At a press conference late in the afternoon of Thursday, August 27, Clube de Regatas do Flamengo and ALE signed a sponsorship agreement. The company is the fourth-largest fuel distributor in Brazil in terms of number of stations and the fifth-largest in terms of revenue.
Under the agreement, validated by the Club's Deliberative Council on August 25, the ALE brand will be printed on the front and back of the uniforms of the club's professional and amateur football team players and also on advertising boards in stadiums and at Flamengo's training ground in Gávea.
The investment is R$3,5 million, and the contract runs from October 1 to December 31, 2009. Flamengo's first game under the new sponsorship will be a Fla-Flu match. The agreement is scheduled for October 3 and covers the 27th round of the Brazilian championship.
According to Marcelo Alecrim, president of ALE, the goal of the sponsorship is to associate the company's name with an international brand, recognized as the largest Brazilian fan base, with approximately 33 million supporters, according to an Ibope survey. "We will further increase ALE's visibility among the general public throughout the country," Alecrim emphasized, noting that 80% of Flamengo's fans are outside the state of Rio de Janeiro. At the press conference, Alecrim said the company is exploring the possibility of establishing a longer-term contract with Flamengo. "We are taking this very seriously, ensuring this contract doesn't end for just three months. We're here to stay. Our goal is to grow alongside Flamengo," he announced.
According to Flamengo's acting president, Delair Dumbrosck, ALE will have the opportunity to demonstrate the value of sponsoring a club like Flamengo. "We have the largest fan base in Brazil by any standard. The company will certainly see significant returns on media and institutional image. We believe this visibility can be a calling card for investing in long-term sponsorships. We are planning a series of initiatives that will bring the ALE brand closer to our fans, going beyond media visibility." Delair Dumbrosck confirmed that he is already discussing a new contract with ALE. "We hope Flamengo enters 2010 with a great contract," he said at the press conference.
The shirt bearing the ALE logo was displayed by defender Álvaro, the club's new signing, alongside midfielder Maldonado, who wore the current shirt, bearing the Olympikus Tube logo. Also at the table was Flamengo's Vice President of Football, Marcos Braz.
The ALE - ALE has a network of approximately 1.700 stations in 22 Brazilian states, making it the fourth-largest fuel distributor in Brazil. The company closed 2008 with revenues of approximately R$6,2 billion and is expected to reach R$7,7 billion this year. Each month, the company, which generates 12 direct and indirect jobs, sells and distributes 300 million liters of fuel to 5 customers.
In 2008, ALE acquired the multinational Repsol's 327 gas stations in Brazil and completed the acquisition of the Santa Catarina-based distributor Polipetro, with 130 stations in the states of Santa Catarina and Paraná. These deals accelerate the company's plans to reach revenue of R$2012 billion and a network of 8,1 stations by 2.500.
The company invests in the club, which, according to leading research institutes, has at least 33 million fans. Flamengo leads pay-per-view package sales, accounting for 13,84% of PFC channel sales, and Timemania bets, accounting for 19%. According to a 2004 Ibope survey, 16% of people in the AB class support Flamengo.