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Arsenal, Everton, Sunderland eye local clubs

Arsenal are eyeing Malawi market potential
Arsenal are eyeing Malawi market potential

Barclays English Premier League (EPL) clubs such as Arsenal have, as part of their Africa fan-base growth drive, courted Malawi Ministry of Information, Tourism and Culture with proposals for destination marketing campaign partnerships capable of benefitting domestic football.

Sniffing merchandise market potential in Africa, the clubs are offering advertising space at their home venues for Africa tourism boards such as those of Malawi to sell their tourism potential to the global audience which watches the matches, the ministry’s principal tourism officer Sarah Njanji confirmed.

“For Malawi, to date we have received several proposals from EPL teams such as Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton and Sunderland football clubs with the opportunity to run the Malawi promotion campaigns,” confirmed Njanji.

“You may wish to note that the partnership involves buying of advertising space around the stadium for the entire season and these adverts are beamed during matches of the team that a destination has entered into partnership with.”

The adverts would include the Malawi tourism logo beamed on the clubs TV interview back drop boards, partner logo appearing on all composite partner pages, a dedicated key account manager, T-shirt branding, match day promotional opportunities, signed merchandise, branding and advertising on video screens among others.

Similar partnerships have, so far, seen Sunderland FC investing a football facility and an academy in Tanzania. But Njanji stressed that such partnerships require huge funding, hence it is even too early to start talking about how Malawi football can benefit.

“For an advert that runs for the entire football season for that particular partnership year, the minimum cost varies from GBP 100 000 (K78.6 million) depending on the clubs profile (e.g advertising with Manchester United and Liverpool would be on a much higher side) against an annual marketing budget of K20 million on ORT and slightly over K150 million on the Tourism Marketing Fund,” noted Njanji.

Additionally, such opportunities also offer charitable opportunities. For example, such initiatives had 40 Arsenal officials recently visiting communities around Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve for charity work through a partnership with Tongole Wilderness Lodge and Arsenal.

Justin Saidi, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports and FAM marketing manager Dan Tambala, separately, during the week said they were not aware of the EPL interest in Malawi tourism.

“We would be supportive of such initiatives. I think the Ministry of Tourism needs to talk to the Ministry of Sports as the EPL can put Malawi on the map. When you look at the net of how much Tanzania spent on advertising and Sunderland’s investment in the academies, you discover that it is the country that is benefitting more,” noted Tambala on Thursday.

Recently, Sunderland announced on its social media pages a business partnership with the Tanzania, Tourist Board following a separate relationship between the two entities launched by Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete in 2013.

Sunderland will erect football facilities in Tanzania among others. West Bromwich Albion ((WBA) has also approached Kenya government, reports The Nation newspaper in Kenya on websitewww.nation.co.ke/football/EPL-clubs-reach-out-to-African-states-for-shirt-deals.

“As you will in no doubt be aware, the association with WBA, and the hospitality and marketing benefits along with the global reach of the English Premier League can gain huge exposure on a diverse range of markets,” the newspaper quoted WBA representatives’ letter to Kenya government.

 

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