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'Five Reasons To Believe In Dunlop' Propel Brand, Tire Sales
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 31, 2004 — Inspired by Goodyear's "Seven Reasons to Believe in Goodyear," Dunlop marketers announced today an historic three-tire introduction as part of its "Five Reasons to Believe in Dunlop."
The Dunlop SP Sport Maxx flagship for the brand's ultra-performance tire lineup, the Direzza DZ101 for the fast-growing vehicle tuner segment, and the Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 highway light-truck tire for luxury and crossover sport-utility vehicles are aimed at revitalizing the brand, marketers said.
Introducing innovative products is the first of the Five Reasons to Believe. "New products are the lifeblood of our business," said Andy Traicoff, director of Dunlop consumer tire marketing.
In the past year as part of its turnaround, Goodyear Chairman Bob Keegan has outlined the "Seven Reasons to Believe in Goodyear" to associates, analysts and customers. Traicoff said Keegan's Reasons to Believe "serve as a template for Dunlop sales and marketing efforts."
The second Reason to Believe in Dunlop® Tires — leveraging prestigious original-equipment fitments - results from the brand's presence on the world's finest automobiles. With original-equipment tire fitments on Audi, BMW, Range Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen, Dunlop "has cemented its reputation among luxury and performance car owners, light truck and sport-utility vehicle owners - and those who aspire to be owners of those brands," Traicoff said.
The director added that premium luxury brands typically score higher in customer satisfaction surveys, and consumers are far more likely to seek the same tire brand at replacement time.
"Prestigious fitment on these vehicles also makes it easier for salespersons behind the counter to sell Dunlop replacement tires. They can point to a company, such as BMW, and give customers a reason to believe in the tire. Prestige goes a long way in ensuring our success in the marketplace," he said.
Leveraging Dunlop's European/racing heritage is the third Reason to Believe. Benefiting from its heritage as a performance leader among enthusiasts with an interest in European automobiles and racing, brand leaders say they seek to build awareness and passion for Dunlop and its tire lines.
Paraphrasing a recent ad slogan, Dunlop is going beyond "Point D" to play to enthusiasts' emotional connection with their cars, Traicoff said. "It's a tribute to a time when racing was a gentleman's sport and road races were held on some of the most breathtaking streets of Europe .
"It's about the romanticism of driving, the thrill of competition and the importance of heritage and performance. It's an emotion that continues today among enthusiasts who personalize their vehicles and those who enjoy showing their cars at Concours d'Elegance or Hot Import Nights events," he said.
With retail growth of performance products used to modify sport compact cars growing nine-fold in the past six years, Dunlop stands ready to gain share and sales. These automotive enthusiasts account for 22.5 million replacement tire sales annually, Traicoff said.
"We need Dunlop to contribute to Goodyear's turnaround," he added. "Passion, performance and prestige are anchored in our heritage and future direction.
"Driving is in tire enthusiasts' thoughts, in their hearts. . .in their blood. They don't just drive from point A to point B. It's the journey that matters most. That's what makes this group a perfect match for Dunlop."
Grassroots or guerilla marketing is the fourth Reason to Believe in Dunlop.
To boost its performance image, Dunlop sponsors Formula D Drifting, NHRA Summit Import drag racing series and NDRA "NOPI Drag Wars" Race Series. The brand also produces sport compact race slicks for professional drag racers and a track-event tire called the SP Supersport race.
Dunlop also has a strong reputation in auto and motorcycle racing circuits in the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan . "We're always looking for co-marketing events in North America that make sense for the Dunlop brand. The main criteria is that they reach 'In-the-Know' enthusiasts," he said.
The fifth Reason to Believe is a dunloptires.com website that dares to be different. The recently redesigned site continues to reinvent itself to cater to automotive enthusiasts and their lifestyles.
Traicoff said the website is used to build brand awareness and essence as well as drive tire sales to local retailers.
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