Bridgestone Dealer Meeting Reveals Renewed Focus, New Boss - Tire Review Magazine

Bridgestone Dealer Meeting Reveals Renewed Focus, New Boss

There’s a new boss at Bridgestone Americas. And because the boss is such an integral part of success for both the tiremaker and its dealers, the company is shifting its entire go-to-market strategy.john baratta, president of bridgestones u.s. and canada consumer replacement tire sales division, introduced dealers to the companys new boss.

Just who is this new boss? The consumer.

Company executives shared just how Bridgestone plans to answer to this new boss during its annual Consumer Tire Business Meeting, held mid-October in Nashville, Tenn. The meeting’s theme, “Bring Your Customers Home,” was a nod to the close proximity of Bridgestone Americas’ headquarters, but also addressed changes in the tiremaker’s marketing strategy and product screen designed to bring customers – the bosses – home to dealer locations.

“In the end, if we don’t please the boss and you don’t please the boss, neither one of us is going to be successful,” John Bar­atta, president of Bridgestone’s U.S. and Canada consumer replacement tire sales division, told the crowd of about 500 tire dealers and their guests.

According to Baratta and other speakers at the event, Bridgestone is shifting to view things from the consumer’s point of view. Primarily, the tiremaker aims to excel in “moments of truth,” a term borrowed from Procter & Gamble.

The first “moment of truth” is when the customer selects a product at a store, and the second is when that customer tries out the product and decides whether it passes mus­ter. But even before that, according to Baratta, there is a “zero moment of truth” – when consumers peruse the Internet for product information, locations, social media buzz, reviews and more to decide what options they’ll even entertain.

“The zero moment of truth is the perception that consumers have before even setting foot in a store,” Baratta said. “It isn’t about what the competition is doing, it’s about what the consumer is doing. We must focus on all three of these moments.”
the consumer tire dealer meeting's welcome reception, held nearby at the country music hall of fame.
Through product innovation, revamped marketing campaigns and a stronger digital media effort, Bridgestone said it will target consumers in an all-encompassing, comprehensive way.

Another major part of that strategy is increased production; the tiremaker’s Aiken plant expansion is on track, with the first phase slated for completion in April 2013. Aiken’s capacity expansion will give the tiremaker the ability to react faster to market and size change demands, according to Eduardo Minardi, chief operating officer.

On the innovation front, president and CEO Gary Garfield overviewed the tiremaker’s pending developments, including the use of alternate materials; a tire made of 100% sustainable materials (slated for retail sale in 2020); color sidewall printing technology; an airless concept tire; lightweight steel cords for greater fuel efficiency; new compounds for wear and wet grip; tinted rubber for treads; and a stubble-resistant laminate for ag tire tread.

“The key to product innovation is having an incredibly strong relationship with the boss and making sure consumers’ needs are met,” Garfield said.

Brand Strategies
To help simplify and streamline things for “the boss,” both the Bridgestone and Firestone brands will be enhanced with clearer brand positioning to increase brand familiarity, according to Larry Ma­gee, U.S. and Canada consumer tire president.

The tiremaker will continue to build on the Bridgestone brand’s “Time to Perform” campaign. In addition, an adjusted sponsorship deal with the NFL will see more mention of the brand throughout the year.
An example of Bridgestone's color sidewall printing technology.
While the Bridgestone brand no longer has naming rights for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, it will have an advertising presence in more NFL events, including the playoffs, Pro Bowl, pre-draft combine, draft and Super Bowl ads, according to Phil Pacsi, vice president of consumer marketing.

“Consumers are in the tire market day in and day out,” added Phillip Dobbs, chief marketing officer. “You can’t drive a specific sell because they are in the market every day. We wanted to be top of mind, making contact with consumers year-round.”

A renewed effort for the Firestone brand includes the all-new “Drive a Firestone” campaign, which tells consumers “Firestone is a car company” and features the return of the iconic Firestone shield – first introduced in 1922 to symbolize the company’s “mark of quality.”

Tire dealers can tag each commercial spot for their local markets, said John Neilson, vice president of brand marketing. Another facet of the increased ad budget for the brand is a new Firestone website, which will launch in the first quarter of 2013.

“Firestone is still very much top-of-mind for consumers,” Dobbs said. “When we polled consumers in researching the campaign, it was like they were getting a call from an old friend. We already had an advertising presence with Firestone, but not to this new level of intensity.”

He added that revamping both campaigns is possible because the Firestone and Bridgestone brands don’t overlap directly, but are complementary. “Firestone is what we refer to as the ‘work hard, play hard’ group, but still mostly mainstream, while Bridgestone drivers tend to be more affluent and technology-focused,” Dobbs noted. “We want to be sure we invest and focus on both brands”

New Products
Also previewed at the dealer meeting were several new products:

• Potenza RE97AS, described as a performance tire blended with touring attributes, that the tiremaker said offers low rolling resistance and fuel efficiency, as well as wet performance and excellent steering feel and response. Available in March in 22 V and W speed rated sizes ranging from 16- to 18-inch wheel diameters, the tire targets performance vehicles such as the Acura TL, Nissan Maxima and Mazda 6.

• Potenza RE-11 A, a UHP tire Bridgestone said offers cornering performance, wet performance and outstanding grip. Offered in 10 V and W speed rated sizes ranging from 15- to 17-inch wheel diameters, the tire will launch in March and is targeted for performance vehicles such as the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, Subaru WRX and Volkswagen GTI.

• Dueler H/P Sport AS, a performance tire for high-end crossover vehicles. Due out in April, the tire is geared for CUVs from Lexus, Acura, Audi, BMW, Mazda, Lincoln and Mercedes, among others. It will be available in nine H, V and W speed rated sizes ranging from 17- to 20-inch wheel diameters.

• Blizzak LM-32, a V- and W-rated winter tire for European luxury sedans. The tire will be available in July 2013 in 33 sizes ranging from 16- to 20-inch wheel diameters.

Dealer Program Additions
Also revealed at the meeting, the Bridgestone Affiliated Retailer program now focuses even more on the consumer – as well as the dealer – with several new additions:

• A reissued credit card includes a $70 American Express gift card rebate with the purchase of any four Bridgestone passenger or light truck tires.

• The program’s Nationwide Manufacturers Warranty, Tire Protection Plan and Service Warranty covers service, tire repair and replace­ment, and roadside assistance. Consumers can return to the dealer nearest them – wherever they may be at the time service is needed. If there are not any network dealers nearby, a consumer can visit a non-network facility and still be covered under the plan.

• Beginning in 2013, Bridgestone’s “One Team, One Planet” take-off tire program will involve dealers, saving them money on tire disposal costs.

• The program will offer an enterprise software system that will allow dealers to communicate with customers between appointments, and will offer consumers a personalized vehicle records webpage where they can log in to view their vehicle history and make appointments. The software is due out the first quarter of 2013.

“The Bridgestone Affiliated Retailer network is now a consumer-focused program,” Baratta said in closing. “This benefits dealers in that the streamlined, more consistent message will drive more traffic to stores.”

It all boils down to satisfying the new boss, and Bridgestone Americas believes it is up to the challenge.

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