Yokohama to Show Tyre Range at Auto China

The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has announced that it will exhibit at the Auto China 2008 exhibition, which runs in Beijing between 20 and 25 April. According to a statement released on the subject, the thinking behind the Japanese tyre manufacturer’s appearance is: “To increase recognition of the Yokohama brand in China.” The company has been promoting phonograms (Chinese characters whose pronunciations sound like Yokohama in Japanese) in China since the summer. On this occasion, Yokohama is aiming to drive its brand awareness in the country forward by linking the brand and phonograms with its products at the auto show – a complete range of tyres will be exhibited.

Yokohama reports that it will exhibit passenger car tyres produced by Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd.; ADVAN tyres, the global flagship brand; SUV tyres; motor sports tyres; and tyres for trucks and buses.

The Chinese rendering of Yokohama is apparently pronounced: “you ku hao ma.” Yokohama Rubber continues to work to make the corporate name of “Yokohama” a globally recognized brand, but, as the characters for “Yokohama” are read quite differently in Chinese, the company adopted phonograms that are similar phonetically.

Auto China 2008 in Beijing will be the 10th in that city (the show’s host-city alternates between Shanghai and Beijing). At the previous Beijing show, in 2006, 1,500 auto-related manufacturers from all over the world exhibited their products, and some 600,000 people attended.