Tokyo 20201
Jörg Ritzerfeld, Germany
The coronavirus pandemic is making working conditions difficult world wide. Nevertheless, you all do your job conscientiously every day. Right now it depends on each individual. In this new format, we will show you how some of our colleagues accept the challenge and organize their daily work, and we also like to look across national borders.
How far did you get with the Tokyo 2020 project preparations?
We were in the process of packing pallets for the container with around 8,000 products, tools, and equipment. They were meant to be shipped to Japan at the end of March. Production and logistics were in the middle of handling this major order. Now they're processing the cancellation. That's why I'd like to thank everyone involved and now, in particular, the Returns Department for their help.
What was it like when the first push noti-fication about the delay came in, and was then officially confirmed?
First, I was really disappointed. But it was predictable and it's the right thing to do. Australia, Canada, and the US had already canceled their participation, and athletes, in-cluding our partner, gymnast Andreas Toba, publicly asked for a postponement. The health of everyone has toppriority. Sports all over the world reacted with understanding. Now everyone is trying to prepare for 2021. Us, too.
Has the Japanese Organizational Committee already approached Bauerfeind for 2021?
Yes, immediately. They confirmed the infor-mation during the night after the announ-cement and asked at the same time if we would continue our partnership. After letting everybody know and canceling current orders and our customer event, we started planning for 2021 straight away. The good thing is: we now have time to get some of our new developments approved in Japan as medical products, so we can add them to our treatment program.
What gets the Sports Marketing Team moti-vated during this crisis, besides the Olympic Games Project?
Sport has come to a complete stop. There are currently no events or competitions that we could support. It's therefore even more important for us to stay in touch with part-ners and to let them know that we're here for them, that we welcome current decisions, and that we will prepare together for what's to come. We use all our channels for this and are increasingly relying on social media – just like our partners. Some of them are even developing new formats such as Alba Berlin and their daily PE class for daycare centers and primary schools. It's a great idea.
About Jörg Ritzerfeld
The graduate in Business Management has been working for Bauerfeind since 2011 and, as Head of Marketing Bauerfeind SPORTS, runs the Olympic Games Project, for example. He was an active ski jumper until 2011 and represented Bauerfeind at the Games in London, Sochi, Rio, and PyeongChang. He and his team are responsible for marketing Bauerfeind’s line of sports products and commitment to sports at a regional, national, and international level. Bauer-feind has been a long-term service partner of Deutsche Sporthilfe, and sponsors Alba Berlin, Schalke 04, THW Kiel, as well as the athletes Andreas Toba, Anna and Lisa Hahner, and the brand ambassador Dirk Nowitzki.