Fernbaby signed as new sponsor for three years

This will see Fernbaby sponsoring the Vodafone Junior Warriors in the National Youth Competition in 2013 before becoming a full sponsor of the club’s NRL (National Rugby League) team in 2014 and 2015.

In making the announcement at SKYCITY, Fernbaby assistant director John McCaulay said the Vodafone Warriors sponsorship is part of a strategy to create a domestic and global brand built on New Zealand’s reputation as a supplier of top-quality food products.

“What we are creating is a business partnership that blends New Zealand’s dairying skills with Chinese business acumen and capital to generate value-added exports and create jobs in New Zealand,” he said.

“We have already made several shipments of product and by the end of this year we anticipate we will be exporting around 80,000-100,000 cans per month into China, where we have distribution channels in place.

“That volume will increase significantly when we roll out our programs for the Korean, Japanese, Indian, the Middle East and all Asian markets over the next two years.”

Vodafone Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah welcomed Fernbaby, noting the relationship was landmark moment in broadening the club’s sponsorship portfolio.

“It’s an exciting new direction for us and for sporting brands in New Zealand to diversify in this way by forming a partnership with Fernbaby,” he said.

“Bringing rugby league and Fernbaby together has huge potential internationally. We’re thrilled about taking this step together and look forward to working on a number of initiatives.”

Fernbaby will have a visible presence on the Vodafone Junior Warriors’ playing kit in 2013 with its logo positioned on the back of the NYC team’s playing shorts. In 2014 and 2015, the Fernbaby logo will be on the front of the NRL team’s shorts.

While Fernbaby’s initial focus is on producing infant formula, McCaulay said it was positioned to further develop its range of products.

“At this stage our products are being manufactured under contract in MAF accredited facilities, but we will be looking to invest in our own plants in the future. More importantly, our initial marketing spend will be in the order of $1 million a year,” he said.

“Our focus is on producing high-quality products, using advanced formulations and techniques such as wet-blending technology, which ensures consistency of formulation right down to each individual grain of dried product.

“It is also our intention to develop a wider range of innovative New Zealand-sourced dairy-based nutritional products. These will include non-traditional forms of packaging that are more convenient for consumers.”

McCaulay said the Vodafone Warriors’ brand was a key to Fernbaby’s message.
“We will be taking ‘made in New Zealand’ to the world as our symbol of quality assurance, just as we will be using our new association with the Vodafone Warriors to reinforce the values we place on sportsmanship and teamwork,” he said.

“It’s exciting for us to have the Vodafone Warriors become part of this growth story. Our investors have a strong background in sports sponsorship in China and are keen to play a role in helping promote the game of rugby league outside its present strongholds in Australasia and the United Kingdom.

“Today signals a key step in a long-term venture during which we will be extremely conscious of our need to nurture and promote the image of New Zealand and to protect this country’s reputation as a supplier of safe, high quality food, because this will be one of the key components of our global branding strategy.”

Joining Fernbaby principal Mr Shao and guests at today’s announcement were Vodafone Warriors head coach Matthew Elliott and general manager football operations Dean Bell plus senior players Manu Vatuvei, Nathan Friend, Sam Rapira and Russell Packer along with their partners.

For more information: Visit www.fernbaby.co.nz