Strauss targets UK growth through Euro 2028 sponsorship

German workwear company Strauss will become the official workwear partner of UEFA Euro 2028, with chief executive Henning Strauss planning a larger activation programme as the brand seeks to strengthen its position in the UK.The global sponsorship builds on the company’s involvement in Euro 2024 and adds tournament-wide rights to its existing UEFA refereeing partnership, extending its presence at the championship in the UK and Ireland.Speaking to SportsPro, Strauss said: “It’s quite a milestone for us as a brand, being one of the very few global partners, with our family brand next to some other companies that are much larger than ours.“We appreciate it as an opportunity to make more of a splash on a global scale.”The family-owned business, founded in 1948, generates approximately €1.4bn in annual revenue and has made sports sponsorship a central part of its international expansion strategy.Strauss identified the UK as one of its strongest growth markets, with the tournament’s location influencing the decision to return as a sponsor.The company has sold workwear in Britain since 2002 and has partnerships with Liverpool, Fulham and Nottingham Forest, but sees scope to build recognition beyond its established trade customers.Strauss commented: “Given our current market position here, we’ve been around, but there is room to grow.”He said the company would commit more resources to activation than it did around Euro 2024, with a focus on converting exposure into sales as well as increasing awareness.Its previous tournament sponsorship took place in Germany, where the brand already had strong recognition and established football relationships, limiting the additional awareness it could generate.The 2028 rights include pitchside LED advertising, use of tournament branding and supporter engagement opportunities, alongside the exclusive right to nominate two mascots to accompany referees onto the pitch at each match.Strauss will already feature through its UEFA refereeing agreement, which places the company’s ostrich logo on officials’ sleeves across club and national team competitions, as well as VAR monitors and UEFA’s video operations room.The broader tournament package provides additional marketing assets, with the company also targeting audiences in North America and Australia through the championship’s international coverage.Preparations are influencing the company’s UK operations as well as its advertising plans, with products being adapted to reflect differences in how British tradespeople use tools and workwear accessories.Strauss is also considering local distribution rather than shipping from Germany, alongside further localisation of its website and social channels.Strauss added: “If we claim to become relevant from a cultural perspective, we want to make sure we get those details right.”Activation planning has already begun, with the company seeking to build recognition before the tournament rather than concentrate its activity solely on the competition itself.The strategy connects sponsorship rights with product development, distribution and sales, making Euro 2028 part of a wider UK growth programme rather than a standalone advertising campaign.