TGI broadening Cosmo brand portfolio ahead of U.S. launch

MIAMI — Tire Group International L.L.C. (TGI) is adding UHP, SUV, SUV-UHP and M/T patterns to its Cosmo brand as it gears up to launch the brand to U.S. customers.

The new lines will carry some rather unorthodox names — Sexy Beast UHP, Kitty Kat SUV UHP, Chubby Nubby M/T and El Jefe H/T SUV — thanks to market research TGI conducted that revealed that consumers are more apt to remember a brand if they connect with it on a personal level. The new product names play off the Cosmo brand's Tiger logo/mascot.

TGI launched Cosmo in 1994 initially as a bias-ply light truck tire brand and has marketed it predominantly to its Latin American/Caribbean customer base since while adding radial passenger, light truck, medium truck, etc. lines.

The Miami-based wholesaler expanded the brand's reach last year to Europe, and plans to market it throughout the U.S., according to Rick Wheeler, who was hired recently as vice president of national sales, a newly created position.

The new tires are designed to provide low noise, low rolling resistance and "exceptional" performance with "activated grip" technology, TGI said. The brand will be marketed and priced as a premium Tier 3 entry-level product, Mr. Wheeler said.

"Cosmo is positioning itself to raise the bar when it comes to marketing a product that for most people is viewed as foreign and an unappreciated necessity," TGI President Joaquin Gonzalez said.

"We want to make the tire-buying experience memorable and fun for the consumer and our marketing will continually reinforce that."

Mr. Wheeler said TGI's strategy with the Cosmo brand will be to build partnerships with targeted small to mid-sized independent dealers looking for a quality Tier 3 product. The U.S. launch will focus on passenger, SUV and light truck fitments, Mr. Wheeler said, but eventually could include the commercial truck products as well.

Business will be containerload only at first, Mr. Wheeler said, although TGI will monitor the brand's progress closely to determine if or when domestic distribution would make sense.

TGI anticipates building the brand slowly but steadily in the U.S., Mr. Wheeler said, stressing the strategy will be "quality over quantity" in terms of establishing and building relationships with customers.

Parallel to the firm's efforts to build a distributor base, TGI is planning a nationwide consumer marketing campaign targeting the millennial, female and Hispanic demographics.

The new lines are available now, TGI said, in the following size ranges:

• El Jefe – 14 sizes ranging from 215/70R16 to 275/65R18 and T and H speed ratings;

• Sexy Beast — 12 sizes ranging from 265/R20 XL to 305/3rR24 XL and H and V speed ratings;

• Kitty Kat — five W speed-rated sizes ranging from 225/35R20 XL to 275/40R20 XL; and

• Chubby Nubby — five Q speed-rated sizes ranging from 33x12.5R20LT to 33x12.5R24LT.

TGI describes the El Jefe as a tire with wide footprint and high-mileage compound; the Sexy Beast UHP as having a "sleek, streamlined pattern" for a quiet high-performance ride; the Kitty Kat SUV-UHP as having an asymmetric tread pattern for "exceptional" cornering and braking characteristics; and said the Chubby Nubby gets its name from its wide base and "aggressive" reinforced shoulders and heavy-duty sidewalls.

The new lines are produced primarily in Thailand by Zhongce Rubber (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

Mr. Wheeler joined TGI recently after 25 years' experience with Goodyear, Michelin North America/TCi Tire Centers and Kumho Tire USA Inc. He's responsible for sales, marketing, and customer service teams for the North American market.

Cosmo is one of TGI's six proprietary brands; the others are Astro, Atlas, Industar, Luna and Orion. It has a sales offices in Tampa in addition to its headquarters in Miami.