The bigger the tyre brand, the more important marketing becomes in order to communicate its values and its worth. With this in mind, the “marketing” tag collates all the latest marketing-related news and analysis into a single place. This reverse-chronological list of thousands of articles is your go-to source of tyre industry, marketing-related news and information.
On January 31 Columbian Chemicals (Weifang) Holdings S.àr.l., completed the acquisition of Shandong Haihua Carbon Black Chemical Co., Ltd. located in the city of Weifang, in China’s Shandong province. This purchase represents Columbian’s first entry into the Chinese carbon black market.
(Akron/Tire Review) Alcoa Forged Specialty Wheels has expanded its off-road light truck wheel line with the addition of the Pro Series and Adventure Series lines. Forged from one-piece 6061-T6 aluminum, both Pro Series and Adventure Series wheels are now available for most ½-ton trucks, full size SUVs and Jeeps. A variety of 17- to 20-inch sizes, with polished clearcoat and chrome finish options, are available.
(Rubber Asia, Kerala, India) The strides made by Mardec RK Latex Group ever since its humble beginning in the 1940s are a typical example of how passion and commitment to quality can take a business to great heights. The group, which started off with large rubber estates in Kerala, the home of Indian rubber, expanded into creamed and centrifuged latex in the 80s and early 90s to emerge as one of the largest processors of these products in India.
UK based company Watts Tyres Plc has announced the purchase of Diprima Industrial Tire after reaching an agreement with Diprima Marketing Services Inc. This latest acquisition, combined with Watts’ existing US facility in Valley City, Ohio, gives the firm a strategic position in both the northern and southern US states, putting it in a better position to achieve its ambitious growth plans.
(Akron/Tire Review) India’s Apollo Tyres Ltd. unveiled the first of its new Indian made Regal brand radial truck and bus tyres. The line was launched with the Regal Transport RS (steer axle) and the Regal Transport RD (drive axle) at the Bus World exposition taking place in Mumbai, India.
The CEO of Hankook Tire, Choong Hwan Cho, has announced the company’s global sales target for 2007 is $US3.6 billion, a significant increase on last year’s realised US$2,5 billion. Hankook are also targeting an operating profit of US$340 million and a recurring profit of US$282 million.
Sapphire Energy Recovery has launched a Service Charter for Sapphire regional collectors. Sapphire and its network of six regional collectors have all signed up to a Service Charter that outlines to new and existing customers, a level of service and commitment that tyre retailers can expect to receive.
Sapphire Energy Recovery has launched a new-look website designed to appeal to a wide range of audiences including tyre retailers, the waste disposal industry, children and students and the general public. Sapphire’s sales and marketing manager, Ryan Mifflin commented:
(Akron/Tire Review) Arnco says it has developed a new flatproofing material that is 60% lighter than polyurethane tyre fill material. Dubbed UltraLite, Arnco’s new tyre fill product is specifically designed for slower-speed, light-duty equipment such as lawn tractors, golf and utility carts, truck mounted forklifts, power wheelchairs, and roofing equipment.
Michelin has launched the Pilot Road 2, unveiling its latest dual compound offering at the Motorcycle Trade Expo at Stoneleigh Park. The French manufacturer claims that its latest product means riders no longer have to compromise between wet grip and tread life. Michelin hopes results of tests conducted by CERM will help convince retailers and the motorcycle riding public of this.
David Johnson of Essex proved to be the lucky winner of the Marangoni Tyre-sponsored MG Enthusiast Magazine prize MGF. The prize was drawn at the recent NEC Classic Motor Show and the resplendent MGF was handed over at the beginning of December, a very special early Christmas present!
The competition, which ran over a six-month duration during the summer of 2006 in MG Enthusiast and at various events including the Classic Motor Show, attracted thousands of entries. The prize MGF had been restored to perfection over a six-month period by a group of specialist companies. Marangoni supplied a set of Ultra High Performance Zeta Linea tyres for the prize vehicle.
The Marangoni involvement, coordinated by Midlands marketing consultancy Torqback Ltd, was the result of a unique partnership with publisher Octane Media Ltd, parent company of MG Enthusiast Magazine, the joint venture being planned by Octane Media Managing Director Geoff Love, Managing Editor David Lillywhite and Derek Carruthers, Marangoni (Car Tyre Division) Global Sales & Marketing Director.
“We have been delighted by the response to our participation at the Classic Motor Show with Octane Media and being able to communicate the Marangoni story to an informed and discerning audience. We were more than happy to supply the Zeta Linea tyres for the MG Enthusiast project MGF, which highlights their suitability for this hugely popular sports car. Our NEC involvement has certainly proved a very successful and rewarding partnership and has provided an ideal platform for building Marangoni brand awareness in the Classic Car market segment,” said Derek Carruthers.
A major marketing campaign is underway to attract visitors from around the world to this year’s Brityrex International 07 show at the G-MEX Exhibition Centre in Manchester. More than 60,000 free entry tickets to the exhibition are being distributed throughout the UK tyre industry and to professionals around the world. Each exhibitor at May’s show also has the opportunity of taking hundreds of tickets to attract their own customers and contacts to the event.
Yokohama in the US has signed an OE deal with the Chrysler Group that will see the tyremaker supplying a large proportion of the tyres for the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. This supply agreement is, according to the company’s OE sales and marketing department, Yokohama’s first high-volume OE deal with a US manufacturer.
Kraiburg Austria has appointed a new management team for its Retreading Materials business unit, with Frank Gregory becoming sales director. The move took effect on 1 January and saw the eight-year Kraiburg veteran promoted from the position of sales manager Central Europe.
A Cornish farmer owns what he believes to be the oldest set of original tyres on a working tractor. John Sweet, from St Austell, uses his 1957 Ferguson FE35 daily on his 20-acre market garden, which sports the original Firestone ‘Champion Ground Grip’ tyres it came from the dealers with half a century ago. The tyres have never been punctured and the air used to inflate them when new is still inside.
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