The Al Dobowi Group has announced that it is to sponsor Virginia Espejo; a 23-year old rising star in the sport of golf. The company says that it was impressed by the potential of Virginia, who immediately became hooked on golf after starting to play alongside her father at the age of twelve.
Germany’s Handelsblatt has reported Hankook’s “attack” on rival Continental. In an article published 22 June, the financial daily shares that the Korean tyre maker has been approved by Daimler for original equipment passenger car tyre supply, and it opines that Hankook is “increasingly proving itself an aggressive challenger to European market leader Continental.”
Bridgestone’s high-profile sponsorship of the National Football League in the US, which got underway in 2007, has been extended for a further four years. Under the terms of the new agreement signed between Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations and the NFL, sponsorship will continue through to 31 March 2016 and Bridgestone will no longer sponsor the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Instead, the tyre maker says it will focus on “reinforcing the Bridgestone brand performance message” at various games throughout the season, culminating at the Super Bowl. The Bridgestone brand will continue to be the “official tyre” of the NFL.
Michelin has published a special-edition I-Spy Goodwood Festival of Speed book, celebrating its sponsorship of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Supercar Paddock. The book will be available on the Michelin stand at the Festival from Thursday 28 June to Sunday 1 July, while stocks last. In common with I-Spy books from past and present, the new book includes interesting cars, places and people to spot at this year’s Festival. Michelin has also made 500 copies available for pre-purchase from the Michelin I-Spy website for £3.50.
Continental’s top class football sponsorship includes the official sponsorship of UEFA Euro 2012. In its role as exclusive tyre partner the company will equip coaches transporting the players with its HSR2 premium tyre, while a specially configured HSU1 tyre will be fitted to forty fan buses in the four Polish host cities of Warsaw, Poznan, Gdansk and Wroclaw. The German tyre manufacturer will also supply service technicians through its Conti360° network to carry out daily tyre checks for the increased safety of players and supporters.
To celebrate its sponsorship of the Supercar Paddock at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, Michelin has been polling its Facebook fans on their favourite supercars of the 80s, 90s and 2000s. The first two rounds of voting are over, with the Porsche 959 trouncing the Ferrari F40 and the Lamborghini Countach to take the ultimate 80s supercar crown. In the 90s poll the McLaren F1 overcame the Porsche 993 GT2 and the Bugatti EB110. The 2000s poll is underway and petrol-heads can choose from the Ascari KZ-1, the Koenigsegg CCX and the Bugatti Veyron.
Kumho Tire U.S.A. has signed on as the “official tyre sponsor” of the United States Soccer Federation and the men’s and women’s national teams. “Kumho's sponsorship of the U.S.S.F. fits well with our national branding campaign that encourages an active and adventurous lifestyle, further highlighted by our 'Let's Go' motto," said Rick Brennan, vice-president of marketing, Kumho Tire U.S.A. "With the upcoming London Olympics, we are honoured to be an official sponsor of United States Soccer."
Thornleigh Freight has announced it is overhauling the look of some of its vehicles, turning them into a striking Hankook branded fleet. Thornleigh Freight has worked with Hankook for over 10 years and has recently signed a new contract to store and distribute Hankook products. To cement the partnership even further Thornleigh Freight also chose to develop some Hankook branded vehicles to form part of their existing fleet.
Hankook recently celebrated the long service of a number of its employees at the company’s UK head office in Daventry, Northamptonshire. Barrie Horrocks, Hankook UK sales director and Ian Mayoll, UK PCR sales manager were both recognised for their 10 years service at Hankook Tyre UK Ltd. They were joined by several other members of the Hankook team as Tracy Martin (accounts assistant), Liz Coles (credit controller), Ben Francis (franchise manager) and Paul Field (logistics administrator) were also congratulated for their dedication.
Lassa Tyres has become tyre sponsor for the V1 Challenge Moldova – a series held in a number of cities and run using Volkicars, a race car developed by Turkish racing driver Volkan Işık. And while Lassa’s sponsorship deal is new, the tyre maker can claim a further connection of sorts to the V1 Challenge – the series was developed by Işık, who led the Lassa Rally Team from 2007 to 2010.
Since its launch in 1998, Ford Focus held the crown of overall UK sales leader for 10 consecutive years until 2008 when Fiesta took the number one spot. Sales reached a significant milestone earlier this month, when the 1,500,000th Ford Focus was delivered to 22-year-old Jaik Mickleburgh, a right-handed batsman playing for Essex Cricket first team and who has also played for the England U19s.
Continental has announced plans to increase the number of it employs in China by 5,000 by the end of 2012, further to its announcement in 2011 that it would expand its staff by 25 per cent. According to the company this forms part of a strategic plan to support its growth in China, the automotive supplier will hire employees across various areas including engineering, manufacturing and functional roles. In order to achieve this goal, Continental is in the process of extending its recruiting programs, which include Campus Recruitment 2013, Continental University Competition, Continental Day in major cities, and sponsorship of Formula Student China.
Hankook Tyre UK has announced that its partnership with Northampton Saints Rugby Club will be extended for a further four years, having begun in 2009. The new agreement means Hankook will remain the elite sponsor until 2016, with the company’s logo positioned on the team’s shirts. The tyre manufacturer’s headquarters are in Daventry, Northamptonshire, near the Saints’ home ground, Franklin’s Gardens. Tony Lee, managing director of Hankook Tyre UK stated that “The partnership between Hankook and the Saints has been a great success to date.”
Maxxis-sponsored Swan Yamaha got its 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship campaign off to a flying start at round two, when reigning champion Tommy Hill posted a double podium finish. The brand says it is reaping the benefit of its sponsorship deal thanks to the exposure it provides, not least through the TV coverage, to one of the tyre manufacturer’s key consumer audiences. The company said that it eagerly awaits round three of the series at Oulton Park. Hill’s two second places at Thruxton mean he is lying fourth in the overall standings after two rounds. All championship competitors ride on Pirelli Diablo tyres.
Tyre manufacturer, Maxxis has announced three exclusive competitions in conjunction with the Premier League football team Liverpool to win official signed memorabilia. Maxxis is asking visitors to its website to identify past and present Liverpool stars whose faces have been disguised with its tyre patterns, with a signed shirt or ball up for grabs for one winner. Maxxis has a sponsorship deal with the Anfield club, which the company has called “one of our biggest successes”. The Taiwanese Maxxis brand has stepped up its sponsorship of major sporting events recently, with Major League Baseball, NBA and Australian Open tennis sponsorships joining existing Premier League football deals.
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