eBusiness Weekly
Tadious Manyepo
Dynamos have drawn up a four-year strategic plan in their bid to transform themselves into a full commercial entity.
The plan is backed by their principal sponsors, Gold Leaf Tobacco, who are financially bankrolling the footballing institution through their Remmington Gold brand.
For years, Dembare, the biggest football club in Zimbabwe both in terms of support base and success in the field of play, have been losing potential revenue due to lack of business acumen.
But, they have now seen light, thanks to their sponsors, and they have since put in place several revenue generating projects in place.
Team executive chairman Isaiah Mupfurutsa, said the four-year commercialisation strategy, will see Dynamos transforming into a fully-fledged entity capable of generating their own income.
The team has largely depended on gate-takings for survival over the years.
“For years, we have not been doing as much as we are supposed to be doing in terms of maximising on our business potential,” said Mupfurutsa.
“What we have now done is partnering with our sponsors, Gold Leaf Tobacco, who have much expertise on how business is run to help us realise our dream.
“We have crafted an economic roadmap, which will see us becoming a commercial powerhouse in the next four years.”
The club, whose brand’s popularity is anchored on their 21 league titles and top-notch performances in the Confederation of African Football Champions league including a runner-up medal in 1998 ,has already put up modalities to establish their own shops.
The shops, to be distributed across the country, will sell club merchandise including replicas and flags.
“We will set up shops across the country, where we will sell club merchandise and other related items as we broaden our scope to generate more revenue.
“We know we have not fully utilised our commercial potential in a country, which we enjoy so much following. So we will have shops in all districts, which will sell our merchandise and other things.”
To leverage on the plan, the team has introduced digital marketing channels and they are in the process of recruiting qualified personnel to run them.
“We are in the process of setting up our secretariat to oil our system. We mean business. Each position should be occupied by qualified personnel for us to be able to achieve our commercial objective.”
Besides the backing they are receiving from Gold Leaf Tobacco, Dynamos are also getting some assistance from their Belgian partners, KV Mechelen Football Club.
