Bridgestone’s ultra-high performance tyre, the Potenza Sport, has received more acclaim for the manufacturer, as its adrenalin fuelled marketing campaign was made Industry Marketing Campaign of the Year at the NTDA’s Tyre Industry Awards. Bridgestone targeted its 1 April to 30 June campaign at consumers making more informed decisions than the average tyre buyer, addressing their passion for driving.
During Tyre Safety Month, Bridgestone has renewed its plea for motorists to take extra care on the roads. It has created a consumer facing campaign to highlight the importance of checking tyres and launched a new online portal that offers tips and advice on correct pressures and tread depths as well as advice for selecting the right tyre.
Two noteworthy names from the tyre industry are teaming up to support The British Motor Show 2022, which takes place at Farnborough International between 18 and 22 August. Bridgestone, partnering with Kwik Fit, will be sponsoring both Hall 5 and the motorsport arena. The hall and arena’s names will reflect this arrangement and they’ll respectively be known as the Bridgestone Hall in partnership with Kwik Fit and The Bridgestone Motorsport Arena in partnership with Kwik Fit.
After picking the brains of 2,000 motorists in a YouGov commissioned survey, Bridgestone discovered that just eight per cent of respondents know the differences between tyres tailored for electric vehicles (EVs) and standard tyres. It has thus decided to educate motorists on the benefits – including financial – of these specialised tyres.
The two Tyre Industry Awards presented to Bridgestone during the National Tyre Distributors Association’s 7 October ceremony represent a “huge coup” for the company according to Andrea Manenti, North Europe region vice president. The manufacturer said the awards were the result of its recently launched “best-in-class new products” and its “commitment to a sustainable future and staff training.” Bridgestone was presented with the Staff Training & Development accolade and the headline Tyre Manufacturer of the Year award – the fourth time they have triumphed in the category since 2015 – at a packed International Convention Centre in Birmingham.
Continuing our ongoing series of interviews with leading tyre executives, this month’s edition hears of Bridgestone’s achievements in the realms of sustainability, material development, retreading and more.
Tyres & Accessories: What effect has the pandemic had on the day-to-day running of your business? Have you had to make any fundamental changes?
“Torque from the Top” is a regularly feature in the print edition of Tyres & Accessories magazine. Not a subscriber? No problem, click here to become one.
5 November saw the inaugural virtual Tyre Industry Conference, with Tyres & Accessories bringing the traditional annual conference into the virtual arena due to Covid-19 restrictions. Produced in association with the NTDA and supported by Cam Systems, our expert panel was comprised of James Ward, senior insight manager, GfK; Andrea Manenti, VP north region, Bridgestone; and Pravesh Amtha, sales general manager Consumer UK&I, Goodyear. The wide-ranging 45-minute conversation covered a lot of bases, but the first session, which was designed to focus on the new tyre market’s recent trends and statistics began with a presentation from James Ward.
Bridgestone’s range of technologically advanced products and services has helped the company win national road safety charity TyreSafe’s Innovation & Use of Technology Award 2020. The new award represents further recognition of Bridgestone’s contribution to road safety by TyreSafe. The manufacturer collected the Tyre Manufacturer of the Year title in 2018, an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017 and an Innovation & Use of Technology trophy for its DriveGuard runflat technology, also in 2017.
Scandinavian start-up full-electric vehicle manufacturer Volta Trucks has signed a new tyre partnership with Bridgestone. The world’s largest tyre manufacturer will fit its tyres to the first launch vehicle, which will be revealed at an online event on Thursday 3 September. The agreement also covers the supply of tyres to Volta’s pilot vehicles, due to start evaluation with fleet operators in early 2021. Large logistics fleet operators have already signed-up to trial the Volta Zero, including DPD Group in the UK and Bring and Posten in Scandinavia, with orders also already being taken for the vehicle in both markets.
Bridgestone has appointed Andrea Manenti as vice president for its North Region, which includes the UK and Ireland. Manenti joins Bridgestone from Trelleborg Wheel Systems where he was global OE senior director. He joined Trelleborg in Italy as sales director and has held managing director and country manager positions in the UK and Ireland, China and Asia.
Elio Bartoli, EMEA president & global OEM at Trelleborg Wheel Systems (TWS) has announced several management changes to the Europe, Middle East and Africa regional organisation, all of which came into effect on 1 January, 2020. The announcement follows the news of Richard Lyons’s appointment as its new UK managing director.
Trelleborg has presented its agricultural products in a Field Day demonstration and hosted a forum focused on soil protection and sustainable development on Hongxing Farm, Heilongjiang, China. The 21 May event hosted more than 400 visitors, comprising professional farmers, tractor dealers, trade media and associations, and professors and researchers from China Agricultural University, Northeast Agricultural University and the Academy of Agricultural Sciences Heilongjiang.
On 11 July 2014, a team from Trelleborg Wheel Systems undertook a challenge that few have completed – climbing the highest peak in each of the four countries of the United Kingdom in just 48 hours. They travelled with flags representing each of the 28 UK and Ireland Trelleborg Professional Centers (TPCs), a network of dealers that supply Trelleborg’s complete agricultural tyre range. The expedition took the newly-launched TPC partners to each of the highest peaks, all in aid of the Trelleborg charity initiative, the Antonio Bianchi House.
Trelleborg Wheel Systems has launched its agricultural tyre dealer programme at a meeting of its key dealers. Taking place at Mercedes Benz World, Brooklands, the event provided the chance to “share information, which is the crux of why we are here,” according to Trelleborg marketing manager Bruce Lauder’s introduction. The network of 28 Trelleborg dealers that have chosen, and been chosen, to cooperate in the Trelleborg Professional Centre (TPC) programme were invited to participate in an extended discussion during the conference. Trelleborg’s managing director UK and Ireland Andrea Manenti outlined the TPC concept, gave an overview of the UK agricultural tyre market and the manufacturer’s place within it and answered dealers’ questions.
NTDA
Bridgestone
Bridgestone
Bridgestone