LAS VEGAS—Dunlop Tire Corp. is looking to promote the Dunlop name by offering auto enthusiasts and other consumers a free e-mail account linked to the company's Web site. ``Dunlop Mail, our new, no-cost e-mail service, is perfect for consumers who presently don't have an e-mail account,'' said Joseph L. Loiacano, the tire maker's Internet marketing representative.
Each time users access their e-mail, they will do so through Dunlop Mail, exposing them to the Dunlop logo and providing links to the company's Web site.
That could mean a lot of impressions for Dunlop. ``The average person gets and receives e-mail five to seven times a day, and each time they do that it will be through Dunlop Mail,'' said Mr. Loiacano.
The company introduced the e-mail program at the Specialty Equipment Market Association/Tire Association of North America trade show in Las Vegas, Nov. 3-6.
Users of Dunlop Mail don't even need a computer to use the service, Mr. Loiacano said, although they do need access to the Internet.
To receive their e-mail, users simply access Dunlop's special Web site—www.handleit. net—directly or via a link from Dunlop's main Web site: www.dunlop.com.
``We feel this is the most technologically sophisticated Internet project in the tire industry,'' Mr. Loiacano said.
The service also allows users to assign names to their e-mail addresses that express their personalities, he added.
The tire maker is looking to gather up to 1,000 domain names users can use for their personal sign-ons, such as [email protected] com and [email protected], a spokesman for Dunlop said. There are domain names designed to appeal to both automotive and motorcycle enthusiasts, as well as one for ``soccer moms.'' The concept is similar to the vanity license plate, she said.
``Once we develop these audiences, we will be able to drive people to our points of sale,'' Mr. Loiacano said. ``The ultimate objective is to promote the Dunlop brand and support our dealers.''
In addition to e-mail access, Dunlop Mail will provide users updates on the latest automotive industry news and access to contests and promotional incentives.