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.
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.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (@CooperTire) has regained first place in Tyres & Accessories’ annual global tyre social media ranking. The US-based tyre manufacturer topped the chart in 2014, with a score of 84. However, the company’s score decreased to 78.3 in 2015 and the firm fell back to third place. Nevertheless, this year’s score of 81.7 is enough to return Cooper to the top of the tree, with 9.65 points of clear water between it and last year’s winner Pirelli.
Dunlop has topped Tyres & Accessories 2016 social branding table with a score of 81.55. Like our annual global tyre social branding survey, this aims to produce a meta-score based on existing social influence metrics (namely Klout and Kred), covering both contacts and interactions across the leading social media channels including – but not limited to – Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. The difference is that the UK table focuses on accounts managed in and for the UK tyre business.
Servicesure Autocentres has comprehensively revamped its website, simultaneously launching on five social media platforms, in order to communicate better with its membership. The company said that sign-ups have hit “record levels” in recent months.
Yesterday was “my worst day ever” Nokian CEO Ari Lehtoranta tweeted on 27 February 2016. The reason? The last Friday in February (the 26th) saw Finnish news reports suggesting Nokian had cheated in tyre tests for a decade translated and distributed around the world. This was followed by an official statement in which Nokian apologised for tyre test “mistakes” and began to outline what it was doing about it, while also reassuring customers and consumers that its products have always been safe.
Tennis player Serena Williams has been named as one of the protagonists appearing in next year’s Pirelli Calendar. On 18 September Williams shared the news with her Twitter followers – “Guess what?? I am so happy to be part of the next #PirelliCalendar shot by @AnnieLeibovitz!! #thecal.”
Brisa’s Lassa Tyres brand has launched new social media channels to follow its recently refreshed website. The brand now has Twitter and Instagram feeds, as well as a consolidated Facebook profile.
Following Goodyear Dunlop Tyres UK’s proposal to close its Wolverhampton mixing and retreading facility, Tyrepress spoke to the managing director of Goodyear Dunlop UK, Erich Fric, who explained the business reasons for the decision. “We’ve taken the decision to put this proposal forward based on the economic environment, and in order to keep our companies competitive in the long term,” Fric said.
Following the news of Goodyear’s planned closure of its Wolverhampton mixing and retreading operations, Express & Star journalist, Peter Madeley has quoted “a union spokesman” on Twitter, saying that the closure proposal was “out of the blue”.
The proposed closure of Goodyear Dunlop’s Wolverhampton retread plant will bring to an end 90 years of tyre production in the city. The factory was part of the first Goodyear factory outside USA, when the manufacturer first started producing new tyres in the city in response to post-World War One import tariffs designed to boost British industry. At its peak, the manufacturer’s operations in Wolverhampton were estimated to have provided more than 7,000 jobs, making it one of the most significant players in the local economy. This role diminished throughout the 2000s, as Wolverhampton job losses became a regular occurrence.
Dunlop will leverage the widespread popularity of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship to push interaction with its social media channels further in 2015. The tyre supplier and official sponsor has launched a new overtaking league table that will focus on battles throughout the field, fightbacks from adversity and the determination of the best drivers in bumper-to-bumper combat.
Cooper, the first ‘Official Tyre of Arsenal Football Club’ has launched a new competition asking fans of the club to share their pre-match rituals. The tyre brand is using the hashtag #MatchReady to engage fans on social media, with three Arsenal stars taking part in the campaign-launching fan film (see below). Cooper is asking players and fans across Europe to share their #MatchReady rituals on Twitter, with the chance to win two tickets to see Arsenal v Swansea in the Premier League, hosted by former midfielder and ‘Romford Pelé’, Ray Parlour.
The ever-swelling ranks of TyreSafe gathered at St Johns Hotel, Solihull to launch the 2014 edition of Tyre Safety Month. Chairman Stuart Jackson, enthusiastically wielding an enlarged coin, demonstrated the well-established 20p test during his introduction of the “driving rain, driving safe” theme; the test is particularly relevant to this year’s tread depth focused theme of aquaplaning. In 2013 tyre pressure took centre stage, but with 2013-14 being the wettest winter on record, and October usually the wettest month of the year anyway, TyreSafe has chosen to present a core message informing drivers of the importance of tread depth in combating what is arguably the most spectacular and frightening road safety phenomenon – in addition to reinforcing other messages, such as pressure, Jackson adds.
(Photo: Adem AY; Unsplash)
Tracy Le Blanc; Pexels