“Escola do Corre”(The Running School) is meant to help sports-inclined Brazilians start businesses. Image credit: Vulcabras-Azaléia
By Paulo Chiele
Vulcabras-Azaléia, a leading Brazilian footwear maker, is running efforts to help consumers in Brazil overcome the economic crisis unleashed by the fallout of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
The 70-year-old company employs more than 15,000 people with production facilities in Fortalezal in the northeast region of Brazil, as well as in the southern city of Parobé in the state of Rio Grande Do Sul. The two projects are already off the ground.
Sprinting ahead
The first project, named “Corre Junto Brazil" (Run Together Brazil) and created by the company in the beginning of the crisis, entitles sports-inclined men and women who are inactive during the pandemic period to make some extra cash.
By registering on the company’s specially developed Web site for this promo, athletes can get 10 percent commission on every product sold by their referrals. Consumers participating in the program can also benefit from special discounts and privileged information and promotions.
According to the group's CEO, Pedro Bartelle, the success of the project and athletes engagement encouraged the company to go further and last month launch an additional program called “Escola do Corre”(The Running School).
This educational online platform offers a variety of projects and sales techniques to help young athletes and non-athletes all over Brazil to undertake businesses with the help of a group of experts in different entrepreneurial fields.
The program received more than 6.000 registrations in the first week after launch.
The footwear maker, by far the largest in South America, producing 23 million pairs of shoes annually, is also the sole distributor in Brazil of the Under Armour brand shoes.
At the moment, Under Armour is the trendiest brand in the country and largely preferred by affluent millennials and Gen Z Brazilians. The brand actively promotes the concept of athleisure in Brazil.
Paulo Chiele is CEO of PRC Consultoria Em Luxo, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Reach him at paulochiele@gmail.com.