Cooper Asia Pacific Marketing Push Aims to Increase Domestic Sales
Whether the attention Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., Asia Pacific gained at Reifen China was a result of the tyres on display or the bus loads of dancers performing on the exhibition stand each hour, you cannot ignore that the company has embarked on a slick and high profile marketing campaign and is increasingly making an impact on the domestic Chinese market in both the passenger car and truck tyre sectors. With this in mind, Tyres & Accessories interviewed vice president and general manager Asia operations, Allen Tsaur, and senior PR manager Jojo Tang. Cooper’s ongoing region-specific marketing push aims to invest in the future of China’s fast growing automotive business by reaching more consumers and particularly the young driver audience. Car ownership in general has shot up in recent years, but Tang reports that ownership in the 23 – 35 age group has “boomed.” And this explains the “Charlie’s Angels” meets “Kill Bill” styling of the Cooper Angels customer-facing marketing concept.
Continue ReadingFrom Hi-Viz to High Fashion
The high visibility vest, once the preserve of rail workers and those engaged in emergency services, has become ubiquitous. In his book ‘Pies and Prejudice’, Stuart Maconie refers to the reflective tabard, along with Greggs' pasties, as a new emblem of the North. And he has a point – people from all walks of life can be found wearing the high visibility tabard for workplace duties, changing a tyre or simply walking their similarly attired dog. And this army of fluorescent vest wearers are united by one common bond – they all look equally unfashionable.
Continue ReadingConti: 2009 Market Volume Constant, Segmentation and Value Down
2009 may have been a “turbulent time” in the UK passenger car and van tyre markets, but some premium tyre manufacturers finished the year better than it started; and there are signs pointing to the recovery of premium manufacturer’s sell-in sales. That’s the view of Continental Tyre Group executives, who spoke to Tyres & Accessories at the company’s annual market trends briefing in London in December. As well as presenting the company’s influential overview of market sales and general trends, Conti representatives also gave a fascinating insight into how the government’s highly successful scrappage incentive scheme may affect future car sales. Continental estimates the UK car, 4x4 and van tyre market totalled 33 million tyres in 2009, a slight drop over the final figure from 2008. However, while 2009 is said to have seen motorists hold off getting new tyre purchases, the overall numerical impact on the market is said to have been limited. Instead Continental re-affirmed that the UK tyre market has been experiencing a so-called “de-segmentisation” effect with consumers buying tyres of lower unit value and brand equity than they purchased pre-recession (something Tyres & Accessories first observed in May 2009 following strong Korean-brand tyre sales the preceding March). What is interesting about Continental’s analysis of this effect is that they are the only company so far to suggest that there is a significant group of consumers that are dropping two segments (premium to budget, for example), double de-segmenting if you will.
Continue ReadingBeru AG Renamed BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH
Beru AG, the TPMS sensor and diesel coldstart specialist, has officially changed its name into the German equivalent of limited company (GmbH). The company now operates as “BorgWarner BERU Systems GmbH”. According to the company, the new name expresses the relationship to the US parent company, BorgWarner, while retaining the valuable Beru brand name.
Continue ReadingTyreSafe Issues Christmas Tyre Pressure Safety Advice
Families can reduce their chances of being stranded by the roadside or being involved in a serious accident over the Christmas holiday period by making sure their car tyres are correctly inflated before they set off. That’s the advice issued by TyreSafe today. And it comes with a warning: “Drivers who fail to make these checks and adjustments significantly increase their likelihood of experiencing a dangerous tyre blowout.” “During the holiday period too many motorists suffer misery from tyre related breakdowns because they haven’t made adequate checks before setting off,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “Very often the cars are heavily loaded with extra passengers, luggage and presents and then head off on long, high-speed, motorway journeys. It’s essential when carrying extra weight that tyre pressures are checked and adjusted in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. Motorists who fail to make these adjustments are much more likely to spend some of their Christmas break stranded at the roadside because of a tyre failure”.
Continue ReadingVredestein Introduces TraxionXXL for Powerful Tractors
In 1997, Vredestein introduced the first four dimensions in its Traxion+ tractor radial line-up, and the company notes these tyres were an instant success. More than a decade on and Vredestein says the Traxion+ tyres are still gaining market share in almost all European countries. A new tyre based upon the Traxion+ design has now been produced. Vredestein calls it the TraxionXXL.
