A number of changes have been announced within the Race Tire Development (RTD) arm of the North America-based Firestone Racing programme. Bridgestone Americas describes these as a reorganisation and opines that they will add “manufacturing expertise while reaffirming the brand’s commitment to innovation and the Verizon IndyCar Series.”
Firestone’s smartphone tyre-pressure calculator app for farmers across Europe has been downloaded more than 43,000 times since its 2011 launch. The brand states that it expects this enthusiasm to grow even faster with the inclusion of pressure data for the new Firestone Maxi Traction 65 tyre, launched at Reifen 2016. The tyre brings longer tyre life and lower operating costs to the popular 65 series for medium-sized tractors.
New month, new website: On 1 July, Bridgestone Europe launched a new European website for its Firestone car, truck/bus and agricultural ranges. The firestone.eu site covers 18 national markets within the region and is available in 14 languages. All expected conveniences, including tyre search by vehicle (for cars and vans) or function (for trucks and buses) can be found on the new site.
Firestone Music Tour has added Irish festival to its list of musical destinations, after a partnership with Vantastival 2016 was announced. It will become the first Irish festival to take part in the hugely successful Firestone Music Tour, which currently spans France, Germany, Italy, Poland, England and Spain.
Firestone has launched its sponsorship of a stage for up-and-coming musicians at selected Barclaycard Arena events. The Firestone Stage allows acts to play inside the Birmingham venue before headliners take to the stage, and was officially launched on 21 March at Ellie Goulding’s Birmingham show. The stage offers musical talent from across the UK to play in front of up to 15,800 people on the main concourse. The stage will also host Firestone’s annual Battle of the Bands competition, where musicians compete to win personalised Marshall amplifiers, music equipment and an opportunity to perform on the stage in future months.
Bridgestone Europe says it will present the latest addition to its Firestone passenger car tyre range at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. According to the tyre maker, the new Firestone Destination Winter SUV tyre offers “top snow control” and a “best-in-market EU label B rating for wet grip.”
The sales and marketing teams at Bridgestone and Firestone have been strengthened by the arrival of two dedicated brand managers. Peter Coleman and Stuart Attfield join the two respective teams and in doing so supplement a strengthened salesforce and pricing department. Both report to consumer marketing manager Wim Belckx and sales and marketing director Farrell Dolan.
A new line-up of Firestone tyres designed for both on- and off-road use aims to provide users with high levels of durability, long wear life and good grip over a wide range of tough terrain. Upon introducing its FS822 Steer, FD833 Drive and FT833 Trailer tyres, Bridgestone Europe says the trio “bring Firestone’s renowned no-nonsense, cost-effective approach to the on/off segment.”
Birmingham act Rituals was crowned the overall winners of Firestone’s recent Battle of the Bands. The competition saw four unsigned music acts play to a national audience, starring on the Barclaycard Arena stage in Birmingham.
The band can now look forward to a series of sets on the Barclaycard Arena Unsigned Stage along with personalised Marshall amplifiers and music equipment, in a huge breakthrough for musicians Jo Berry, Jake Peal, Corey Deards, Andy Lowe and Dan Lovatt.
Bridgestone has hosted customers and staff over three days at Mira, where the manufacturer presented its products through a series of driving experiences and displays. “Bridgestone World”, which also included Firestone brand products, comprised various wet handling and off-road driving experiences; a series of activities and displays, including Firestone’s music partnerships; Bridgestone’s sporting sponsorships in a specially created motocross area; and a Bridgestone Golf area.
Having reduced a field of 51 to 19, Auto Bild announced that three of the winter tyres tested had made it all the way to the top of the German magazine’s rankings, picking up “exemplary” ratings. Continental’s WinterContact TS 850, Pirelli’s Winter Snowcontrol Serie 3, and the Barum Polaris 3 were the best performers, according to Auto Bild’s testers, who ranked the tyres based on their performance on snowy, wet and dry roads and their cost. The tests were performed on a VW Polo, with the tyres sized 185/60R15 T.
In its annual winter tyre performance survey, German motoring publication AutoBild narrows a wide field of 49 winter tyres and two all-season tyres with wet and snow braking measurements before conducting a full test of a range of characteristics. 19 tyres made it through to the 2015/16 season test, conducted using the tyre size 185/60 R15.
Bridgestone is celebrating the centenary of the Firestone brand in Australia. Firestone tyres were first sold Down Under in August 1915, just 15 years after the Firestone Tyre and Rubber Company was first set up.
The Europe-wide Firestone Music Tour, part of the relaunched brand’s efforts to reach a vibrant, youthful audience through music, will make its UK stop at Reading this weekend. The Bridgestone second-line brand’s ‘Roll on the Summer’ consumer campaign has been taking place in participating garages across the UK, offering a series of prizes for every tyre sale made, including a top prize of VIP tickets to the Reading Festival itself.
As of this month a new Firestone web presence is covering 18 European markets and providing product and brand information in 14 languages. Bridgestone Europe has rolled out the new site to support its ‘revival’ of the Firestone brand within the region, a drive that has seen it introduce a new tyre line-up and a marketing campaign aimed at “young-at-heart drivers” who aspire to the “freedom to drive”.
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