Innovative - 2019 Annual and Sustainable Performance Report

Women in soccer

Innovative for People

Women in soccer

WOMEN IN SOCCER

Sports sponsorship is a good way for Arkema to build brand awareness. And by supporting a women’s soccer team, the Group is sending an additional message, promoting the role of women, both on the soccer field and in the workplace.

In 2018, Arkema became the first national partner of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France. It was a great success! During the month of the competition (June 7 to July 7), our image was on show to a billion TV viewers in 180 countries. In France alone, TF1, which held the television rights for the event, recorded its three biggest audiences in 2019 during match broadcasts!

FROM THE 2019 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TO THE ARKEMA D1

Following this international sponsorship deal, the Group has partnered with women’s first division soccer in France, now known as the Arkema D1. By supporting the 12 clubs involved in the French championship over three seasons, Arkema is helping to promote the competition and the professionalization of the sport to the highest level. “It was important for Arkema to build on the legacy of the World Cup,” explains Gilles Galinier, Director of External Communications. “This new partnership allows us to associate the Group and the brand with women’s soccer over the longer term. The ongoing venture with the D1 championship means we benefit from greater visibility and can reinforce Arkema’s commitment to the sport.”

SUPPORTING WOMEN’S SOCCER TO ATTRACT MORE APPLICANTS

This sponsorship sends a strong message about women’s status and role in industry. “The careers we offer are absolutely not exclusive to men,” Gilles Galinier continues. “We are working to ensure that our industry, which is still perceived as male-dominated, like soccer, fully recognizes the role of female talent in all disciplines. The decision to support women’s soccer is particularly meaningful given that we share the same values of simplicity, proximity, and humility.”

THIS NAMING CONTRACT IS A FIRST FOR THE WOMEN’S D1 CHAMPIONSHIP AND IS EXCELLENT NEWS FOR THE GROWTH OF WOMEN’S SOCCER.

Noël Le Graët, President of the French Football Federation

SPONSORSHIP REFLECTED AT A LOCAL LEVEL

Women’s soccer is popular in many countries where Arkema has an industrial or commercial presence and major recruitment needs. This is the case in the United States, where the girls’ national team holds the record for World Cup victories (1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019), as well as in Asia and Europe. This encouraged us to implement grass-roots communications campaigns and mobilize plenty of Arkema supporters. During the World Cup, our sites in France benefited from their proximity to the cities hosting the matches, such as Le Havre, Grenoble, Lyons and Paris. The same is true for the Arkema D1 championship, with clubs playing in cities like Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Metz as well as the Paris area. Our plants also get involved with local clubs, like our Jarrie site in France, which has partnered with the Grenoble club, and Arkema Inc. in the United States, which is supporting a women’s team based in New York.