In Stockholm esctoday.com caught up with TeliaSonera's Managing Director for Market Relations Mr Kelly Odell to have a talk with him on the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest and why TeliaSonera decided to become this years main sponsor. TeliaSonera has great ideas up there sleeve for the Eurovision fans.
Hi Kelly, how are you?
“Well Im just fine, had an early start today so that I could take some time speaking to the greatest Eurovision website in Europe�esctoday”.
Why did TeliaSonera decide to sponsor the Eurovision Song Contest?
“That was a very easy decision to make since for the last couple of years has been one of the main sponsors of Melodifestivalen and Nordic Music Awards, and this has been good experience for us. Music is a very good media for our mobile phones and internet services. And when this huge music festival is taking place on one of our main markets of course TeliaSonera would like to play a big roll in the Eurovision Song Contest. And it´s a perfect opportunity to show TeliaSonera to a large audience and make the contest even more memorable for the people that are enjoying it”.
What are the benefits for TeliaSonera?
“TeliaSonera is an international company and when a big television show like the Eurovision Song Contest comes at our hands we see a major possibility to make something together at the same time for all our different markets. So the benefits are that we can provide coverage of the contest to our customers on the internet or via their mobilephones.
Scandinavia are very advanced when it comes to using new technology. In Sweden over 90% of the population has broadband in their homes. The 3G net is also well developed in Scandinavia. This gives us the possibility to enhance the Eurovision experience for our customer and everybody else that enjoys this spectacular event. What will the sponsorship involve? It will give TeliaSonera access to all contents produced around the Eurovision Song Contest, we do also get the exposure for our brand and since we have access to Eurovision Song Contest specific content we can provide competitions, news, music, videos to our customer”.
Will there be any benefits for the fans of the Eurovision Song Contest?
“Everybody that likes the Eurovision, regular people at home or the hardcore fans of the contest can expect a lot from us during the Eurovision we don´t have everything worked out yet, but we hope that we can provide everyone to enjoy the contest in other ways then through the television or live in Helsinki. TeliaSonera would like to make people all over Europe feel that all of us are a part of the festivities that happens in Helsiniki during the Eurovision weeks”.
Do you have any memories yourself from the Eurovision Song Contest?
“Well im originally from the USA but moved to Sweden early in 1984, so my first Eurovision experience was to see Herreys win the Eurovision for Sweden with Diggi Loo Diggy Ley that year. And then when I lived in Italy in 1990-1993 I got the chance to see Sweden win again this time with Carola and this was a bit different since I almost felt like I was winning a big Hockey game or a soccer tournament”.
Any favourite Eurovision song or artists?
“Well, I have to say Carola. I have always thought she has good songs and a fantastic voice. And I thought it was so cool when Lordi won the contest for Finland since it was a bit of an outsider and a new genre to the Contest. I also remember Ruslana winning for Ukraine in 2004 I thought she was very good. And if I think some more I remember some group a couple of years ago singing for Lithuania, can you help me? They had a male singer dancing very strangely”.
You mean Latvia and Brainstorm from 2000 with My Star?
“Ooh yes that�s the one, thanks for reminding me, they were fantastic I thought. I also feel that Eurovision Song Contest is one of the best entertainment shows available on television today, and I like that the audience decides the outcome by televoting and that it´s not just a few people that decides which song are the best”.
Anything you would like to say to our readers at esctoday?
“Well as I said before we don´t have all the details yet but our ambition is to make the Eurovision experience even better than it has been before. And that all your readers should look for details on what we are planning for the coming months. And you never know what we will come up with. Be very prepared for the Eurovision experience you dream of”.
esctoday.com would like to thank Kelly Odell for talking to us and wish them luck with their plans for the Eurovision Song Contest.
