Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. kicked off its activities at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show going on now in Las Vegas with a celebration for having reached two million fans on Facebook.
DJ and producer Steve Aoki made a guest appearance and autographed posters while show attendees enjoyed cake to mark the event (booth #43183).
Starting in 2010, Nitto put a heavy emphasis on fan engagement through social media. “A few months after we set up a Facebook page, we celebrated our first milestone: 30,000 fans,” says Harry Kong, marketing and social media strategist, Nitto Tire. “By the end of the first year we had 100,000 and at the end of the next year, we had one million. Now, this year, we are celebrating two million fans.”
Nitto attributed its success with fans to innovative social media strategies. In 2011, Nitto’s Fan Drive promotion, where consumers built and voted on the best giveaway car, and an in-game sponsorship with Car Town – the top automotive game on Facebook – helped them engage with automotive enthusiasts, the company reports.
This year, Nitto sought to expand brand awareness and fan engagement through a partnership with Aoki, an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ and producer. Nitto Tire President Tomo Mizutani identified EDM as an emerging music trend in the U.S. One of Nitto’s core philosophies is helping the automotive market grow by supporting emerging trends before they are mainstream, like EDM, the company notes.
Guests who visited Nitto’s booth also got the chance to win tickets to Aoki’s birthday concert (fueled by Nitto) on Nov. 21, 2012. The company will choose five winners to fly to Los Angeles, Calif., to meet Aoki and to gain VIP access to his birthday party. A grand-prize winner and Aoki will be awarded with the chance to drift.
Nitto is sponsoring a one-on-one drifting session with professional drift drivers at the Long Beach Convention Center followed by a birthday concert at the Shine Auditorium that evening.
To enter the contest, visit Nitto’s Facebook page.
