Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
      USW alleges COVID-19 violations at Kumho plant
    • Conti starts production of ‘HL' load index tires for select OE customers
      GM banking on 'BrightDrop' EV to build commercial van business
      Stengel promoted to president of NAPA parent Genuine Parts Co.
      Former auto exec Tyrone Jordan joins Cooper board of directors
    • Linglong planning U.S. launch of 'Hubtrac' truck tire brand in 2021
      COVID-19 takes huge bite out of European tire markets in 2020 —ETRMA
      U.K. race series extends contract with Goodyear through 2026
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
    • Linglong planning U.S. launch of 'Hubtrac' truck tire brand in 2021
      Evolving delivery trends good for CV tire sector — Cooper exec
      Conti adding light-duty products to General Tire OTR tire lineup
      GM banking on 'BrightDrop' EV to build commercial van business
    • New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      USW opposes Taiwan tire makers' dumping counterproposal
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Taiwan tire makers propose settlement of import duties case
    • OK Tire adds Cooper, GT Radial passenger tires, Michelin, BFGoodrich commercial tires
      Linglong planning U.S. launch of 'Hubtrac' truck tire brand in 2021
      Global OTR Library adds wheels, rims to portfolio
      Conti starts production of ‘HL' load index tires for select OE customers
    • U.K. race series extends contract with Goodyear through 2026
      Goodyear Racing staying on track
      General Tire Canada renews sponsorship deal with Raceline Network
      Indy Autonomous Challenge: High-speed, head-to-head, no drivers
    • Linglong planning U.S. launch of 'Hubtrac' truck tire brand in 2021
      Hankook doubles size range of Ventus V2 all-season UHP line
      Conti adding light-duty products to General Tire OTR tire lineup
      Goodyear-brand belts back on the market under licensing arrangement
    • OK Tire adds Cooper, GT Radial passenger tires, Michelin, BFGoodrich commercial tires
      Wholesaler K&M Tire hosts virtual dealer conference
      Hankook doubles size range of Ventus V2 all-season UHP line
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
    • AMRA to host 5 educational webinars in Feb., March
      Shocks/struts maker KYB unveils video training series
      Bauer Built completes expansion at Neb. facility
      Marinucci: Basic steps to email efficiency
    • WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
      AAPEX: Using social media to promote your business
    • New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
      Latest COVID relief bill includes $325B in small-business support
    • Linglong planning U.S. launch of 'Hubtrac' truck tire brand in 2021
      Papadimitriou to leave position with Pirelli after six months on job
      SRNA increasing prices on Dunlop motorcycle tires
      Sentury Tire hires Martin Winter as global OE technical director
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
    • Video: Demounting
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
      How to clear rim rust and corrosion
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
    • Video: Safety
      Customers
      Considerations for shop safety policies
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
    • Video: TMPS Service
      The life-saving work of TPMS
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
    • Video: Training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
      Choosing the right auto service tech school
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      The gravity of proper lift points
      Safety essentials when using jack stands
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      The importance of torque specifications
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
October 12, 2015 02:00 AM

Being a good sport part of tire marketers' plans

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    AKRON—”Fore!” “That ball is out of here!” “Nothing but net.”

    All common sports catchphrases that tire makers are cozying up to as they try to gain more traction with potential customers, many of whom are what you might call “rabid” sports fans. And the trend of tire manufacturers' becoming the “official tire” of various sporting leagues, sponsoring sport teams and even individual events has put tires in the center of the ring.

    The most recent illustration of this trend is the deal Falken Tire Corp. struck to be the “official tire” of Major League Baseball (MLB).

    “Our brand has evolved a lot in the past five

    to six years, and we've evolved from a high-performance company that sold mainly performance tires to a company that now offers everything from small car tires all the way up to medium truck tires,” Rick Brennan, Falken's executive director of marketing, told Tire Business.

    “And our past activity has all been centered around motorsports, which worked great for the high-performance market, but as we go into other markets with new kinds of tires, we find that we need a little bit more of a broad message than just a motorsports message taking out to the normal consumer.”

    Entering into sports marketing is the “next evolution of our brand” to get the attention of the people Falken needs to reach with all the products it sells today, Mr. Brennan added.

