DHL and the US National Basketball Association today announced a multi-year partnership deal forthe Deutsche Post subsidiary to become the NBA’s official express and logistics provider in Asia.
The carrier will help launch the NBA’s first-ever “finals trophy tour” and its BasketballWithout Borders outreach initiative in the region in July, as well as the NBA China Games betweenUS and Chinese teams in October.
And as part of the deal, DHL will transport the coveted Larry O’Brien NBA champions trophy toand around Asia to let fans get a close-up of the biggest prize in the sport. It will also deliverthe original NBA floor and back boards to the China Games.
“This partnership establishes our connection with basketball, one of the fastest growing andmost watched sports within China. With multiple NBA events now being staged annually throughoutAsia, it provides a great opportunity to showcase how DHL goes all the way with our expertise inproviding total logistics solutions in a region of increasing commercial importance,” said DanMcHugh, senior vice-president of DHL Express Asia Pacific.
DHL and fellow Deutsche Post subsidiaries are playing an increasing role in sportssponsorship, adding the NBA deal to other sponsorship of world-renowned sporting events includingthe FIFA World Cup 2006, Formula One, American Major League Baseball and the New Zealand LionsTour.
Meanwhile, also in Asia, the company has won the prestigious Readers’ Digest Trusted BrandAward in the air freight and courier category.
DHL was given the Asia Platinum Award by the organisers for the third consecutive year infour countries – Hong Kong, Malaysia Singapore, Taiwan and the honour’s Gold Award in three othersin the region – India, the Philippines and Thailand – for services based on six brand attributes:quality, value, innovation, trustworthiness, image, and understanding of customer needs.
