The Sunday News
Sports Correspondent
HIGHLANDERS Football Club will launch its own brand of an energy drink next month and have already submitted samples to Standards Association of Zimbabwe before rolling out the product. Bosso would be following in the footsteps of South African Premiership side Orlando Pirates who have their own brand of an energy drink.
Chief executive officer Ndumiso Gumede said they were awaiting approval from the SAZ before filling supermarkets with the product which will be manufactured by the same company that makes the Orlando Pirates drink. He said the club’s followers were likely to see the product in the market before the end of next month.
“We have partnered a South Afrcan firm Prime Marketing which is the same entity that is producing the Orlando Pirates’ energy drink,’’ said Gumede.
“We have been previously accused of failing to maximise on our brand and we believe this is one of the efforts we are making to earn from the club’s huge brand. I think it will be a worthwhile venture that will see us adding on to our income.”
The development follows on the pledge made by club vice-chairman Modern Ngwenya who revealed early this year they (Highlanders) were tapping into branded merchandise in order to shore up revenues and that the club would engage various entrepreneurs selling Bosso merchandise to ensure a percentage of the profits went into the club coffers.
Highlanders have in the past failed to turn the popularity of its brand into money as no official merchandise has been unveiled over the past years with only replicas coming on sale following the signing of a kit sponsorship deal with Adidas in 2013.
The gap saw enterprising businesspeople producing branded items with the club not getting a single cent from the sales.
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