Goodyear Presents New Ways to Drive Demand To Dealerships

Themed “Built to Lead,” the three-day Goodyear North America Customer Conference, held Feb. 2-4 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, Colorado, set out to spotlight how Goodyear is helping its dealers take the lead in their markets and build upon that momentum to make 2020 an even better year.

Presentations from corporate officials and leaders during the General Session on Day 2 outlined Goodyear’s investments in technology, new products, innovative tools and marketing initiatives that they said will drive dealer success in 2020.

The general session kicked off the event with a presentation by Steve McClellan, president Goodyear Americas. “Goodyear has built the assets you need to grow and win through our connected business model. That’s how this year’s theme, ‘Built to Lead,’ came to be,” he told the audience. McClellan summarized Goodyear’s value proposition for dealers that he said represents the “competitive advantage you gain when you go all in and align with Goodyear.”

Steve-McClellan-Goodyear — Steve McClellan, president Goodyear Americas, discussed how this year’s theme, Built to Lead, came to be—with Goodyear building the assets its dealers need to grow and win through its connected business model—and also summarized Goodyear’s value proposition for dealers that he said represents the “competitive advantage you gain when you go all in and align with Goodyear.”

“Over the next few days, we’re going to share more of the investments we’ve made; [we’ve] built the assets for you to leverage in your markets,” McClellan continued. These investments, he said, allow Goodyear to deliver products faster to its customers and get them ready for mobility trends on the not-too-distant horizon. Goodyear is “pushing the boundaries of excellence and performance,” added McClellan.

McClellan then introduced members of his commercial and consumer teams to share: “The world-class tire management solutions we’ve created; the impact that our leading products are having in the marketplace; our connected business model and how it sets Goodyear and its customers apart in the consumer space; and the investments we’re making to help you sell more of the right tires.”

Scott Rogers, president, North America consumer (pictured above), discussed Goodyear’s expanding range of product fitments across a wider range of OEMs, noting that 15 new product lines have been introduced in the last three years. With tire industry fundamentals remaining strong, for example, miles traveled continue to grow and there are more drivers on the road, Rogers said that Goodyear will continue to “build on that momentum and we aren’t doing it alone,” as he thanked dealers in the audience for their support and business. To continue to win customers’ business, “we must deliver a superior experience, and make it easier for consumers to buy and own tires, no matter how they want to shop (in reference to the dramatic shift in how tires are purchased). That’s the goal of our connected business model,” added Rogers, citing that 80% of people believe their customer experience to be just as important as the products you sell.

He pointed to these statistics surrounding the Goodyear brand:

Goodyear tires are on six of the top 10 selling vehicles;
Goodyear is the No. 1 supplier on full-sized trucks, a position it has held for 20+ years.
New fitments on Kia, Hyundai and VWs were made possible with a continued investment in technology and innovation.
Goodyear research shows that more than one-third of tire units sold through the tire and service network came after a visit to goodyear.com.

Mike-Dwyer-Goodyear — Mike Dwyer, chief customer officer, North America consumer, shared news about Goodyear’s products and programs, how the company has invested heavily in its product portfolio to meet consumer expectations and highlighted two new launches this year: the Assurance ComfortDrive all-season tire available in September, and the WinterCommand Ultra winter tire available in the third quarter of 2020.

Mike Dwyer, chief customer officer, North America Consumer, shared news about Goodyear’s products and programs that he said brings the power of the Goodyear brand and all of its assets to customers so they can lead in your markets. “For more than 120 years, Goodyear has been focused on helping you stand out and grow despite change. We strive to not only stay ahead but to lead.”

“How do we create demand, how do we drive customers to your stores, and finally, how do you help close the sale?” he asked. “We do this by making sure our brands stand out in customers’ minds that they can connect to it and that it means something to them.”

Dwyer then gave attendees a sneak peek at Goodyear’s new TV spot that will premiere during the Daytona 500 race later this month. He said Goodyear will continue to leverage powerful and unique sports sponsorships, noting that “our marketing efforts are the starting point for any purchase, and we are confident this new ad will create demand and fill the funnel.”

Goodyear’s eCommerce platform is a key asset in connecting consumers, Dwyer said, adding that 85% of consumers use the internet to assist in buying tires and, in 2019, Goodyear had 18 million web visits to buy tires and additional products.

He said that for the past several years, Goodyear has invested heavily in its product portfolio, and its efforts are meeting consumer expectations for superior-performing products. “Standing here today, I can say we have the best product portfolio in Goodyear’s history. You told us what consumers want, and we delivered.”

Building off of that momentum, Goodyear will have two new launches this year: the Assurance ComfortDrive all-season tire available in September, and the WinterCommand Ultra winter tire available in the third quarter of 2020, Dwyer said.