DHL’s Sponsorship of the 2009 AFC Champions League
The brand
DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specialising in providing innovative and customised solutions. DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, contract logistics solutions, international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's international network links more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.
Marketing goals
The objectives were to maintain DHL's strong brand presence in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly during a downturn, through cost effective and cut-through means. The route that was chosen was to show the DHL brand "in action".
Marketing strategy
A marketing platform with pan-Asian reach
To maintain DHL's strong brand presence in Asia particularly during a downturn, DHL required a marketing platform that would deliver their brand objectives to their target market. With 117 AFC Champions League (ACL) matches being broadcast region-wide, DHL was guaranteed the coverage and reach it needed to fulfil its objectives.
Brand values match the value of the sponsored sport
DHL chose to partner with the ACL because the values of Asian football are aligned with DHL's brand values.
Partner with Asia's top club competition
Football is the most popular sport in Asia, and the ACL – the region's premier club competition – links DHL with the passion of its target consumers. It offers a cost-effective, integrated marketing platform with a myriad of consumer touch points that engages audiences through a personal, emotional connection while generating a high return on investment (ROI).
Activation
In March 2009, DHL signed on as Official Timing and Logistics Partner for ACL. The exclusive multi-year partnership features the first-ever screening of a 10-second DHL animated timing graphic which runs on nine occasions in each of the 117 ‘live' matches broadcast across the region. Every 10 minutes, a DHL box comes onto the screen and opens to reveal a timer. The association of DHL with match timing reinforces the key benefit of using DHL as the logistics partner of choice – packages arrive on time. Showing the match clock emerge from a DHL packaging box reminds audiences of DHL's core expertise – "We Deliver".
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ACL match tickets offer DHL a fantastic way to reward customers and staff, as well as incentivise new clients.
On the AFC-TV website, online highlights of ACL matches have a pre and post roll of DHL branding to emphasise DHL's top-of-mind presence in the office and at home. The AFC-TV website also carries DHL banner advertising to reinforce awareness of DHL's sponsorship.
There is also a branded segment – "DHL Delivery of the Week" – featured in the weekly football magazine show, Football Asia, showcasing the ‘best delivery' from all the ACL games that week.
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Impact
In the first half of the 2009 season when ACL group stages were played, the DHL brand was seen on air for 9,500 seconds. Further, on the AFC-TV website during the competition's Group stages, there were 43,000 views of ACL highlight clips and three million page impressions of the DHL banner advertising.
Through its sponsorship of ACL, DHL received a return of just over ten times its initial investment in the first year alone. This return is based on the total media value only and doesn't take into the account the additional benefits and brand exposure derived from the company's corporate hospitality programme and other activation conducted in conjunction with the sponsorship.
"DHL is a strong supporter of major sporting events and activities. Globally, we partner F1 as the Official Logistics Provider and in Asia, we support Special Olympics and the NBA. Football is the most popular sport in Asia-Pacific, and a successful football team displays the same values as DHL: teamwork, accuracy and reliability. Therefore, a partnership with the Asian Football Confederation to promote the AFC Champions League is a natural fit.”
