CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Aug. 7, 2013) — Tire Pros, the retail franchise division of American Tire Distributors Holdings Inc. (ATD), has become the official tire retailer sponsor of the two-time defending Major League Soccer (MLS) champion LA Galaxy for the 2013 season.
This is the franchise business' first official sponsorship of a major league sports team and will allow 19 of its Southern California franchise stores to build brand awareness and engage with fans at games and team-sponsored community events, the company said.
The sponsorship was facilitated by Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C., which has an extended partnership with Soccer United Marketing, Major League Soccer's commercial arm, and U.S. Soccer. Conti is the official tire of MLS.
Throughout the 2013 season, Tire Pros will be featured as the official tire retailer through a multi-channel, integrated marketing mix, including radio broadcasts, in-stadium signage and game promotions, grassroots community events including community soccer clinics for underprivileged youth, digital ads and more.
In addition, consumers will have the opportunity to meet and interact with LA Galaxy players at five different L.A.-based Tire Pros stores during the season.
"Tire Pros is honored to work side by side with Continental Tire and to use this opportunity to further build the Tire Pros brand in the Southern California," said Tire Pros President Dan Brown.
"This sponsorship will enable our locally owned independent dealers to imbed themselves locally with one of the best — the LA Galaxy."
Participating Southern California Tire Pros dealers will offer a retail package entitled, "Out of this Galaxy tire special," which includes a standard oil change, tire rotation, alignment check and complete safety inspection.
"This relationship is all about interaction and experience, and giving our dealers an opportunity to cultivate new relationships while building upon existing relationships with their local communities and customers, particularly 'soccer moms,'" said Quick Chadwick, ATD director of marketing.