On the heels of unveiling a major company rebranding earlier this year, Yello Media Jamaica last week announced a significant partnership agreement with Business Access TV (BATV) as the exclusive dealer for BATV’s suite of products.

This is among a number of changes announced recently by Yello, and a sales partnership that is expected to drive advertisements for the cable TV station, BATV, which is Jamaica’s first and only business cable channel.In mid-March, Yello rebranded and revamped its Yellow Pages telephone directory, and officially presented it to the media and public at a function at the Constant Spring Golf Club in St Andrew.Yello’s dancehall cover of the annual telephone directory not only raised some eyebrows with its sexy appearance last year – leading to a withdrawal of the original – but inaugurated the company’s new thrust to project Jamaican culture through the widely used directory, starting with 1990s dancehall.Yello scored big with the polemic response to its cultural thrust, and has used the programme for a three-pronged push, which will include its website, with a modern interface that encourages increased usage, and which is to be extended to a mobile app to be launched later this year.The company will also be requesting photographs from the public this year, from which one will be chosen to make the cover in pursuing its cultural initiative.The partnership will augment BATV’s small sales team with Yello’s approximately 50 sales agents, while giving the business cable channel island-wide coverage.In a release on the latest development, Yello Media Jamaica said that the deal would expand the company’s advertising solutions portfolio, and is part of its strategic direction to establish Yello as a full-service media entity within the Caribbean region.“At Yello we are always looking for ways to provide innovative advertising solutions that connect businesses to the right audiences,” said Yello Media Group’s CEO, Collin Francis.“We recognise that businesses are looking for a knowledgeable partner that can provide advertising solutions across multiple channels. The quality and targeted nature of BATV’s advertising solutions, complemented by our sales consultants’ industry, knowledge and expertise, makes this partnership effective in servicing the needs of the SME sector,” he added.Commenting on the partnership, Managing Director of BATV, Garth Walker, noted that Yello Media Group already has a proven track record in advertising for over 50 years.“We believe this is going to be a game-changer, since Yello is known for SME business-oriented solutions. Small and medium-sized businesses will benefit greatly from an expanded portfolio that now includes a full range of affordable television advertising solutions,” he said.The partnership will see Yello’s team of advertising sales consultants selling BATV’s full portfolio of products and services to businesses throughout the island. These products range from BATV-sponsored programmes, TV spot buys, TV ad production and magazine advertising through their Wealth magazine.Incidentally, BATV is currently testing in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, with roll-out plans for the rest of the Caribbean later this year.Yello provides digital and print advertising solutions across 17 English-speaking markets in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, and is planning to add Guernsey, the Bahamas and Costa Rica to its areas of operation to increase the markets to 20.BATV broadcasts through FLOW cable, and is aiming at Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados through Digicel Play.It plans to expand sales by working in partnership with Yello in the new markets.