SEMA: Mickey Thompson charting 'undisputed' path

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 8, 2016) — “Undisputed.”

That simple, single word embodies the spirit of Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels' re-invigorated mission/image, company executives told customers and the media Nov. 2 at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show.

The revision includes a bolder version of the familiar winged Mickey Thompson logo but more importantly refocuses the company's mission and direction on its core business segments — off-road, drag racing, street performance and motocross — according to Chris Barbara, president of the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. subsidiary.

The rebranding started a year ago, Mr. Barbara said, at the 2015 SEMA Show, where management took a hard look at the company's market presence and began asking whether the market — i.e., customers — saw Mickey Thompson the same way the company executives saw it.

In the months that followed, the company asked hundreds of customers for their opinion on that very matter and took to heart what they were saying, according to Ken Warner, vice president.

“We did not want to change who or what we are,” Mr. Barbara said, “but we wanted to make sure we were aligned with the market's perception of who we are.”

This process “centers our business,” he added, and lays a solid foundation for growth.

Mr. Barbara said another key reason for going through this process was to ensure that the firm presented a consistent image to the firm's growing customer base outside of North America.

With this all said and done, the company has developed a promotional campaign using a stark, black-and-white image of company founder Mickey Thompson with the word “Undisputed” emblazoned over it.

This will be used in various iterations in the market segments where the company feels its presence is strong enough to stand up to the scrutiny of the message, according to Dominick Wycoff, vice president, business development.

The Mickey Thompson executives also pointed out the firm is one of just a few tire companies that offer a broad range of custom wheels, under the Dick Cepek and Deegan brands.

Mickey Thompson unveiled the promotional campaign the 2016 SEMA Show, where it also celebrated a number of motorsport achievements this year, including:

• Danny Thompson's successful assault on the piston-powered, wheel-driven land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

• A clean sweep of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing's Pro Buggy class, with Team M/T racers Darren Hardesty Jr., Garrett George and Mike Valentine finishing 1-2-3 in the season's final points standing.

The company also debuted a 40-inch version of its Baja MTZP3 light truck tire and a number of new ET Drag tire sizes and provided sneak preview of the Deegan-brand 38 all-terrain tire set to debut in 2017.

The Stow, Ohio-based company (officially Max-Trac Tire Co. Inc., d.b.a. Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels), was founded in 1963 by racing legend Mickey Thompson. It's been a subsidiary of Cooper Tire since 2003.