DFB, where does your brand stand?

Of course, it's impossible, and yet the DFB brand has to manage precisely this without suffering any major setbacks or injuries.

Holger Merk explains how the world's largest sports federation brand intends to achieve this. I speak with the brand manager about the stark reality of brand identity: why the goal of becoming a "love brand" is strategically almost unattainable, how the federation deals with the persistent label of "football mafia," and where the discrepancy between aspiration and reality lies. In the final stretch, we also discuss the brand relaunch that the DFB has just launched in collaboration with Strichpunkt. And just before the end, we also address the much-discussed detail: Where has the black, red, and gold gone?