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.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has received plaudits from American consumer magazine, Consumers Digest in its January/February 2012 issue. In the “All-Season Car Tires” category, Goodyear’s Assurance TripleTred All-Season was the editors’ selected Premium tyre, receiving “Best Buy” designation. The company’s Assurance ComforTred Touring was awarded a Best Buy label in the “Touring Car Tires” category.
Throughout 2011, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) conducted research to analyse the defects that in-service Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) have. The results, which were collected over four, two-week periods, revealed over 1,000 tyre defects on the 6,000 vehicles inspected.
The FTA is one of the UK's largest trade associations and represents the transport interests of companies moving goods by road, rail, sea and air. For over 45 years FTA's Vehicle Inspection Service has been supporting companies by inspecting and auditing the safety, legality and overall performance of their commercial vehicles, related equipment and general maintenance arrangements, to ensure that fleets operate to a consistently high, UK standard.
In addition to its sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show – this year featuring performances by Madonna, Cirque du Soleil and others – Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations is investing in a new brand campaign that will air during the football final and other major sporting events. The first in a series of five television commercials debuted 2 January, and two of the sports-themed advertisements will be screened during the Super Bowl XLVI on 5 February.
The 20th Taiwan Excellence Award was held recently; the aim of the event is to enhance the brand image and reputation of Taiwanese firms and products in the wider, global business arena, showcasing product and technological innovation.
Federal Tire was one of those companies honoured for its innovative products. The awards are made, based on four criteria, namely R&D, design, quality and marketing and a product has to score well in every category in order to advance to the next stage of judgment.
Toyo will exhibit its new Proxes T1 Sport and the Proxes T1 Sport SUV at its stand at the Brussels Motor Show later this month. The tyre manufacturer’s stand will be situated on the patio, and it says visitors will “gain an insight into the main precepts of the Toyo Tires strategy”, through the breadth of products on show. Toyo says it will “aim to confirm the company’s commitment to meeting the needs of today’s drivers: good value for money and a great driving experience.” The 90th Brussels Motor Show opens on 12 January 2012.
Federal Tyres Australia has announced that it is the co-naming right sponsor of Miss Summernats in 2012, held at the annual Street Machine Summernats Car Festival. The Miss Summernats competition is one of Australia’s richest motorsports beauty contests, with $2,000 prizes up for grabs and an exclusive photo shoot for Zoo. “Federal Tyres Australia is thrilled to support Summernats 25 as naming sponsor for Miss Summernats,” said Mick Hart, sales and marketing coordinator at Federal Tyres Australia.
Michelin’s product marketing manager, Steve Dolby has said that Which? magazine’s winter tyre tests – in which the manufacturer’s Alpin A4 and Primacy Alpin PA3 cold weather tyres were awarded “best buy” ratings – will help to raise awareness amongst consumers and educate them about the benefits of fitting cold weather tyres during the winter months.“There has been considerable interest from UK consumers in cold weather tyres this year,” Dolby said, “and sales so far are estimated to be more than half a million tyres – up nearly 50 per cent over the same period last year.”
Tire Group International has appointed Enrique Goudie, a 20-year veteran of the tyre industry, as senior category manager in the company's international team; Sherko Hajrasouli has also joined the company as its territory manager for the Middle East.
HiQ Openshaw has announced the recruitment of a new mechanic; while this may not be the day’s biggest news story, its relevance becomes clearer when we consider that the east-Manchester branch is the first of the network’s 150 centres to recruit a woman in that position. The centre took on Dominyka Kasponyte after she approached the garage looking to further her early career working as an apprentice mechanic. Kasponyte, from Gorton, joins a team of nine men at the centre bringing with her various training qualifications including an NVQ and a national diploma. HiQ says she joins “a growing group of women who have taken on roles from centre management to directorship across the network.”
Cooper has launched its new 4×4 tyre for extreme conditions, the Discoverer S/T MAXX. The tyre’s compound and tread succeed the popular Discoverer STT. Cooper stated that the tyre will have its first serious test during the 2012 Dakar Rally, in which it will be fitted to Xavier Foj’s Toyota Land Cruiser 150; the third consecutive time the legendary Spanish driver will run on Cooper rubber. The tyre will be launched fully into Europe in February. It is M+S rated and available in sizes ranging from 16 to 18 inch.
David Stinissen has been appointed to the role of marketing manager at Toyo Tire Europe, effective 1 January 2012. Stinissen has taken charge of the Japanese tyre maker’s European marketing department and will carry out this new role in addition to continuing in his existing position as marketing manager for Toyo in the Benelux countries. He will be based both at Toyo Tire Europe’s headquarters in Willich, Germany and at Toyo Tire Benelux in Roosendaal, the Netherlands.
Hankook Tire has appointed a new vice-president of public relations. Kim Hyun-kyung, who is the company’s first vice-president, joins the Korean tyre maker after spending 18 years at the Samsung Group, where she was responsible for international public relations and sports marketing. “Kim is the first female to hold the title since the company was founded in 1941,” commented a Hankook official. “We will strengthen promotional work abroad to boost global sales.”
Momentive Performance Materials Inc., has announced its collaboration with Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. on the development of Enasave Premium tyre, which earned the best rating (AAA) for rolling resistance under Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association’s (JATMA) labelling system. Launched at the Tokyo Motor Show, 2-11 December 2011, Enasave Premium is Sumitomo’s flagship tyre in its fuel-efficient tyre range.
Pascal Couasnon is to take over as director of the Michelin Group’s Competitions Department upon Nick Shorrock’s retirement on 2 April, 2012, the tyre maker has announced. The 50-year old, who joined the Michelin Group in 1987, currently holds the position of director of technical and scientific communication in the company’s Communications and Brands Department, a role he commenced in 2010.
New blood has been injected into Goodyear’s North American leadership. John F. “Jack” Winterton has been appointed president of the company’s North American Tire consumer business unit and Phillip Kane has taken over as vice-president of the Goodyear’s North American Tire commercial tyre business. Both appointments, Goodyear comments, are effective immediately and intended to “continue the positive momentum in the company’s North American Tire business.”
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