The Tribune

By D’Arch Rahming

When the announcement was made that the Paradise Island Bridge would be named after Sir Sidney Poitier, there was an immediate uproar in some quarters. Many Bahamians have long felt that Sir Sidney never did anything for the Bahamas, and when educated on some of his contributions they say he did not do enough. I heard people criticising his response to the hurricane in Cat Island, the furthering of the arts in the Bahamas and a number of other things. All of these people are largely missing the point - Sir Sidney is an internationally-recognised name and we, along with many others, are talking about him.

We should embrace anyone with star power who can make people think about the products or services offered in our country. Here is an example most people can relate to: The pirate Black Beard, who has many things in this country named in his honour. No one runs away from our association with Black Beard. He never did anything for our people except kill and rape a few of them back in the day. But we recognise that tourists will want to know what he did. They will buy souvenirs, enjoy adult beverages named in his honour, visit museums and do other things that directly contribute to our financial situation.

So we’re missing an opportunity here. We should have a Sidney Poitier museum, so that when people Google his movies or write papers about his life, this museum actually becomes a primary resource. Every time they talk about Sir Sidney they will be talking about his roots in the Bahamas. They can come here just to see some of the memorabilia, and enjoy a toast in his honour. And while they are here they will spend a couple of dollars.

Remember, for Americans their movie stars are royalty. There is an intense curiosity with how and where they live their lives. They have magazines, blogs, websites and all manner of things so that they can be entertained by them. Sir Sidney is extremely well connected, and he and his friends will have many fans. That is the social media concept at work. You use the connection of your friends and family to expand your reach. So the Bahamas should be trying to tie everything to do with Sir Sidney back to Bahamian products and services.

By the way, I saw Sir Sidney personally give of his time to raise money for the YEAST programme. This was a programme designed at educating dysfunctional boys. I’ve seen some of those same young men that his money helped get productive jobs, and we don’t have to worry about them putting a gun in our faces. Some of you will say that’s one more thing, and others will say it is not enough. But notice that everyone will have an opinion, and in marketing that is a good thing.

NB: D’Arcy Rahming holds a Masters of Management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. A lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, Mr Rahming has clients in general insurance, retail, the health and medical fields, sports federations and financial services. To receive his marketing newsletter FREE go to http://DArcyRahming.com or contact him directly at darcyrahmingsr@gmail.com