TBC Brands and Harris Tire Co. are bringing two exclusive Duck Commander branded tire lines to the consumer replacement market: Duck Commander All-Terrain and Duck Commander Mud Terrain.
The two lines are the first to carry the Duck Commander stamp and brand name. The tire branding licensing agreement is the first of its kind for the Duck Commander brand and for TBC.
“This is the first time we’ve ventured into this type of co-marketing program,” says Marty Krcelic, executive vice president of sales for TBC Brands. “We feel our distribution channel and their appeal to a segment of the market bodes well for a very successful program."
The tire lines feature aggressive tread designs, stylized outline white letter sidewalls, and popular sizing for a wide variety of SUVs, Jeeps, and pickups, according to TBC. The lines will be available on a size-by-size basis beginning in August.
The Duck Commander All Terrain tire will be available in 16 sizes in 15- to 18-inch diameters in August and September.
The Duck Commander Mud Terrain will be available in 15 sizes in 16- to 20-inch diameters in September and October.
TBC plans a full launch for October and will display the new tires at the 2014 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show Nov. 4-7 in Las Vegas.
Harris Tire Co., which reached a licensing agreement with Louisiana's Robertson family – stars of the reality show Duck Dynasty and proprietors of the Duck Commander brand – is the exclusive distributor of the lines in the Southeast, and has partnered with TBC Brands to distribute the lines throughout the rest of North America.
“What started as a casual conversation with the Duck Commander patriarch, Phil Robertson, quickly became a reality once TBC signed on to the project,” says Ken Harris Jr., president of Troy, Ala.-based Harris Tire.
“These new tire lines go hand-in-hand with Duck Commander’s existing relationships with NASCAR and LINE-X. And, the use of the Duck Commander brand will be a unique and fresh endeavor in the independent tire market, offering a quality product with a globally recognizable brand name manufactured domestically by Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.,” says Harris.
TBC views the co-marketing program as an opportunity to leverage its relationship with Cooper and introduce niche products that target specific audiences yet have a broader appeal.
“I think this has legs beyond the affiliation Duck Dynasty and Duck Commander,” says Jon Vance, TBC senior director of product marketing.
“This is really an outdoor enthusiast tire. We had the product platform, the partnership with Harris Tire, the Duck Commander brand and the manufacturing support, so we targeted the high volume appropriate sizes that matched the vehicle fitments for these tires to get maximum excitement and maximum volume.
"We’re covering a lot of the market here. It's an opportunity to participate with a respected brand that targets a specific audience we think will be interested in these products.”
TBC Brands is a company of TBC Corp., which is No. 2 on the 2014 MTD 100.
