BVB and Evonik expand their partnership on an international level

To underpin its sponsorship, Evonik will be taking a direct stake in Borussia Dortmund GmbH & KGaA through the planned capital increase, acquiring 9.06 percent of its capital stock which will lead to a gross proceeds of Borussia Dortmund in the amount of 26,744,448.07 Euro for the issue of new shares. This was approved yesterday by Evonik's Supervisory Board. Together, the eleven-year sponsorship agreement and the direct stake in BVB hold Evonik's annual commitment at a level that is very attractive by European standards.

The two partners are laying solid foundations for new business and sporting success with an international focus. Through its alliance with Evonik, BVB gains a sound basis for participation in top-level national and international competitions over many years. For Evonik—a specialty chemicals company with a global presence—the alliance is a way of enhancing international recognition of its brand.

BVB chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke sees the alliance between BVB and Evonik as key to the club's future potential: "Through our recent success in the Champions League, BVB has the ability to help drive the success of Evonik's international brand-building process. In future we will have a presence in Asia—where Evonik has been present for many years— and will be building up a BVB representative office in the region. At the same time, the new sponsorship agreement and Evonik's stake in BVB mean we will be consistently able to field top players both in Germany and abroad. That is both a pleasure and an obligation for us."

Klaus Engel, chairman of the Evonik’s Executive Board, stressed: "We are forging an alliance of strength between two partners in Germany's Ruhr region that both stand to benefit from and promises strong international appeal. We know what we mean to each other and we know that together we can still derive many benefits. BVB's black and yellow colours stand for professionalism and passion. That already brings a good deal of brand empathy and brand awareness for our brand as well. Evonik and BVB have a joint message for fans and friends, and for their competitors: our success story is set to continue."

This is the fourth successive time that Evonik has extended its sponsorship of BVB. The alliance started in 2006, when Evonik's interest in sponsoring was mainly on a national level. Shortly after the introduction of the company's new name—Evonik— in 2007, recognition of the brand was 47 percent. Today, 64 percent of the general public in Germany is aware of Evonik, mainly because of BVB. Among financial and business decision-makers, a particularly important target group for Evonik, recognition is 95 percent, with 74 percent associating Evonik with BVB. Evonik CEO Klaus Engel comments: "Going forward, we want to build on the rising awareness and empathy with the Evonik brand internationally—in partnership with BVB. That enables us to reach key target groups such as customers, specialists and investors in many countries even more effectively through BVB."