Carlos Argente: “Puerto Sagunto and the Province of Valencia have already shown for 60 years that they want handball—and good handball at that”

Editorial team | NOSTRESPORT.COM

The vice-president of communications and marketing at Alser Puerto de Sagunto explains to Nostresport Management the initiative of the BONO PSG.

Can you explain this initiative?

The BONO PSG is a donation made by an individual or legal entity to BM Puerto Sagunto, with the aim of providing it with financial stability so that it can approach 2012 and 2013 with proper guarantees. Since the club is not a public limited sports company, there is in fact no possibility for members to become shareholders; that is why we like to call this an “Emotional Capital Increase”.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="357" caption="Photograph: Raquel Gaspar (Xaloc Fotográfica)"][/caption]

Photograph: Raquel Gaspar (Xaloc Fotográfica)

There are four bond options depending on the amount: – platinum €1000 /– gold €500 /– silver €200 / bronze €100.

The club provides a physical bond certifying the benefactor as a “godparent” of this campaign and allowing them to enter various prize draws, receive discounts on membership passes and enjoy some additional benefits, which are really small supplementary incentives alongside the great emotional commitment involved in making a donation.

Who came up with the idea of the bonds?

Necessity sharpens the wits, and the board recognised the need to find new ways of raising income that involved members, so that this would set an example for those who can genuinely contribute more: businesses and shops in our area of influence. From this idea, the club’s Communications Department, which I coordinate, came up with the concepts of BONO PSG and “emotional capital increase”.

 Why do you think people will give you money?

While researching the subject, we analysed the share issue campaign previously launched by Valencia C.F. At that time, thousands of Valencianistas, including me—I am both a member and a shareholder—contributed €600 for little more than a Valencianist sentiment. The slogan of that campaign was “How much is a feeling worth?”. With this in mind, we told ourselves that our handball club’s red-and-white feeling also had a solid social base, and that we should strengthen these people’s sense of belonging and commitment. In what we might call the “retail segment” of the emotional capital increase, 121 people have already made a donation. To put that into perspective, this represents 10% of the club’s membership—a far from insignificant number of people, especially in the difficult economic times in which we launched the campaign.

 How long have you been running this, and how long do you intend to continue?

The campaign was approved at the Members’ Assembly in December 2011. Our intention is to continue it until this summer of 2012 at the very least.

 Why do you want to reach €220000?

Because that is approximately the amount missing from our budget to approach next season with proper guarantees.

 What are you doing to promote donations?

Our financial resources are limited, but fortunately we have great friends. We have published a series of videos on social networks featuring prominent figures from the club encouraging donations. The series is called PERSONAJES BONO PSG. In addition, some print and digital media, as well as Onda Cero Sagunto, have given us free advertising space. Then there is the traditional word of mouth and the constant publication of press releases on the subject. We have also created the BONOMETRO PSG on our website, which provides weekly information about the campaign’s progress.

Have you focused on members, local residents, businesspeople or any particular group?

We have identified two main target audiences, with two types of bond for each: the €100 and €200 bonds are for individuals and small shops, while the €500 and €1000 bonds are promoted through public and private advocates to place them with local businesses and retailers. That said, anyone or any organisation is welcome if they support this strong, solvent project with its considerable social backing.

 What is the purpose of raising this money?

In the current economic crisis, we find it very difficult to obtain major sponsorship from a company. As we like to put it, if we cannot obtain €200,000 from one company, let us obtain €1000 from 200 companies. The business community in Camp de Morvedre is broad enough for 200 companies to contribute €1000, which we genuinely do not believe would destabilise the results of a medium-sized or large company—there are many such companies within our sphere of influence.

Do you feel supported by the fans and the institutions?

As I mentioned earlier regarding the fans, given the unemployment situation and what it means to part with €100 in the current climate, having 10% of the membership committed after just two months of the campaign seems like a huge success to us. As for the institutions, we are not asking them for public money; we are asking them to help persuade our businesspeople that investing in this club means backing a socially responsible institution supported by no fewer than 1500 members in a population of 60,000, which is no small achievement. We are the sports club in the Province of Valencia, in a team sport other than basketball and football, with the most paying members. We also believe that this social support bears no relation to the institutional support we receive. Other projects with far less social backing receive more public funding than ours, and we find that extremely unfair.

Who else do you need help from?

Anyone who wants to help us. We are a democratic club whose directors are elected every four years by those 1500 citizens; it has 60 years of history and is the only elite representative in men’s handball in the Province of Valencia. It is, incidentally, the third most widely played team sport in Valencia, surpassed only by football and basketball.

What is the club’s current situation?

We are a club without a penny, but with no debts and fully up to date with payments to our athletes and suppliers. Do you know many like that?

What do you expect for the future?

The club’s future, as is always the case in sport, will depend on what its members and the other surrounding stakeholders—politicians and businesspeople—want. Puerto Sagunto and the Province of Valencia have already shown for 60 years that they want handball—and good handball at that. It remains to be decided whether those who can provide this project with financial stability think the same.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.