Toyota is using "its sponsorship of German hockey to increase its brand awareness and reach in the country," according to Roman Gerth of SPONSORs. The Japanese carmarker "has been a staple in German hockey and shortly before the start of the new German Hockey League (DEL) season, it secured the title of co-sponsor and presenter of Sport1's DEL broadcasts." Toyota Germany Sponsorship & Media Cooperation head Senol Kasapoglu: "The presenting partnership of the DEL isn't new to us. We've made positive experiences in the past with it." Toyota was also a presenting partner of ServusTV's DEL broadcasts last season. He added, "We hope to reach more people through the presenting partnership than we did with ServusTV. We want to exploit Sport1's national coverage." The contract between Toyota and Sport1 Media, Sport1's marketing arm, "has a reported duration of one year." Toyota has also been a main sponsor of DEL club Cologne Sharks for the past 15 years. Kasapoglu: "Through our longtime partnership with the KEC [Cologne Sharks], we also show local presence ... It's important to us to have a close relationship with our customers. The TV presenting helps us to distribute the attention to a broader audience." The contract with the DEL club runs until the end of the '17-18 season (SPONSORs, 9/20).
