After four years, and a negative result of 58.1 million kroner, Vålerenga had a negative equity of 8.2 million kroner last year. At a meeting with 200 sales executives in Lillestrøm on Wednesday, marketing director Søren Eriksen told the dramatic story of how the foremost football club in Norway completed the all-time turnaround.
– We have increased sales by 13 percent, and we actually get a little profit this year. We have spent a year and a half working our way up from a technical bankruptcy to a sustainable economy, Eriksen says.
According to Eriksen, the owners, and Tor Olav Trøim, with the largest share of 45 per cent, did not find it funny that the club looked like clowns.
Now the football club is reaching for new marketing concepts, The family is the new market for the football club that uses the words; faith, hope and love – Oslo's pride.
– We sell visibility to the companies. The Hafslund logo is valued at 20 million kroner at this point, Eriksen says. The Business-to-business segment is important for Vålerenga, but it's a tough match.