Falken to unveil consumer retail strategy at SEMA

By Jennifer Karpus, Tire Business staff

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2014) — Falken Tire Corp. plans to unveil its revamped consumer marketing strategy at the upcoming Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas with a mock tire shop showroom floor at its booth to showcase the firm's point-of-purchase and retailing concepts.

In the display, Falken will have different pieces that can go in the showroom, along with some of the support systems that are being created for dealers to use to help sell Falken's products as well as education on tires as a whole, said Rick Brennan, executive director of marketing at Falken Tire.

Every Falken Fanatic associate dealer who stops by the booth will be offered an enhancement to the Fanatic reward program for the fourth quarter, Mr. Brennan told Tire Business.

The 2014 SEMA Show runs Nov. 4-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Over the past several years, small to medium-size independent dealers have had to rely more on tire manufacturers for training and point-of-sale (POS) support, along with ways to promote tires within their own stores as well as a specific brand, Mr. Brennan said.

While this type of marketing has been around for awhile, Falken had not previously participated as much as other brands. However, as the company looked to the future and the way the marketplace is changing, Mr. Brennan said there are more dealers focusing more on tire and car service than on tire sales.

“We at Falken haven't really jumped into that because we've been really focused on ultra-high-performance and performance lines for a number of years,” he said.

“We now have a full line of product that fits just about every type of vehicle that's been driven. So, it was time that we really focused more and started communicating on a broader focus when it comes to the retailer.”

Tire dealers will need a bit more support to keep up with changes in the industry, he said, as well as knowing more specific tire sizes, since one size can fit many different vehicles.

Falken will include some of its latest tire choices at its SEMA booth, including installations on three special show vehicles: 2015 VW Tiguan R-Line, fitted with the Falken Ziex ZE950, Falken's advanced all-season tire; GenRight Off Road's 4400 Class Ultra4 Vehicle, fitted with the Falken Wildpeak M/T tires used by several leading Ultra4/King of the Hammers Race entries; and 2015 BMW M3, built by IND Distribution, fitted with the Falken Azenis FK453 UHP, Falken's flagship ultra-high performance tire.

Mr. Brennan said this is the beginning of support systems the tire marketer created that will include enhancing the point-of-purchase material creating specific displays for specific products. There will be a different message for each product, he said, so it is clear what its application is and what its use is.

Additionally, Falken will be enhancing its online training program to include more than just material on Falken products. As the program develops further, Falken can create more support materials to help dealers to market its products in the marketplace, he said.

“Many dealers come to SEMA, so we can actually present it to them on the floor,” Mr. Brennan said.

Falken's mock showroom will be located at Falken's booth, No. 41013 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.