Former Apollo Tyres creative media provider JWT has secured the MRF Tyres account, a deal reportedly worth Rs 200,000,000 (US$5 million). The global advertising firm’s Chennai based office will handle the MRF corporate and motorcycle tyres accounts, and will promote the tyremaker through a number of mediums including television, print and internet advertising.
JWT allegedly was required to drop the Apollo Tyres account in order to be taken on by MRF.
(Akron/Tire Review) Continental Tire North America will be the sponsor of the media centre at the 2007 SEMA Show. Located near the show floor and specifically designated for qualified journalists covering the event, the Continental Tire Media Experience provides access to exhibitor publicity and media materials, complete with newsroom equipment for those who file stories during the show. The centre will have Internet and phone access, computers, copy and fax machines; exhibitor media kits available for all media personnel; and interview and meeting areas, refreshments and lounge areas.
Following the success of its ‘viral’ marketing campaign, first introduced in March 2006, Goodyear has chosen to promote its RunOnFlat tyres around the world through advertising agency Leagas Delaney. Two humourous new ‘virals’, internet based video advertisements that are distributed by individuals e-mailing them to friends and colleagues, have been released. Both videos, titled ‘waterbed’ and ‘bouncy castle’, demonstrate the perils of being caught with a puncture. Once the video has been watched viewers are invited to click through to Goodyear’s dedicated campaign website, www.runonflat.com.
The virals will be ‘seeded’ – introduced to the internet – by Go Viral, an agency that specialises in user-driven marketing campaigns. Go Viral handled Goodyear’s earlier viral marketing program, and the agency reported that these videos were viewed nine million times in nine months, with a million views in the campaign’s first week alone. Go Viral is confident that the latest viral videos will reach their desired target audience in the three intended markets.
In July Tyres & Accessories examines a business tool of increasing importance to those in the trade and retail tyre business. Our July E-Commerce feature contains news and interviews from those who have benefited from taking their businesses online and useful information to help you make the most of the opportunities offered by the internet.
Make sure your business looks after its tomorrow by keeping pace with changing business practices – read all about it in our E-Commerce feature.
An innovative new way of turning hand written paperwork into electronically transmittable data is set to transform the way in which tyre businesses process information from mobile technicians and other remote workers. Using state-of-the-art hardware, experts at Cam Systems have developed an affordable electronic ballpoint ink pen, which allows a workforce to capture information on paper at one location and transmit it via a Bluetooth enabled device, to another.
The so-called Cam-ePen system is expected to be particularly popular with tyre dealers providing on-site service and roadside breakdown assistance. It will also play an important role in capturing workshop records and job cards or timesheets, in fact practically anything that is currently being documented on paper can be adapted. It means paperwork based reports and signature authorizations can be completed instantly with real time data exchange linked to a central data management system.
TEAM Systems is back at Brityrex for 2007, maintaining a record of having exhibited at every show since the launch of the original TEAM software product back in 1993. “The fact that we keep coming back means that the show works for us,” says managing director Steve Greatrex. “It’s the ideal occasion for meeting customers, launching new products and keeping in touch with the industry, so for us Brityrex has always been an important date on the calendar.”
With over decade of consistent growth, Steve believes that the secret of TEAM Systems’ success is down to both the quality of the product and the service delivered by the team of experienced and qualified experts.
(Akron/Tire Review) Electronic registration of tyres should be permitted, according to the RMA, which voiced its opinion to NHTSA. The agency is considering changes to voluntary tyre registration regulations.
Current Federal regulations require tyre retailers to provide paper registration cards to tyre buyers, who then may or may not mail them back in. Registering tyres makes it easier for tyre companies to contact tyre owners in the event of a product recall.
According to the RMA, “no more than 10% of tyre registration cards are currently returned to manufacturers and a significant number of these cards are inaccurate, incomplete or illegible.” The trade group believes the return rate would “substantially improve” if tyre buyers could use the Internet or “other electronic means” to register their tyres.
A unique new commercial tool is set to transform the way companies go about acquiring other businesses, according to its developers. VIBE, which has been devised by Plimsoll Publishing, draws on a database of information covering virtually every company in Britain and Northern Ireland. It shows at a glance if a company is ripe for takeover – and why.
UK based company Truckfile is planning to launch what it claims to be the first ever device capable of automatically measuring tyre tread depth. Truckfile intends to launch this new product, known as Tyrecheck, at April’s CV show.
Pirelli have made a second foray into the world of filmmaking with their new short film ‘Mission Zero.’ The ten-minute film, whose debut screening recently took place in New York, stars Uma Thurman as the target of relentless assassins who are determined to kill her for apparently no reason.
The number of motor traders failing during 2006 reached its highest point at 303 for more than a decade, an increase of 7.1 per cent compared to 2005. The industry had seen a poor start to the year with the number of business failures in the automotive industry increasing by 67.9 per cent, according to Experian. This was the second largest increase in insolvencies experienced across the 34 industries reviewed by the global information solutions company.
A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has significantly expanded its television reach by signing an exclusive broadcast deal with Channel Five in the UK. Across the UK, Sky Sports’ live race coverage will now be supported by a Channel Five highlights package, scheduled to be shown mid-week after each event. The partnership with the free-to-air terrestrial channel will mean that over 90 per cent of UK households can now support their national race team in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. The announcement is likely to please Cooper bosses who have put significant funding into the race series through its position of control tyre supplier.
(Akron/Tire Review) TIA has launched a new industry job board – Tire Industry JobNet. TIA partnered with JobTarget.com, a large provider of Internet-based job posting services, to develop the project. “Our members expressed a strong interest in this type of service,” said TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield. “There is such a need for and scarcity of qualified employees in today’s marketplace. We are pleased to be able to offer this service, not only to our members, but to all companies in the industry.”
1) If you can’t get big, get niche
The web is huge, but you can be successful by being different. Maybe you can offer a range of specialist products that is hard to find elsewhere.
2) Learn from others
Absorb the lessons from case studies. Let other people make the mistakes for you.
During July and August Tyres & Accessories is giving away 25 copies of Chris Barling’s book “Over 120 Top Tips for Running an E-commerce Web Site.” For your chance to win one send your email address and contact details to theeditor@77.237.250.82.
For the other eight top tips we are giving away to subscribers, simply click more
Every month InfoRoute Truck Tyre Manager (TTM) processes tyre inspection details for over 8,000 trucks and trailers across the UK. Glyn Cainey, truck tyre director at Dexel Tyre Company, says: “TTM helps staff with no specialist computer knowledge improve service, increase fitter productivity and win more business”. Dexel, one of the larger UK independent tyre companies with nearly 40 truck tyre service vehicles, has used TTM for over two years. A team of three inspectors use TTM to find and organise work, ensuring that fleets are economically and safely managed.
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