Lassa ‘Liberates’ Brand

Perhaps the most obvious development at Lassa is the launch of the company’s new corporate identity. Lassa’s marketing department refers its new design as “liberating the brand,” but this wasn’t simply a case of commissioning a designer one week and finishing it another. In fact Lassa spent roughly a year deciding on the new logo; and the consultation process involved many different stakeholders in the decision. Lassa’s decision to opt for a two story Essen stand – for the first time – literally raised the profile of the new design.

During the Essen Exhibition Martin West, Lassa’s International Marketing and Business Development Director; and International Sales Director, Levent Akpulat gave details of how the company’s customer base has grown. This also means there have been some changes being made to the distributor list in market such as the UK. This means that Guildford Tyres and Alba Tyres recently joined the Lassa circle, in a move that suggests the manufacturer is moving more towards customers that own retail and wholesale operations. The appointment earlier this year of Vicki Tillson as UK sales manager also points towards improved new retail focus for Lassa in the UK market. 2008 also sees Lassa launch a new distributor support programme – Connect – and new ranges of tyres for the High Performance and Winter tyre segments.

On a wider European level, the last year has seen Lassa gain new customers in Denmark, Sweden, Bosnia and France. Executives highlighted excellent performance in France as particularly worthy of note, but point to the developments in the mature UK market as something of a pilot study for the rest of Europe.

During the show, Lassa also exhibited its recently launched Impetus Revo tyre. In a like-for-like competitor comparison, the new Lassa Impetus Revo reportedly “performed well in all areas and exceptionally when compared for aquaplaning and riding comfort,” Lassa representatives told Tyres & Accessories. 27 Revo sizes will be phased in during 2008, with a further 15 further sizes following in 2009.

Company test comparisons found that the tyre offers excellent wet and dry road grip; high resistance to aquaplaning; and long life and lower fuel consumption. Developed in conjunction with the dedicated research and design centre in Turkey, the new Impetus Revo particularly improved the tread’s pitch-sequence tread design. Based on a silica-based compound, the new tyre includes an optimised sidewall design, four circumferential main grooves, and a continuous centre rib.

In terms of production, Lassa has successfully managed to achieve its production growth target and now produces 11 million tyres a year. Capacity is expected to continue to grow annually, but at a slower rate than in the last two or three years.