Continental Tires is still the Preferred Partner of the Asia-Pacific Global Mercedes-Benz After-Sales Tires Program. The partnership commenced in September last year in Korea, the Republic of China (R.O.C., Taiwan), Japan, India, New Zealand, and Australia. It then expanded to Indonesia in September this year.
The program includes intensive cooperation and partnership as well as the development of special marketing concepts. The two companies will also implement joint sell-out promotions and sales campaigns. Their partnership is strategic in gaining a strong foothold in the APAC regions.
The Preferred Partner Program previously covered Europe. It was extended to the Asia-Pacific region three years ago with an aim to bring closer the joint development of tire after-sales, to facilitate in-store sales and enable the sharing of knowledge between Continental and Mercedes-Benz AG.
Ferdinand Hoyos, Executive Vice President, BU RE Tires APAC for Continental Tires expressed, “Premium vehicle manufacturers have the highest requirements on the quality and performance of its vehicles and demands no less of their tire supplier. This applies not just to the original factory-fitted tires, but also to the subsequent tire changes needed throughout the life of the vehicle. Continental’s shared commitment to premium quality and precision German engineering make us the ideal partner for this program.”
The APAC region is crucial for Continental Tires’ growth. The company is expanding its footprint by investing in different areas. This includes investment in production, marketing, distribution, research and development, and the people involved.
The tire manufacturer launched production in Rayong, Thailand in 2019. This was in an aim to support its growth in original equipment and replacement part business for light truck and passenger tires. It has continued to keep up with the changing trends in the industry as well as digitizing processes to better understand customer demands.
Continental Tire continues to work with Mercedes-Benz jointly in the selected APAC markets to make sure customers get excellent services. This is by offering the best tailor-made Mercedes-Benz marked MO/MOE/MO1/MOS Continental tires. You can get co-branded examples displayed in Mercedes-Benz retail stores across the region.
In addition, customer events are also scheduled to take place jointly to showcase the importance of having the correct MO-marked Continental tire. Continental Tires also has access to central order and sales tools linking to the car manufacturer’s network and a direct online platform to complete orders.
The partnership provides the ideal platform for Continental to extend its presence in APAC and to also focus on the region to achieve strategic goals. Ferdinand Hoyos adds, “As we have before, Continental dedicates its best people to support the program with tire business expertise and training. We are excited to continue this partnership and look forward to our joint success in the region.”