DPD Germany and Eintracht Frankfurt Agree on Partnership

DPD becomes the official logistics partner of the Bundesliga football club Eintracht Frankfurt. The collaboration also extends to the areas of digitization, sustainability, and talent management. The partnership initially runs until 2023 and goes beyond the professional sector.

(Frankfurt am Main) Eintracht Frankfurt can count on a new, strong partner in the coming years: The international parcel and express service provider DPD is now the official logistics partner of Eintracht and will also work closely with the Bundesliga club in the fields of digitization, sustainability, and talent management. The partnership between Eintracht Frankfurt and the company founded in 1976, headquartered in Aschaffenburg, initially runs until June 30, 2023.

Diverse Engagement

For Eintracht board member Axel Hellmann, the diverse engagement of the new partner is a good sign: “As a traditional company with an international focus, DPD fits perfectly with Eintracht. Shared values and a similar orientation in line with our Europa League claim ‘At Home in Europe’ underpin our partnership. Furthermore, DPD sees itself as a driver of innovation, which, like us, is undergoing an intensive digitization process. In this sense, we were able to convince DPD of a comprehensive engagement. The diverse presence of DPD in many of our various areas also shows the broad spectrum that we bring into such a partnership. Because even beyond the licensed player area, we have a lot to offer. The color scheme of the DPD logo also fits us perfectly. We are looking forward to a perfect partnership.”
Eric Malitzke, CEO of DPD Germany, adds: “In our discussions with Eintracht Frankfurt, the traditional club presented itself as a social actor that thinks and acts innovatively beyond the boundaries of the football field. The partnership with Eintracht, which, like DPD, is firmly rooted in the Rhine-Main region, therefore goes far beyond ordinary sports sponsorship. I am very much looking forward to the exciting projects that we will develop together with Eintracht around the topics of digitization, sustainability, talent management, and logistics.”

Shared Digitization Ambitions

A focus of the partnership results from the digitization ambitions of both parties. From the commonality of innovation-driven action, Eintracht Frankfurt and DPD will expand joint approaches and, for example, test joint IoT projects in the newly created Digital Center ‘Arena of IoT’. The numerous innovations from DPD in the area of customer experience provide a first foundation for this. In addition to smart solutions for city centers, parcel deliveries by drone or autonomous driving could also become part of the partnership.
Moreover, DPD will be part of the event series #EintrachtDigital with digital questions and additionally partner of the recruiting program ‘TechTalents’ of Eintracht Frankfurt and TechQuartier.
Of course, DPD will also be the logistics partner of Eintracht Frankfurt in the context of the original parcel business. Through the shipping of merchandising packages and the delivery of various other shipping volumes in the B2B and member area, a multitude of authentic points of contact and ideas have already emerged in the course of initiating the partnership, which will provide corresponding added value for fans.

Rhine-Main as a Logistics Hub

Due to the economic location of Rhine-Main as a logistics hub, where both partners are based, a high degree of credibility and proximity is created. For DPD, this also allows for a variety of measures that benefit employees and support the recruitment of young talent. For the holistic engagement at the location, DPD will also be a partner of the Deutsche Bank Park, which includes visibility and ticket contingents outside of Eintracht Frankfurt’s games.
The symbiosis of the partnership pillars digitization, logistics, and location will manifest itself in various forms in the course of the already jointly planned measures. A symbolic example of this is the In-Seat Delivery, which will be introduced in the future at Deutsche Bank Park and presented and communicated by DPD.

Particular Focus on Sustainability

A particular focus on maximum sustainability will be part of all joint projects of Eintracht Frankfurt and DPD. For example, the shipping of fan articles in reusable boxes is being considered. In addition, the Rhine-Main area will be a focus for the expansion of alternative drive technologies within DPD’s vehicle fleet. Micro-depots directly in urban delivery areas should also enable more environmentally friendly parcel delivery in the region.
A visual anchor of the collaboration is the presence of the DPD logo on the sleeves of Eintracht Frankfurt’s jerseys. Not least thanks to the almost identical color scheme of both partners, the well-known logo cube of DPD is visually excellently integrated. Already at tomorrow’s away game of the professional team in the first round of the DFB Cup against TSV 1860 Munich, DPD will be present for the first time on the jersey sleeve.
DPD will also gain additional brand presence through a multifaceted and diversified portfolio of services and measures with individually pronounced visibility and communication occasions. In addition to comprehensive content in the context of the men’s professional team, including presence on all jerseys (Bundesliga, DFB Cup, friendly matches), DPD will also be visible and present in grassroots sports at Eintracht Frankfurt e.V., with the Eintracht Frankfurt women, in eSports, and at the football school through the logo on the sleeve and various activations.
Photo: © DPD
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