Hankook wins business marketing award

WAYNE, N.J. (May 5, 2016) — Hankook Tire America Corp. has won a 2016 Business Marketing Association (BMA) B2 Award for its public relations and social media campaign in support of its Formula Drift sponsorship.

The BMA recognized Hankook in the corporate communications category for its campaign, “Hankook Tire Kicks it into High Gear with Championship Program.” More than 260 companies entered the 2016 competition, submitting nearly 700 entries across 82 categories.

Developed by Hankook along with PR and social media firm Brodeur Partners, the campaign was designed to “leverage the visibility of the sponsorship to drive engagement with media, fans and consumers through social and earned media,” the tire maker said.

During the 2015 Formula Drift racing season, Hankook won the tire manufacturers championship, and Hankook drivers swept the podium, finishing first, second and third for the season.

According to Hankook, the integrated campaign included driver interviews, experiential events, a multimedia series and social programs offering fans the chance to win Hankook motorsports prize packages.

“Designed to differentiate the Hankook Tire brand and showcase the performance of our tires among motorsports fans and consumers, the truly integrated PR and social campaign maximized our Formula Drift sponsorship throughout the season,” said Henry Kopacz, Hankook Tire America's manager of public relations and social media.

“As a result, we were not only able to amplify our sponsorship, but also increase brand awareness and transfer the excitement and energy from the drift track to our audiences through both earned and social media.”