So, How’s Business?

The tire industry has TIA (if you are a dealer, I think) and RMA (if you are a manufacturer). We have American Business Media, which does the usual job of educating, lobbying, advocating and researching.

B2B magazines, like our Tire Review, depend on advertising. Since readers get the magazine for free (at least most readers do), advertisers provide the revenue that allows us to deliver the kind of information you expect – no, need – to succeed in this market.

But as ABM research showed, 2008 was not kind of B2B magazines. Full-year 2008 ad revenues for all B2B mags showed a 7.3% decline, a downturn squarely put on the current financial crisis. The fourth quarter, as you would expect, was the worse, with a 13.1% drop.

"While B2Bmagazines have experienced a 7.3% decline, other B2B media platforms have declined less or showed growth," stated Gordon T. Hughes II, ABM’s president and CEO. "For the long term, we believe that B2B media will continue to serve the needs of the marketing community with superior products and services, and will grow accordingly."

And so do we.

If you have comments to share, send to me at [email protected].

– Jim Smith

If you’re a shop looking to sell summer tires, it’s important to know that customers looking for these tires have very specific needs. Let’s talk about why, before recommending summer tires, you need to fully understand customer performance requirements.

Unlike all-season or all-terrain tires built for diverse driving conditions, UHP summer tires are designed with one priority: dry and wet traction for performance driving. Lateral and longitudinal grip in dry and wet conditions are also important, which is achieved through optimized contact patches, high silica tread compounds and circumferential grooves to channel water. Generally, UHP summer tire tread design features large blocks and fewer grooves for more road contact on dry surfaces. The grooves are designed to channel water away from the tire, reducing the risk of hydroplaning on wet roads.