Sponsoring generates valuable goodwill locally
 IN ACTION: Atrevhydro in action during the Norway Cup. (Foto: Terje S. Knudsen) |
| |
(Aug. 16, 2002) By sponsoring three football teams in the Norway Cup, Hydro has gained a lot of favourable publicity in Norway, Brazil and Jamaica in recent weeks. "Getting involved in the local community in this way generates valuable goodwill in areas where Hydro companies are located," says vice president Jon Arild Larsen in Hydro Aluminium.
The three teams Alunorte Rain Forest, Essex Valley All Stars and Atrevhydro enjoy quite a following in Brazil and Jamaica. The interest in the Hydro teams displayed by newspapers, TV and radio has been much greater then Larsen had expected.
The local communities around the alumina refineries Alunorte and Alpart, plus the fertilizer plant Adubos Trevo, certainly celebrated the talented young footballers taking part in the world’s biggest soccer tournament, Norway Cup, this summer. For example, the mayor of Rio Grande gathered the Atrevhydro players together for a pre-Norway Cup farewell party, and he welcomed them back home afterwards.
"The players are recruited from the local community surrounding the Trevo plant in Rio Grande in the southern part of Brazil. The place is so small that everybody knows someone who has played in the Norway Cup, and this generates tremendous goodwill for Trevo’s operations," says Roy Rove, responsible for Latin America in Hydro Agri.
"Our involvement with the Atrevhydro team favourably raises Hydro’s profile. We achieve much more than we would have done through extensive media advertising and are able to do something positive for the young people of Brazil," he adds.
Agri has already decided to invite Atrevhydro to Norway next summer and is keeping open the option of sponsoring yet another Latin American team. Hydro Aluminium is also continuing to sponsor its two teams, as it has done for many years now.
"Our view is that advanced technology alone is not sufficient, if you do not have the support of the local population. Sponsoring these teams has proved to be effective and it shows that we are involved in the local communities surrounding our plants," states Jon Arild Larsen.
Over time, Hydro Aluminium has developed a scheme that combines football and education. Football skills are not in themselves a sufficient qualification for playing in Hydro teams; players must first demonstrate that they are making a real effort at school. Team leaders work together with school principals in order to ensure that schoolwork is being done properly.
"We can see how several of the youngsters really started to do better at school after good behaviour and work progress became selection criteria for the Norway Cup team. It is very satisfying to be able to make such a contribution," says Jon Arild Larsen.
At the Alunorte refinery, Norway Cup involvement is just one of several measures by which Hydro supports activities in the local community.
"The company also has a good training and apprentice scheme for young people. It donates capital grants to fish and poultry farmers and craft industries, and it supports farmers wishing to start cultivating grain and fruit," says Larsen.
On Jamaica, the Alpart refinery demonstrates its commitment to the local community by financially supporting a hospital in the Mandeville area. Alpart has also made contributions to schools and to a new park with volleyball pitch in the town of Nain, just beside the refinery.
"We can see that the local population is tremendously enthusiastic about all the above measures, which create a lot of excitement," adds Larsen.
The positive rewards of such positive involvement in the local community can, in his opinion, be apparent when critical situations arise – as, for example, when people blocked roads with trees and stones several years ago after the price of petrol escalated over a very short period of time:
"Whereas many companies were affected by blocked roads, the people living around Alpart did not take any action out of sympathy with the plant, which was able to continue operating as normal. For me this is an example of how you need to have the locals on your side," says Larsen.
- Hydro Aluminium sponsors the football teams Alunorte Rain Forest from Brazil and Essex Valley All-Stars from Jamaica
- Hydro Agri sponsors the Atrevhydro team from Brazil
- The agreement means that that the companies Alunorte, Alpart and Trevo sponsor the teams' training, equipment and travel, while Hydro pays for their accommodation in Norway during the Norway Cup
- Alunorte Rain Forest is affiliated connected to the alumina refinery Alunorte in Brazil, in which Hydro has a 25 percent stake (once the plant's expansion has been completed next year its stake will increase to 34 percent)
- Essex Valley All-Stars is affiliated to the alumina refinery Alpart on Jamaica, in which Hydro has a 35 percent stake
- Atrevhydro is affiliated to the fertilizer company Adubos Trevo in Brazil, in which Hydro has a 96 percent stake
- Hydro also participates as one of several sponsors of the team Club Desportivo do Sumbe from Angola, which took part in this year's Norway Cup
See also:
| 