adminRicky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
SPORTS administrators and coaches have been challenged to understand and create attractive brand values that will attract corporate backing.
Leading a plenary at a two-day international sports management course which ended in Harare on Tuesday, Finland-based Ari Johannes Koivu encouraged local administrators to value their organisations, athletes and brand them in an appealing manner.
The programme whose topic was “Global trends in sport management and resource mobilisation”, attracted 170 participants and was organised by the Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe (Sliz) in partnership with a Finland organisation Liike.
“Potential partners or sponsors are out there and they are many. What is needed is for one to create a sellable brand, package it nicely and understand its value before going out to look for partners. What you present to potential sponsors should be something that can give them value for their investment because there’s nothing like free sponsorship. If your brand isn’t attractive, there’s no way you can attract backing,” said Koivu.
The Finnish national is the sports director of Liike Sports and Development, a non-governmental organisation that empowers school children and the youth in developing countries through sports and health education.
Liike has been operating in Tanzania for 15 years, in the process building and maintaining government owned sports facilities, equipped them with balls, nets, goalposts and books.
Kiovu also gave participants who included sports clubs executives, sports administrators, National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) and National Association of Primary Heads (Naph) members, physical education lecturers and tertiary institutions sports directors and former athletes tips on fundraising.
Some of the topics that were discussed during the course include strategic management of sports organisations, media and sports development.
Meanwhile, Sliz have started preparing for the annual winter camp to be held in July at the resort town of Victoria Falls. — @ZililoR
Online Reporter