ANNIVERSARY RE-BRAND FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

The Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, Sol Rally Barbados, will have a fresh new image for 2013. The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) this week revealed the event’s new logo and associated branding, marking the 10th Anniversary of the name change from International All-Stage Rally to Rally Barbados, a title which better projected the event’s growing contribution to the island’s sports tourism product.   Publication this month of the Barbados Motoring Federation’s (BMF) Approved Calendar confirms the date for Sol RB13 as Saturday and Sunday, June 1/2, with Scrutineering and the Scotiabank King of the Hill ‘shakedown’ the previous weekend, May 25/26.   Created by local graphics and marketing consultants 809 Design Associates, the new logo combines rallying heritage by adopting the ‘door plate’ design familiar throughout the world, national identity through the use of colour and design, and distinct branding for The Sol Group, which is in its sixth year of title sponsorship.   BRC PRO Neil Barnard explains: “As a major contributor to sports tourism in Barbados, it is vital that the event logo reflects elements of the island’s national identity. We have achieved this by using the national colours - blue, gold and black - and by re-introducing the icon used for the original Rally Barbados logo in 2003, the ‘Trident Arrows’, which combine a reference to the National Flag with ‘tulip diagrams’ familiar to rally co-drivers.   “From the title sponsor’s perspective, it is essential that the identity appears distinct and true to brand guidelines. To this end, we recognised that the most effective colour for it to appear against is white and are delighted that Sol has approved our proposals.”   The new branding will appear in a variety of applications, from communications to merchandise, including the event web site, www.rallybarbados.net. The site has been refreshed by 809, the original designers, and will continue to be managed by another local company, Caribbean New Media, which has been involved from the start. Entry fee structure revised, but loyalty programme remains The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) has confirmed changes to the entry fee structure for Sol Rally Barbados: entry fees are to be increased for the first time since 2009, while a cap of 30 is to be placed on the number of International entries that will benefit from the event’s extensive loyalty programme of subsidies for repeat visitors.   Full details of the changes can be found in the 2013 version of the Overseas Competitor Information document, which is available as a PDF download under the Competitor tab on the official web site, www.rallybarbados.net. Since registrations opened on November 1, International entries have already reached 10.   The entry fee for first-time International competitors will be US $3250 in 2013, an increase of US $650, but an extension of the subsidies introduced in 2010 to celebrate the 20th Anniversary means return visitors will pay only US $400 more than last year.   The first-time entry fee is already 35 per cent lower than the true cost to the BRC (US $4,400, including shipping and port charges) thanks to subsidies enabled by support from the Barbados Tourism Authority and private sector organisations such as the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association and the Tourism Development Corporation. Beyond the cap of 30, International entries will have to pay the full US $4,400.   The additional incentive subsidies for returnees start at US $250 for those who have participated once before, rising in yearly US $250 increments to US $1250 for those who have participated five or more times, an extra layer added for 2013; nearly 250 International competitors stand to benefit from these subsidies.   Confirming the changes, Sol RB Chairman Barry Gale said: “As worldwide interest in the event has grown, we have almost become victims of our own success. There were 30 International entries in 2012, one-third of them newcomers, but the high ratio of repeat visitors has brought with it an increase in subsidies.   “Combined with a rise in shipping and port charges and the fact that monetary support has not increased in the current economic environment, the harsh reality is that we have had to change the fee structure for 2013 in order to protect the Club’s finances. Even at the new base rate, however, the entry fee still represents less than one-third of the total costs of travelling here to compete, once you take into account flights, accommodation, rental car and living expenses. For regular visitors, the increase for 2013 represents less than five per cent of that overall total, so we still believe Sol Rally Barbados represents excellent value for money . . . and you get to holiday in our wonderful island, too!” Sol Rally Barbados and Scotiabank King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB13 is the 24th running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the sixth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company. For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com web sites: www.rallybarbados.net; www.barbadosrallyclub.com