This month, Kumho Tire begins a global advertising campaign to promote its tyres for electric vehicles. The ‘Your EV Partner, Kumho Tire’ campaign will feature on online streaming services and various social media, including Kumho’s own ‘Ecsta TV’ YouTube channel.
During my regular routine of social media maintenance, I came across the following post on the @Tyrepress Twitter feed from Fast Ford, Mini Magazine and Total BMW editor, Daniel Bevis: “I defy you to find a more wretched tyre than a 7-year-old Luckyland Happygalop.” Now, to make it clear, Bevis was very much stating his personal, subjective opinion both in relation to that particularly floridly-named brand’s quality and in his specific choice of adjectives. However, since he raised that especially vocal opinion, there are at least two broader points to be made. Firstly, consumers have never been more empowered to research their purchases pre-sale and then air their views relating to tyres. And secondly, the ongoing proliferation of brands in the market makes the ability to discern quality and understand each brand’s provenance as important as ever.
11 years ago, we published our analysis of the impact of social media and price comparison on the tyre business. Back then in July 2011, Facebook was the number one social network, with 750 million users, of which a third accessed the site via mobile devices. As of July 2022, Facebook has 2.934 billion.
In its own words, Research Tools, based in based Esslingen am Neckar near Stuttgart, specializes in marketing analysis/market research. The company recently examined the performance of 100 tyre brands on the leading social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube in cooperation with VICO Research & Consulting. The study covers the period from 2 June 2021 to 1 June 2022.
MAHA UK has launched a LinkedIn page and subsequent advertising campaign to complement the brand’s Facebook page, which has reportedly been “an excellent tool to generate new leads and sales, as well as sharing updates from equipment installations and news from within the UK and other MAHA subsidiaries around the world”. Indeed, MAHA UK has pledged to not just increase its visibility online, but to provide followers with “valuable and exciting material”.
Goodyear’s HiQ Tyres & Autocare franchise network has beefed up its social media presence by debuting on the increasingly popular TikTok platform. It is utilising the app to publish “relevant and relatable content” and shares that the HiQ account has reached a high number of views, followers and likes within a short period of time – “which we hope has increased general awareness of our brand.”
An international TV legend in the automotive sector is convinced of Liqui Moly’s quality and now shares his knowledge in short social media clips: Edd China – TV presenter, inventor, gearhead and cult figure. Many people are familiar with Edd China from the TV series “Wheeler Dealers”, broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Here he repaired, improved and restored old cars to a fixed budget. But he is also world famous for his YouTube videos. In these, Edd not only demonstrates his technical know-how and craftsmanship, but also embarks on unusual and entertaining projects, such as the “world’s fastest sofa”.
As popular as our annual social media ranking is, we are often asked where we get the numbers from. Our table is designed to be as transparent as possible, but in order to offer a little more detail, here’s a description of our methodology.
As Tyres & Accessories annual global social media ranking enters its seventh edition, this year there is a new winner. Last year’s champion, Pirelli, has fallen two places to third position. At the same time, Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ Falken brand rose an impressive eight positions to take the top spot. And Pirelli wasn’t the only well-known name to downshift, with two other brands taking retrograde steps. At the same time, in a reflection of what has taken place in the UK-only ranking, the top 10 has a new entry, with previously 10th-ranked MRF being overtaken by another large Indian tyremaker.
For the fourth year in a row, Michelin can be found at the top of Tyres & Accessories’ 2020 UK social media ranking. Indeed, such is Michelin’s dominance in the annual table, only Goodyear (in 2012) and Dunlop (in 2016) have done enough to overtake the UK arm of the French tyre brand since our research began in 2011. In both cases, Michelin still managed to take second place.
For the fourth year in a row, Michelin can be found at the top of Tyres & Accessories’ 2020 UK social media ranking. Indeed, such is Michelin’s dominance in the annual table, only Goodyear (in 2012) and Dunlop (in 2016) have done enough to overtake the UK arm of the French tyre brand since our research began in 2011. In both cases, Michelin still managed to take second place.
The coronavirus pandemic has put many visits to dream destinations on hold, but Falken Tyres is using its social media feeds to provide some vicarious thrills. The Sumitomo tyre brand’s new ‘Pass the Wheel’ campaign comprises three beautifully shot videos to provide a virtual road trip along some of Europe’s most beautiful roads and passes. The videos show the drive from Zell am See in Austria, across Switzerland, Italy and France, and into Monaco. The campaign trailer has already clocked up 1.7 million views on Falken’s YouTube Channel.
Hankook has added Instagram to its social media portfolio. The tyre maker opened its @hankooktire.europe channel on 8 June. It said the channel would offer relevant information to interested and enthusiastic followers of technical content and car topics. It will also focus on the tyre manufacturer’s sporting and motorsport activities.
The ADAC TOTAL 24h of the Nürburgring has been rescheduled for September, leaving a cloud-shaped hole in Falken Motorport’s schedule. The tyre brand’s team is followed by an enthusiastic fan base, though, and Falken has found a way to engage them without the totemic event of its motorsport season.
Pirelli has returned to the top of our global social media ranking after four years away from pole position. The last time the @Pirelli-linked account led the way in Tyrepress’ worldwide meta-metric was in 2015 when the Italian tyre manufacturer well-known for its luxury and supercar marketing won with 84.50 points. Last year, the same score of 84.50 only secured second place for Pirelli. But this time round Pirelli achieved 90.30 with scores over 90 awarded by both Klear and Kred. This marks the first time that any brand has achieved two 90-plus scores in any of our social media rankings since they began eight years ago in 2011.
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(Photo: Adem AY; Unsplash)
Tracy Le Blanc; Pexels
Maha UK
Gerd Altman; Pixabay
Photo Mix; Pixabay
Falken
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