Zifa, PSL miss branding seminar

money-spinning league – want to play a part in turning domestic football into a lucrative business.
The company has also been heavily involved in the South African Premiership and its transformation into the seventh richest league in the world.
EXP representatives Jabu Mathibela and Richard van der Schyff were in the country yesterday where they held a one-day workshop with football stakeholders at a local hotel in the capital.
The visit was meant to engage the local companies and enlighten them on what they are set to benefit from sponsoring Zifa through the national team as well as the local leagues.
It was also meant to help the mother body, which is struggling to attract sponsorship, on how to derive value from their property and products.
However, poor organisation by the New Century Associates, who invited the best 2011 Sports Agency in South Africa, marred the event as only CBZ, the Sports Commission and Zimbabwe National Soccer Supporters Association attended a seminar rich on ideas but short on audience.
Crucially, the PSL and Zifa leadership were not there.
Mathibela, EXP public sector and federations executive, showed how their company helps associations to derive value for their products.
He explained how they helped the Ghana Football Federation secure the sponsorship of Goldfields, a mining entity, which has changed the fortunes of the Black Stars.
“We went into partnership with the federation to assist in commercialising and we brokered a deal between the association and Goldfields and in the process the relationship helped the national team to reach greater heights and qualification to World Cup in 2006.
“Prior to that Ghana was not a big entity but just an ordinary team but have since been transformed.
“We have also helped Zambia in commercialising their football and this February we were in Senegal helping to pitch systems on the commercialisation of the league, development of structures as well as the national team,” said Mathibela.
The company, which works with both sponsoring companies and the leagues, is actively involved with the Absa Premiership and is behind the branding of the league which is awash with cash.
They explained how they crafted the branding of the Absa Premiership and how they helped Banyana Banyana secure Sasol Premiership.
They believe that once Zimbabwean stakeholders pull in one direction they can match South Africa standards and make a brand here attractive enough to stop players crossing the Limpopo.
“Prior to 2006 in South Africa, Premier Soccer League didn’t have a strong voice but it went a huge step in 2007 and now they have the power to bargain what they want.
“It used to pay to national broadcaster SABC but now they can say we are worth this.
“It is not a case of what we can do for you when leagues enter into sponsorship deals but what you can do for us.
“Gone are the days when administrators would drive teams through passion, it is not enough.
“It is like in a relationship, love only will not make that relationship survive because there are other things involved,” said Mathibela.
He said football was the number one sport with a world expenditure of US$1 trillion.
“At this stage it is even impossible for Zimbabwe to bid and host African Cup of Nations. There is need for all stakeholders to get together and start putting structures in place.
“There is blueprint, a manual compiling of A to Z of football, and this was used by South African league and this is why it is one of the best leagues in Africa.
“First, there is need for evaluation, property inventory, what do you have as a federation, rights review, market value analysis and comparative media value. We are there willing to help the association and it’s unfortunate that none of the guys from Zifa or PSL are here.
“They could have seen what we are saying and how we can help them,” said Mathibela.
They showed how they have crafted and branded the Absa Premiership.
“Besides the backdrops with the sponsors’ logo used to do match interviews, there is just a lot. For instance in South Africa we introduced the red carpet, which is rolled to players when coming out of the tunnel with the sponsors’ logo and the tunnel itself its branded ABSA. There is just a lot of creativity and product integration.
“There are even camerapersons at matches specifically trained to take photo shoots of players in action but you will find in all those pictures there is Absa background no matter the angle and publications scramble for those pictures because all the parties are getting value.”
He also touched on ways to retain football interest among the fans and gave a lot of examples of promotions that could be used.