Bridgestone targets Thai youth market with Firestone

Bridgestone Sales (Thailand) is embarking on a new TV advertising campaign, aimed at promoting the Firestone brand to drivers aged 18-25. Drivers in this age group are more likely to switch brands, says Marketing Director Yoshiaki Hiraishi, and Bridgestone aims to increase replacement market share from the current 5-6 per cent to 10 per cent. The move follows the launch of Michelin’s BFGoodrich brand into the Thai market.

Hiraishi is confident that any increase in Firestone sales will not be at the expense of the Bridgestone brand, as the new campaign is specifically targeted at younger age groups, rather than motorists in general, where Bridgestone is more popular. The Firestone brand is well known in other sectors in Thailand, especially agricultural tyres, where the claimed market share is around 50 per cent, and pick-up trucks, where the share is 16 per cent..