Continental to Sponsor 2010 World Cup

Continental Tyres has announced that it is to sponsor the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. According to the company, which also partnered the 2006 World Cup and is sponsoring this year’s European championship, the latest move is a continuation of its long-term marketing strategy based on football sponsorship, to deliver “huge global TV audiences.” Continental also has the option to extend its sponsorship to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Continental has acquired the rights to promote the sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup worldwide and will link this to product communication. In addition, Continental has once again received a sizeable ticket allocation and premium hospitality, which has become an important cornerstone of its strategy.

“This sponsorship deal continues the marketing strategy we have been following since 1995 for all Continental tyre products and maintains our focus on football as a central communication platform for increasing brand awareness in our core markets over the next three years,” explains Continental Tyres UK advertising and sponsorship manager Tim Bailey.

FIFA President Jospeh Blatter commented: “Continental has been an active supporter of football for many years. It is a big advantage for all those involved in the event to have such prestigious global partners on board, underlining the confidence of leading blue-chip companies in the first African World Cup. We look forward to a close and fruitful relationship on our joint path towards the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”

Continental has strong ties in South Africa, with a tyre production plant in the FIFA World Cup venue Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, where 1,600 employees produced 2.6 million tyres in 2007.

“After our very positive experience with the 2006 event, this high-level sponsorship of the most-watched international sporting event will enable us to continue to use football to reinforce the position of our premium tyre brand Continental as the top product in markets around the globe. Football and the tyre business go together perfectly, as technique, precision, passion and teamwork play an essential role in both fields,” said Dr Alan Hippe, member of the Executive Board of Continental AG.

FIFA’s commercial hierarchy comprises six FIFA Partners, six to eight FIFA World Cup Sponsors and six National Supporters. The six members of the FIFA Partners category are adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates Airline, Hyundai, Sony and Visa. Only three slots are left as second-tier FIFA World Cup Sponsors alongside Anheuser-Busch, Continental, McDonalds, MTN and Satyam. FNB and Telkom have claimed two of the six National Supporter slots and negotiations are currently underway to confirm the remaining four.