Press Release
Continental AG will be the premium sponsor and top partner
of the DFB Cup in the 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 seasons
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Passenger and light truck tire manufacturer intensifies its regional soccer
sponsorship alongside the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and
2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil
The goal is to strengthen the premium brand, Continental
Business partners will be intensively involved in activating this new
sponsorship package
Hanover/Frankfurt am Main/Zug, 18 May 2010. For the first tim e, Continental AG is
adding to its global soccer sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM in South
Africa and 2014 in Brazil with premium sponsorship of the DFB Cup, the German
domestic cup competition. The package purchased from the Swiss rights marketing
company Infront is for a period of two years. It guarantees Continental not only TV
presence through brand advertising and other publicity vehicles in the stadiums
where all 63 cup games will be held nationwide throughout Germany, but also a
significant contingent of tickets that can be used for publicity purposes.
Furthermore, Continental has signed an additional contract with the German Soccer
Association (DFB) under which the company has purchased the rights to use the
DFB brand for publicity purposes. Other top partners of the DFB Cup are Deutsche
Post, Bitburger and Jack Wolfskin.
"With this sponsorship, we are building a bridge in the German -speaking countries
between the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the qualification matches for
the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, which are going to be getting underway in 2012.
In doing so, we wish to put our commitment to pro soccer on a broader base,
expand it further regionally too as the central communication platform, and take a
further step towards clearly positioning the premium brand Continental with a focus
on safety and braking performance," explains Timo Röbbel, who is responsible for
sports sponsorship at Continental in the German-speaking countries. "It is
particularly important for us to involve our business customers in this activation
process as intensively as possible. The nationwide series of matches in the DFB
Cup will provide us with a very wide range of new opportunities for targeting
customer loyalty and improving our local presence," continues Röbbel.
Denni Strich, the Head of Marketing at the DFB, commented: "We are delighted to welcome
Continental on board as a leading company that is active in the automotive sector and based
in Germany, but also very successful internationally. With its extensive network of dealers
throughout Germany and the high level interest it has shown in promoting a strategic
commitment in a spirit of friendship, Continental will certainly further enhance the premium
character of the DFB Cup even more."
Continental has been committed to international pro soccer since 1995, and the company
also announced earlier this year that it would be sponsoring major league soccer in the USA
for the first time. This means the Hanover-based components supplier is pursuing a
consistent and single-minded global strategy of using soccer as a communications platform.
At www.ContiSoccerWorld.de, Continental is providing extensive information about all
activities relating to soccer, alongside numerous exclusive insights, team and star portraits
for the sporting event of the year: the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
With sales of approximately €20 billion in 2009, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers
worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis,
instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, Continental
contributes enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent
partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently employs approximately
138,000 in 46 countries.
Continental is the European market leader for passenger and light truck tires. More than 30 per cent of
all new European cars leave the factory fitted with Continental tires. The tire divisions are an official
sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Check out www.ContiSoccerWorld.com to learn
more about Continental’s involvement.
Alexander Lührs
Head of PR, Passenger/Light Truck Tyres
Continental AG
www.continental-corporation.com
E-mail:
Alexander.Luehrs@conti.de
Tel.:
+49 (0)511 / 938 26 15
Fax:
+49 (0)511 / 938 24 55
www.ContiSoccerWorld.com
Media database at www.mediacenter.continental-corporation.com