DHL drove it's "Going Green" agenda with Formula E Hyderabad E-Prix's sponsorship in India

Single-seater motorsport Formula racing recently hosted round four of the ninth season of the motorsport championship for electric cars, that is, Formula E, for the first time in India. The race was held in the streets of Hyderabad on February 11, 2023.

The primary difference between Formula E and other Formula racing championships is that the race features only environmentally sustainable electric vehicles on the race track. For global logistics company DHL, this presented the perfect opportunity for getting onboard as an event sponsor.

The company is the Founding Partner and the Official Logistics Partner of Formula E. In an exclusive interaction with afaqs!, Sandeep Juneja, vice president- sales and marketing, DHL, explains that the company has been transporting cars, event infrastructure, and team kits to eleven cities on four continents for this season.

Juneja informs that the company declared its intention of becoming a zero emission logistics company some time ago. He believes that the company's agenda and the theme of the race are parallel in a sense. This drives the engagement between the two parties.

"Logistics is a key factor in the success of Formula E as a global event. We work with Formula E on optimized solutions for CO2 reductions. By partnering with Formula E, we are able to sort of build on and deploy logistics methods that show sustainability and green logistics," he says.

Juneja shares that DHL and Formula E have many shared attributes, in particular, "a pioneering spirit and a commitment to a sustainable future," he feels. He also shares that the the partnership allows them an access to a larger target audience and build on the sustainability front. "Formula E is a great sporting event to identify with for a brand which is promoting sustainability," he shares.

The race taking place in India coincided with DHL implementing changes in its operations in India that will bring it closer to its global zero emissions mission. "In India, we are taking steps towards making our operations sustainable. With electric bikes and solar powered facilities, we have been able to make our operations clean, energy efficient and cost-effective. Through our digitalisation initiatives, we are now moving towards paperless trade. We are also committed to planting 100,000 trees every year to offset our carbon footprints. So far, we have planted 400,000 trees in the country," Juneja informs

DHL also launched multiple campaigns to promote its association with Formula E in India. Along with on ground activities, the company launched a social media campaign to promote their association with Formula E. They engaged with their target audience online through a reel making challenge and live trivia during the event on its social media handles.

As part of their on ground marketing initiatives, DHL also installed an on ground gaming center for the fans.

The activation booth gave the on-ground audience via VR racing games, 360 photo booth and some physical challenges. The company basically aimed to simulate a driver's experience for people with this booth.

The company has been making efforts to place its name in esports for some time now. It became a sponsor for esports platform ESL back in 2018. "Working together with ESL for few years now, we have curated multiple entertaining storylines within the esports world that combine esports memes that fans love with DHL’s innovative products and services," he adds.