In its fifth annual survey the Japanese technology company Asahi Kasei asked car users in four major automotive markets (Germany, the United States, China, and Japan) about brand loyalty and key motivators for buying electric vehicles (EVs). The results suggest tightening competition, new manufacturers entering the markets, and – perhaps as a result – “brand loyalty is wavering worldwide”.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has further confirmed its brand strategy for the coming years, the so-called “redefined roles” for Dunlop, Avon and Cooper, amongst others. The company has de-premiumised Dunlop in anticipation of growth within tiers 2 and 3 of the tyre market in the next half-decade at the expense of tier 1.
At the end of September, the list of Asia’s most influential brands of 2023 was published at the “Asia Brand Summit” in Hong Kong. A total of 500 brands from 20 countries and regions, were honoured at the 18th World Brand Lab summit themed “The Impact of New Technologies on Brand Transformation and Consumer Behavior.” Seven of them were tyre brands and all seven were ranked amongst the top 350 of the 500 honoured brands.
In mid-October Tyres & Accessories visited the Goodyear EMEA headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, to hear more about exactly how executives are leading the business through its recent tumultuous times. The group of executives Tyres & Accessories met with specifically included David Anckaert, Goodyear EMEA vice-president, consumer; and Troy Scully, vice president, communications and public affairs EMEA. The topics we covered included business transformation, manufacturing optimisation and brand reorganisation. The full article is published in the November edition of Tyres & Accessories, but here’s a brief preview of that detailed response.
This article is a preview of the full interview that will be published in the November edition of Tyres & Accessories magazine. Not a subscriber? No problem, click here to become one.
Recently, the World Brand Summit 2023 was held in Beijing. Tyrepress China learned that nine tyre manufacturing companies had been listed in “China’s 500 Most Valuable Brands”.
Following Goodyear’s takeover of Cooper and the integration of the German Cooper sales organization in Goodyear Germany, the German wing of Gooodyear EMEA has added two more logos to its product portfolio, those of the Cooper and of Avon brands. However, the German introduction of the latter is bringing with it significant changes in the Avon brand’s positioning.
Toward the end of December 2022, we reported that Tatneft had applied for FAS approval to buy the Nokian Tyres St. Petersburg factory. That deal, which is yet to be completed, centred on “the acquisition of 100 per cent of “Nokian Tyres LLC, Hakka Invest LLC and Nokian Shina LLC from Nokian Tyres” for just over 400 million euros. Around the same time, the Russian national patenting body, Rospatent, reported that Nokian Tyres LLC, which operates Nokian’s Russian tyre for the Finnish tyremaker, had filed applications for the registration of new trademarks.
Four years ago: In an interview at the Geneva Autoshow, Sam Gibara put forward his views. Goodyear had, according to him, the best people, the best distribution, the most cost-effective plants, the best products and – with its innovative EMT tyres – a three-year lead over its competitors. Within three years, he predicted, 75% of Goodyear tyres produced would be EMT tyres (in 2002, the actual figure was one million tyres). The IMPACT production process (Integrated Manufacturing Precision Assembled Cellular Technology) was held up as a revolutionary advance, guaranteeing predominance over the competition and an example of Goodyear’s technical leadership.
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