09/04/2008 Continental AG books a sponsorship package through Sportfive for the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM in South Africa

Hanover, 4 September 2008. As an Official Sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM in South Africa in the tyres product category, Continental AG, an international supplier to the car-manufacturing industry, has secured significant TV coverage for itself during the 260 qualification group matches to be played in Europe.

Continental will appear on four of the advertising hoardings in the stadiums at over 170 matches, and with TV images being broadcasted around the world, will also appear on millions of TV screens. Once again, the image shown on the hoardings will be the Continental logo together with a car tyre. "This sponsorship package will help us to boost brand-awareness for Continental's premium tyres in our core markets through to the start of the next football World Cup in summer 2010," pointed out Dr. Alan Hippe, deputy chairman of the Executive Board, who is also responsible for the Passenger and Light Truck Tires division.

Following the successful use of sponsorship for UEFA EURO 2008^TM, Continental will seamlessly continue the marketing strategy used in recent years. There have been significant gains in brand-awareness for its premium brand of tyres in all markets since 2006. Even before the 2006 FIFA World Cup^TM had kicked off, the Hanover-based supplier had signed up for a perimeter sponsorship package at the qualification matches for UEFA EURO 2008^TM.

Here you can download the press release as a Word-file (143 KB).

Boasting a market share of 25 per cent since the end of 2007, Continental has become the market leader in the passenger tyres sector for the first time in its history. Talking about the primary objective of its sponsorship activities at the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM, Dr. Hippe said that "we want Continental to become one of the top three premium replacement tyre brands in the growth regions of Eastern Europe, Russia, Asia and South America in particular."

The technology group will also adhere to its other marketing goals for the next two years:

• to charge the image of the Continental premium brand with even greater emotion through its association with professional football worldwide,
• to set the brand apart from its competitors through product exclusivity, and
• to forge close ties between football sponsorship and business customer relations.

The tyre manufacturer now has the leading market position in the South African spare tyre business with a market share using locally produced tyres of more than 20 percent. In Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Continental operates a factory for passenger tyres with a total workforce of 1300 and where around 2.6 million tires are produced every year. Its tyres are sold both to OE manufacturers, as well as in the replacement sector.

Continental also runs a factory for commercial vehicle tyres, also in Port Elizabeth, which meets demand south of the Sahara as well as demand in the country hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM.

Continental's website www.ContiSoccerWorld.com provides details of all of its football activities. You can also find a host of information about the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM on the organisation's official website, www.fifa.com.

With annual sales of more than €25 billion (based on 2006 figures), the Continental Corporation is one of the top five automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of tyres, brake systems, powertrain and chassis systems and components, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes to enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. The corporation currently employs approximately 150,000 people at more than 200 locations in 36 countries.

Continental’s tyre divisions are an Official Sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM. For further information visit the websites www.ContiSoccerWorld.de, www.contifanworld.com and www.conti-online.com.