    “When you look at the opportunities that are out there, you have to really understand the difference between the different sports series that are out there...,” he said.

    “And then also, do you sponsor a team? Or do you sponsor a league? So the challenges with just sponsoring single teams are that you really only hit a single market. And for us, our vision was to be able to talk to the whole United States.”

    While Falken Tire is the official tire of MLB, other tire manufacturers still have the opportunity to sponsor individual teams in the league, Matt Bourne, MLB spokesperson, told Tire Business.

    “How we designate sponsorships at the league level and the team level is really the difference between national and local. So, Falken as a Major League Baseball sponsor has the right to do national promotions, national advertising, encompassing MLB logo and the collection of all 30 teams together,” he explained.

    Mr. Bourne added that if a company is a sponsor of a team, “then you have the ability to promote your partnership with the team in that market, in that region and just using team marks....

    “Falken is a sponsor of the Tigers before they became a sponsor of Major League Baseball, so in that instance, there is a defined area in and around Detroit where they could do advertising, promotions and marketing activity in conjunction with the Tigers logos and...Detroit Tigers intellectual property inside that specific area.”

    Prior to this, Bridgestone Americas' Firestone brand was the official tire of MLB, from 2010 through 2014. John Baratta, president of consumer tire replacement sales, called that deal in 2010 a “tremendous opportunity to elevate the Firestone brand to new heights of consumer awareness and visibility.”

    Falken's contract kicks off with this year's post season and will interface with fans directly at all of the post-season games, including the World Series, as well as at next year's All-Star Week. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based tire marketer also will have activation on-site and have Falken giveaways, including a seat giveaway at the first game of the World Series, where one attendee will win a set of Falken tires.

    The company's contract runs through 2017, with plans to continue it if things go well, Mr. Brennan said. Neither Falken nor MLB disclosed the value of the contract.

    Falken also recently revamped its motorsports strategy, ending a six-year engagement with the Tudor United Sports Car Challenge and moving more heavily into support of “grass-roots” racing venues. (See story on page 15.)

    Kal Tire also recently announced that the Canadian Football League (CFL) has partnered with the company and Michelin North America Inc.'s BFGoodrich brand, which will become the official tire of the CFL. Kal and BFG will become sponsors of the CFL, the 2015 CFL playoffs and the 2015 Grey Cup game to be played in late November. Additionally, Kal Tire said the company, along with BFGoodrich Tires, will have a physical and digital advertising presence both on the sidelines at Canada's biggest celebration of football and digitally on the league's www.CFL.ca website.

    The sports marketing trend is not just in the tire industry, according to Lisa Wood, brand development manager, Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C., but one across various markets. “It has large impressions and a captive audience,” she said.

    When selecting sports marketing as an avenue, she said Conti knows where the audience is going to be every week for those campaigns, which fits a target market the company is pursuing.

    “Sports are in our company's DNA,” said Phil Pacsi, vice president of sports/event marketing and training, Bridgestone Americas. “Harvey Firestone became the first sports marketer after he went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the early 1900s.

    “In 2016, we will celebrate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race. Fire-stone tires were on the winning car in 1911 and will be on the winning car in 2016.”

    Bridgestone has scaled back its motorsports involvement the past few years, moving more heavily into sports/event marketing support, both in North America and globally, Mr. Pacsi said.

    Sports marketing has an active audience, which can differ from some other venues.

    “Sports are an arena where people are taking in the environment and soaking up the atmosphere,” said Kyle Roberts, director of marketing for Nexen Tire America Inc., which has had ties with soccer, baseball and college basketball in recent years.

    With sports, the marketing message may be more easily digested by consumers, as they become more predisposed to tune out messages distributed by print, radio or television, he said.

    In addition to its longtime motorsports sponsorships in NASCAR and the NHRA, Goodyear has launched a season-long marketing program focused on its involvement in college football. For the second year in a row, the Akron tire maker will be the title sponsor of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, a semi-final game in the college football playoff that will be played on New Years Eve in Dallas.

    For the rest of the story—including how companies choose the markets where they want brand exposure, and the various marketing initiatives by tire marketers—go to www.tirebusiness.com.

    To reach this reporter: [email protected]; 330-865-6143; Twitter: @jenniferkarpus

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • List Rental
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION