In view of their successful collaboration, the Grünwaldbased brand management and media company m4e AG and the DFB-Wirtschaftsdienste GmbH (German Football Association’s economic services) have prolonged their contract for marketing the DFB’s licensing and merchandising rights ahead of time. This exclusive contract, in existence since November 2004, will be extended to 2012 and expanded to include marketing of all the DFB’s interactive/video-game rights.

m4e accompanied the DFB in decisive phases of the development and establishment of its licensing business and at the same time developed among other things the DFB mascot “Paule”, who made its public debut at the beginning of 2006. The DFB’s entire licensing and merchandising programme was successfully further developed for the FIFA World Cup 2006 – at home in Germany – and for the UEFA European Championship 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Contracts with many license partners have already been concluded for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, and promising negotiations with further partners are ongoing.

”We are very proud that the German Football Association continues to entrust us with its marketing rights and we are convinced of being able to contribute to considerable growth in this marketing sector in the future. This collaboration means stability and continuity for m4e in an important component of the consortium’s brand-portfolio”, says Hans Ulrich Stoef – chief executive of m4e.

Denni Strich, business executive of DFB’s economic services: “We are very pleased about the continuation of collaboration with m4e. The licensing business was successfully further developed with the help of m4e since 2005, and it represents an essential cornerstone in the marketing strategy of the DFB’s economic services.”