Continue ReadingRMA Reports US Tyre Shipments Way, Way Down
Tire shipments in the United States through the first half of 2009 posted perhaps their worst performance in history, according to new data from the RMA. OE passenger tyre shipments through the first six months fell an incredible 54.3 per cent versus the same period last year. By comparison, OE shipments for the first half of 2008 were down 10.8 per cent year-over-year. The replacement side wasn’t much better, off 11.9 per cent versus the same period last year. 2008’s first half saw shipments off a meager 0.7 per cent versus the first half of 2007.
Continue ReadingMaine Industrial Tire Wins GPX Solid Tyre Bid
MITL Acquisition Corp., comprised of former GPX International Tire officials and private investors, identified itself as the winning bidder for the solid tyre business sold out of bankruptcy by GPX. The new company will operate as Maine Industrial Tire, and will be led by Bryan Ganz, CEO; Troy Kline, president and COO; and Phil Fitzgerald, director of China operations.
Continue ReadingY&R Wins Back Pirelli Global Ad Business
Pirelli Tyres has awarded its global advertising efforts to Young & Rubicam, returning to the international agency after a 10-year absence. Y&R said its WPP Group in Milan will handle the day-to-day business. Y&R won the bid over five other agencies, including incumbent Wieden+Kennedy in Amsterdam.
Continue ReadingTitan to Offer Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes
Titan International has reported its intention to offer US$75 million aggregate principal amount of its Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes, due 2017, in a private offering. The company says it intends to use the proceeds from the offering for “general corporate purposes”, including financing potential future acquisitions and repayment of existing debt obligations.
Continue ReadingRuia Group acquires German Automotive Supplier
India’s Ruia Group, parent company of Dunlop India and Falcon Tyres, has acquired a 60 per cent controlling stake in Germany’s Henniges Automotive Grefrath GmbH, a supplier of automotive sealing systems to numerous vehicle manufacturers, including Daimler, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen. The cost of the acquisition, made through a Special Purpose Vehicle on behalf of Ruia, has not been disclosed. A further 15 per cent share in the acquired company now rests in the hands of Henniges director Juregen Hein, while administrator Wolf Von Der Fecht owning the remaining 25 per cent stake. Ruia Group chairman Pawan K Ruia told Dow Jones Newswires that the group has a call option to buy back the shares held by Fecht and Hein.
Continue ReadingUS Study of Tyre Crumb Rubber Finds 'Low Level of Concern'
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on December 10 the results of a study of the health risks from inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact with synthetic turf and crumb rubber from playing field and playground surfaces constructed with recycled tyre material or tyre crumb. It concluded that "concentrations of components monitored in this study were below levels of concern."
Continue ReadingCTNA Appoints Aviation Key Account Manager
Continental Tire North America's Commercial Vehicle Tire Division has appointed a new key account manager for aviation. Sandy Schick has joined the division's industrial tyre unit, and will focus upon sales to large aviation customers, including airports, airlines, airport ground support, and shipping ports, with an emphasis on Continental’s industrial and truck tyre product lines.
Continue ReadingDunlop Introducing Faster, 'Greener' BTCC Tyre
Following a year and a half of design and materials and construction development at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham, home to the company’s European Motorsport Operations, Dunlop is ready to debut a new tyre in next year’s British Touring Car Championship – a tyre said to provide greater performance while complying with latest European environmental regulations. The Sport Maxx BTCC will first be used in round two of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Rockingham, Northamptonshire on April 25 and 25. Meanwhile, recent tests of the new tyre at Snetterton in Norfolk showed it to be faster over a full race distance and also more durable than its predecessor.
Continue ReadingApollo to Increase India Prices
The Indian Express newspaper brings news that Apollo Tyres is increasing prices in its domestic market. “We have taken the decision to increase prices by 5 to 10 per cent towards the end of this month,” Satish Sharma, Apollo’s chief of India Operations is reported as saying. “Farm tyres, which consume the largest bulk of natural rubber, will see a 10 per cent increase. The increase in other non-truck tyre categories will be between 5 to 7 per cent.”
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