relationship in marketing efforts, meaning with Honey Bun being one of the youngest companies on the Junior Stock Exchange and we followed, it was just inevitable for us to follow through with a partnership with a company that is (a) family-orientated and (b) believes in going in rural areas."

How important was it for the product to be introduced in school?

"Our mission was, of course, to increase awareness and recognition in school for children and their teachers; to have them being aware of the wonderful product which is much better and healthier than box drinks. So, from the students and teachers we grew the market and the respective market shares in that area and basically introduced Cariburst as the brand that is needed in every home."

ZIP 103 FM

D'adra Williams, ZIP 103 FM's programme manager

YL: How is it that you go about choosing companies to partner with?

"When we decide to partner with anybody it has to be because we think it is a good programme and we can work with them. They have to believe in what ZIP has to offer and vice versa. So, when Honey Bun came to us and said they wanted to do a partnership for the School Dayz programme, I felt as if it was a great idea because they're going into schools and the station's main target audience is the younger generation."

How much of an influence can the overall competition have on the students?

"Not only did they go into the schools, they went there with a positive message focusing the energy on education being the key. Now, showcasing their lyrical prowess in a positive manner helps to promote positive thinking. For instance, if the winner intends to pursue music on a professional level, a major influence and motivator would be knowing that [he/she's] heard [him/herself] on the radio before doing positive music. The said person may just continue the route of positively based lyrics." 

Honey Bun

Krystal Chong, Honey Bun's director of marketing and business development

YL: How much of a success was this season's showcasing and can persons look out for new sponsors coming on board for the next, or are you comfortable with your current team of sponsors?

"This year was a tremendous, AMAZING success. God has really blessed us and we are beyond thankful. The competition was talked about in every nook and cranny, from prep schoolers and high-school students to teachers and even young adults. The response has been so tremendous, with various groups or individuals calling or writing our offices to tell us how much they appreciated a corporation coming to them with such a positive message in such a creative and effective way.

We love our sponsors, we couldn't do it without their support, and in terms of media sponsors we'd love to partner again with ZIP and Youthlink, who've been so supportive behind getting the positive messages out to our youths. In terms of corporate sponsors, throughout the year a number of companies have contacted us to come on board for next year, however, we want to keep the number of sponsors to a minimum so we don't water down the impact of the programme with too much advertising."

What can students look forward to for the upcoming season?

"Students can look forward to a constantly improving programme, so if you thought the programme was good this year, just wait till next year. We have some very exciting ideas already to incorporate into next year's programme, based on a lot of feedback we've received throughout the year. Stay tuned to the Youthlink and to ZIP 103 for first-hand details." 

Digicel

Tahnida Nunes, sponsorship manager

YL: How was it that this partnership came about between Digicel and Honey Bun?

"The Honey Bun School Dayz Tour shares a common vision with Digicel and that is to foster the growth and development of our nation's youth. Partnering with the Honey Bun School Dayz Tour was, therefore, a perfect fit for us. The programme is wholesome and includes a host of exciting and interactive elements that the students were able to enjoy for close to a year."

What was the mission for Digicel being present in the school and what accomplishments can you note from Digicel entering the schools?

"As part of our commitment to help to develop and nurture our young people, we wanted to make a positive impact in the lives of as many students as possible and Honey Bun's School Dayz really helped us to fulfill that mandate as the tour visited over 60 schools islandwide, therefore, making a positive impact in the lives of over 100,000 students. In line with this initiative, staff members and members of our management team have also volunteered their time to several Career Connections sessions in schools and universities across the island."