The NTDA has announced that Tim Parker, former Kwik-Fit and current AA CEO, will open the business sessions at the association’s annual conference. John Tarbox, chairman of the organising committee is enthusiastic about the success of the conference.
In the US, Goodyear is launching its biggest media campaign since the launch of the Aquatred in 1992, featuring its new Assurance tyre brand. A 30-second advert will run on network and cable television during prime-time viewing hours. It will also be shown during popular late-night shows (Jay Leno, David Letterman etc.) and will run during high profile sporting events such as the Kentucky Derby. The campaign also features a 90-second mini-film to be shown in cinemas – the first time Goodyear has used this medium. Both the TV commercial and the movie were shot in Iceland, directed by film director Jan De Bont and feature the voice of internationally famous actor Patrick Stewart.
The variety of motorsports is terrific; from the single seater Formula 1 and Formula 3 cars to events such as touring cars and rallying, where the cars – and tyres – at least look like the ones that we see on the roads. Then there is the two- (and three- if you count sidecar racing) wheel motorsports sector. Many tyre manufacturers are active in at least of these sectors, while some supply tyres across the motorsports spectrum. Their motive is usually publicity and brand exposure, although there may be technical spin-offs or commercial advantages through being allied with a winning team. Whatever the reasons, many tyre manufacturers are heavily involved in motorsports. We take a look at who, and why.
Another year nearly gone and, as usual, the tyre business has seen its fair share of comings and goings, good news and bad news, plus a host of new products. Our review of 2003 will remind you month by month of who did what, events both at home and overseas and people who made, and who were in, the news. Also there is a talking point for each month, focusing on a particular aspect of that month’s news. Jog your memory with our in-depth look back at the year.
Whilst presenting the new Pirelli Calendar 2004 in London yesterday evening, Pirelli’s chairman and CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera asked the guests for a minute’s silence in commemoration of the victims from a bomb attack on an Italian military base in Iraq in which 15 Italian soldiers and others were killed. The new 2004 Calendar that was then presented by photographer Nick Knight and art director Peter Saville, takes getting used to. Star model of the evening was undoubtedly the Sudanese Alek Wek, who enjoys large reputation also because of various social commitments.
It was a quiet day on the legal front for Goodyear yesterday, with only one more law firm announcing that it was going to bring a class action against the company, following the recent admission that income had been over-stated. Reaction to recent events has been mixed, with website message boards showing a sharp divergence of views – unsurprisingly, there are bitter comments about the management, both past and present, but there are harsh words too for the lawyers, who some see as exploiting an unfortunate situation for financial gain. Taking Goodyear’s share price as a barometer of opinion shows that yesterday it rose 17 cents, to close at $6.72.
The Organisers of Tyrexpo Asia, ECI International Ltd., have announced new dates of 17 to 19 February 2004 for the fourth in the series of Tyrexpo Asia events. Paul Farrant, Managing Director of ECI International, confirms, together with the support of the industry, that it is in the interests of exhibitors and visitors to re-schedule Tyrexpo Asia from its original dates in September 2003 to the new dates of 17 to 19 February, 2004. It is believed that the current situation relating to the SARS virus could unduly affect the success of Tyrexpo Asia. By moving the dates to February 2004 it is anticipated that governmental travel restrictions will be significantly diminished and confidence in international travel fully restored.
Noburo “Tim” Kawakami, president of Bridgestone/Firestone manufacturing operations in the USA, is to retire on March 31 next year. His place will be taken by Masao Wada, currently manager of the factory at Aiken County, South Carolina, and succeeding Wada will be Mike Rose, operations manager at the facility. In keeping with events in Europe, the American subsidiary is changing its name, from Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding to Bridgestone Americas Holding.
Hot on the heels of the demise of InterTyre comes the news that a new UK exhibition for the tyre and related trades has been organised for October at Earls Court in London. To be called Tyre World, the show will be run by London-based conference and events organisers Idex Media. The arrangements were confirmed only yesterday and, as such, few details are available at this time.
The SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) has confirmed that auto1 and InterTyre have been cancelled in a press release which blames the “declining industry profits and reduced marketing budgets”. The postponement decision has been taken rather than producing a show which would not fully represent the scale of the industry.
InterTyre will be officially launched on the 1st May during the Commercial Vehicle Show at the NEC, Birmingham. The exhibition will run alongside Auto 1. “These restyled shows promise to transform the way that the automotive aftermarket is presented”, said Tim Maunder, Head of Events Operations at the SMMT.
Messe Frankfurt, organisers of Automechanika Asia has announced the postponement of this years exhibition, which had been scheduled to take place in Singapore from 18th – 20th April. Citing the impact of recent global events and the regional economic crises, Wolfram Diener managing director of Messe Frankfurt went on to say. “This decision is based primarily upon our concern that exhibiting companies may not receive the returns they would expect for their time and financial commitments in participating in Automechanika Asia 2002”.
The Corporate Design Foundation has named the Goodyear blimps a “business and design classic”; an accolade bestowed in the past on such well-known icons as the paper clip and the Coca-Cola bottle. Every year in the USA, the Goodyear blimp is seen live by 60 million people at sporting events, and by millions more on TV.
It was early in the year 2000 when Continental merged its two UK wholesalers, Viking Express and Birkenshaw International, to form Viking International. The move made a lot of sense, as the two companies had separate territories and there was little duplication of services – this was underlined by the fact that Viking International was formed with no redundancies being made in either company. In our article, Viking International’s MD Alan Revie talks about the events of the past year, how the merger had affected customers and company alike and the prospects for the future. Times are difficult today for wholesalers, with costs increasing and price pressure on tyres and Viking International places great emphasis on IT and its role in modern business practice. One year on from the merger and Alan Revie is upbeat and confident about the future for Viking International, believing that the company is ideally placed to develop and grow.
This year’s Tyrexpo show was held only a matter of weeks before a rival exhibition, being run alongside an already-successful aftermarket exhibition. It would be naïve to believe that the existence of two shows so close together has had anything but an adverse effect on both events, and the fear was that the tyre industry would be the loser if we had two bad shows. The total number of visitors to Tyrexpo Europe was a disappointment, but many of the exhibitors expressed themselves satisfied with the quality of visitors. Opinions were polarised – some were happy, others not, some said that the UK needs a dedicated tyre show, others were not so sure. One thing on which all were agreed is that we cannot afford the same two-exhibition situation in two years’ time. Our review covers exhibitor’s reactions – warts and all.
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