Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has hired Boston, Mass.-based Arnold Worldwide Partners and 180 Communications of Amsterdam, Netherlands, to provide advertising for its Dunlop brand in the North American and European markets.
"In Europe we have a recognized brand with superior heritage and performance along with solid distribution while the North American audience needs to be suitably introduced to the quality and performance of the Dunlop brand," says Cathy Fischer, Goodyear's chief marketing officer.
Boosting Dunlop's awareness in North America "is something we've wanted to do for years," a Goodyear/Dunlop spokesman told Modern Tire Dealer last May. "Goodyear understands that takes money. Dunlop has always had a great reputaton, but we've never had the clout to take it to market."
Goodyear gained majority control of the Dunlop brand in early 1999 after finalizing a joint venture with Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.
The Dunlop brand holds a 2.5% share of the domestic replacement passenger tire market, according to MTD statistics, and 2% of the domestic replacement light truck tire market.
