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.
Michelin North America has released a new tyre suitable for applications such as materials handling and airport ground support vehicles. Called the XZR, the new tyre is one the manufacturer says “provides increased operator comfort, speed capability and traction compared to the current Michelin offering for these applications.”
Dunlop has announced that its Geomax tyre is the choice of factory-backed teams from Honda, Yamaha and KTM in both MX1 and MX2 classes of the 2011 Motocross World Championships. Dunlop’s links with Motocross go back to the beginnings of the sport. The brand has a “race-to-road” (or in this case “off-road”) policy with motorsport, and using it as a “high-pressure development laboratory teaches the designers important lessons,” which can be passed on to customers, incorporated directly into the production tyre range.
The burghers of 37 European cities are the target audience for Vredestein’s largest ever billboard campaign. To coincide with the opening of the Geneva Autosalon, the Dutch brand has taken a total of 10,156 square metres of advertising space in prime locations.
KRT has been marketing and distributing tyres for the past four decades having become one of the largest independent tyre distributors in the UK and Ireland. According to the company, 4×4/SUV tyres are a “very important part” of their growing business, which became a new focus when the company added the Cooper range of Light Truck, 4×4 and SUV tyres to their line up 10 years ago. During this time the Cooper brand name has reportedly grown dramatically. And the range of fitments and patterns in the Cooper portfolio enables KRT to cover “the majority of every requirement.”
Fuel cards are vital in the fight against fraudulent fuel claims which are expected to rise as austerity measures kick in, says leading fuel card reseller The Fuelcard Company.
New research has revealed that around 25 per cent of all fuel claims could be exaggerated, costing fleet businesses millions of pounds every year at a time when budgets are already stretched.
On April 1, Nexen Tire America will implement price increases of up to eight per cent on its tyre ranges in the US and Canada. In announcing the price adjustment in a letter to customers, John E. Aben, the company’s vice president sales and marketing referred to rising raw material costs and particularly the “uncertainty in the cost of natural rubber.”
Goodyear has announced the election of Werner Geissler, vice chairman of global operations for The Procter & Gamble Company, to the company’s Board of Directors as an independent director. “Werner brings to our Board of Directors more than three decades of valuable experience in brand and business leadership,” said Richard J. Kramer, chairman and chief executive officer. “His consumer marketing expertise, along with his international insights, will be an asset as we continue to carry out our global strategy in 2011 and beyond.”
During the course of 2011 the CGS Group will introduce a new Mitas branded range of tyres for use in row-crop agriculture into its global markets. This Mitas range will replace the existing Continental brand row crop tyres that Mitas has been producing under licence since 2004.
Hyundai Mobis Co., (the South Korean carmaker’s mobile, system, parts and service arm) reports that it has developed the first locally made tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and plans to supply it to foreign auto firms as well as its local affiliates. The company said the new device demonstrates equal performance with overseas-made rival products and is easier to install due to its use of rubber valves.
The new device reportedly weighs 10 per cent less than rival products due to its smaller battery size, uses 30 per cent less electricity and shows a stronger performance in securing wheel balancing, Hyundai Mobis said.
Details of the comprehensive Starco range of tyres and related products have long been available in catalogue form, and the company has now taken the first step in transferring this information online. Customers in Germany are the first to experience the company’s new “STARCOshop” and Starco intends to roll out online catalogues for its aftermarket customers throughout the whole of Europe within two years.
Denmark’s Starco has announced the formation of a joint venture with Buco S.A., a family-owned company located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Buco specialises in the development of rubber parts for agricultural machinery, and under the joint venture’s terms the Starco Group receives exclusive European distribution rights for the entire Buco product range – including a comprehensive range of semi-pneumatic tyres and wheels, corrugated hoses and telescopic tubes for seed drills. Starco Europe group marketing manager Brian Lorentzen states that with the joint venture both companies will “benefit from their combined product expertise and market knowledge, all of which supports a strategy of expanding further into the agricultural segment in Europe.”
Two Hankook Tire America Corp. executives have opted to leave the company. Bill Bainbridge, director of brand communications, has decided to retire effective February 25. He joined Hankook in 2003 after stints with Toyo Tire USA, where he served as marketing director from 1996 to 1999 and as a regional sales manager from 2001-03. Prior to that, he held positions with SEMA, where he was vice president of marketing from 1999 to 2001; and BFGoodrich Tire. in a variety of in-store and field positions.
Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin has announced that the tyre major’s sales shot up 20.8 per cent in 2010, while operating income swelled to 1.695 billion euros, representing a 9.5 per cent operating margin. Net income totalled 1.049 billion euros. According to Michelin the growth was driven by a 13.4 per cent increase in sales volumes, led by the group’s global presence and the rebound in mature markets. However managing partner Michel Rollier warned investors “In light of our capital expenditure commitments and the increase in raw materials costs, free cash flow is expected to be temporarily negative in 2011.” Nevertheless, Michelin confirmed its objective of generating positive free cash flow over the entire 2011-2015 period.
The manufacturer also sought to emphasise its “responsive pricing policy” in the face of rising raw materials costs; sustained productivity gains and cost discipline; not to mention “robust free cash flow.” At the same time the company proposed a dividend of 1.78 euros subject to approval.
Congratulations are in order for Serbian player Novak Djokovic, yet Maxxis International comments that a win for Britain’s Andy Murray would have been the icing on the cake for the tyre maker following a successful Australian Open. The tyre maker is an Official Sponsor of what has been dubbed ‘Australia’s greatest global sporting event’, and as part of a two-year deal will continue in this role during the 2012 tournament. The deal, signed last November, entitles Maxxis to courtside branding in the Rod Laver Arena and to use the Australian Open logo in its marketing materials and promotional activities.
Hankook Tyre UK Ltd has appointed Gang Seung Lee (Tony) to head up its Daventry based operations. He takes over the role from Richard Page who will continue to work for Hankook for the next 12 months during the handover period ahead of his retirement.
Lee is no stranger to Hankook in the UK having worked closely with Richard Page for four years before working in Hankook’s European head office in Neu-Isenburg, Germany for two years where he worked in both sales and marketing together with distribution channel planning.
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