While production capacity and scale can be impressive, what most Chinese-based tire manufacturers have failed to do is establish themselves as makers of quality products that command quality prices around the world.
With this in mind, the fact that Triangle appointed a new global marketing vice-president (a European ex-Goodyear man Jenner Powell) in the middle of 2013 suggests that the company is taking steps to elevate perceptions of its products and consistently communicate its strengths to the market. The fact that Triangle has decided to appoint a new non-Chinese marketing vice-president to help develop the company’s brand and product marketing in the international environment is also unlikely to be a coincidence.
The most obvious step the company has taken in support of this decision is the acquisition of smart new office space in the heart of Shanghai’s central business district, in the Bund area beside the HuangpuRiver that runs through the city. Dubbed the “Triangle Shanghai Excellent Centre” (TSEC), the Bund offices open in July. Currently human resources, finance and office administration functions are based there as well as the fledgling international marketing team led by Jenner Powell. This means an embryonic team of around five people at the time of T&A’s visit, rising to ten as the weeks and months go on. However, with two floors of the skyscraper already leased, plans are in motion to buy the penthouse and other floors, and with these offices already outfitted it is clear that the intention is to grow this location into a hub of international sales and marketing activity. Indeed, during the course of Tyres & Accessories’ visit in November Powell revealed that the company has already appointed project management staff and a global PR representative.
Of course things like this are a process, but the fact that the company occupies the penthouse of its impressive Bund-side residence with space ready for the international sales team on the sixth floor shows the commitment the company is attaching to this move. And it is also fits in with the internationalization that has been taking place during recent years, such as the opening of other regional offices in Russia (in 2009) and India (earlier in 2013) as well as Triangle’s decision to invest in certain key distributors. But the marketing investments go much further than investing in office space. (Tyres & Accessories)
