Jul 1, 2014

  • Tire manufacturer expands portfolio of international football events and reaffirms importance of football sponsorship as a strategic communications platform

Hannver, July 1, 2014.
In spring 2014 tire manufacturer Continental signed a cooperation agreement with the Asian Football Confederation and will now also support the Asian Cup 2015 - which will be held in Australia in January next year - as an official sponsor.

" This is the first time that Continental has invested in an international football sponsorship package in the Asia Pacific region. The decision is based on consistent global brand positioning for the premium tire brand Continental and underlines both the Company's regional commitment and its passion for football," commented Executive Vice President Antonio Lopes de Seabra, who heads Continental's Passenger & Light Truck Tires Replacement Business in the Asia Pacific regio ..

From its humble beginnings in 1956, the Asian Cup has grown into the continent's biggest football event, one that stands proudly alongside other top-level competitions around the globe in terms of excitement, entertainment and organization. It enjoys a massive media presence and will reach some 2.5 billion people through its multi-channel communication approach . The Asian Cup 2015 will take place in Australia from January 9 - 31. The qualifying round will involve 46 nations in the world's most populous continent, representing more than half of the world's population.

" Football is the world's largest participation sport and especially fast-growing in Asia. The Asian Cup offers an ideal platform for us to present our premium tire brand Continental to a global audience. All the APAC markets will benefit from this sponsorship in terms of increasing brand awareness and building a passionate premium brand image," said Jing Wang-Winter , Marketing Director of Continental's Passenger & Light Truck Tires Replacement Business, Asia Pacific .

" As the host nation, we will see heightened awareness and a renewed passion and enthusiasm for the sport. Continental Tyres of Australia is excited to share this journey with our customers and all football fans," echoed Mitchell Golledge , Marketing Manager Continental Tyres of Australia .

Continental has been active as a sponsor in global professional football since 1995 and can look back on an impressive history in major sporting events, thanks to its involvement in the UEFA Champions League (1995 - 2000), 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany, UEFA EURO 2008™ in Austria and Switzerland, 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa and UEFA EURO 2012™ in Poland and Ukraine. The Hanover-based tire manufacturer is also supporting the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil as an official sponsor and exclusive tire partner. Looking beyond Brazil, a sponsorship agreement is already in place for the UEFA EURO 2016™ tournament in France. Plus, the rights package acquired in spring 2014 - covering touchline advertising for the European qualifying matches for both UEFA EURO 2016™ and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia - provides the perfect complement to these event-sponsorship packages and secures Continental an internationally visible TV presence up to the end of 2017.

For more about Continental's international football sponsorship activities, visit www.ContiSoccerWorld.com .

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