The unsung hero in our lives - creating a compelling story of tyres

Q&A with Sumitomo Rubber South Africa & Dunlop’s Head of Marketing, Edward Kawamba ?

What is one sentence, or one word, that captures your experience with SRSA thus far?

Potential.

What is your vision for the marketing of SRSA/Dunlop tyres?

Tyres are the unsung heroes in our consumer’s daily lives. Tyres are meant to provide you peace of mind and the confidence to get you home safely. A trusted brand brings you peace of mind and Dunlop Tyres SA is a trusted brand.

So, my vision for marketing Dunlop/SRSA tyres is to constantly create a compelling story of tyres in the lives of our customers. Everyone on the road has a relationship with a tyre, our job is to simply establish valuable relationships with our customers.

What excites you about the Dunlop brand and what it has to offer the SA market?

For years, the Dunlop brand has commanded a strong presence in the market and gained the trust of millions of consumers. My work is to proactively build on to the Dunlop brand’s high relevance in the market. As our market evolves, so will the needs of our consumers which ultimately impacts our brand. What excites me about the trusted position of the Dunlop brand to our consumers, is the extensive coverage that our brand enjoys. This is an opportunity for continual learning to provide relevant offerings that meets our consumers evolving needs.

What do you feel are the main challenges - and opportunities - in marketing tyres in SA?

The main challenge is the saturation with the influx of imported inferior tyres, and the impact it has on the increase of price sensitivity as a result of inferior options.

Our opportunities lie in the growing interest in sustainability. This offers us an opportunity to penetrate an emerging market with our tyres which are manufactured with sustainability at its core. For us, sustainability is more than just about the important role in preserving our planet. Sustainability is about our contribution to a sustainable economy and tyre industry.

In SA, the growing vehicle market directly impacts the growth of the tyre industry, and this is an opportunity for us to lead.

What are some market trends or consumer behaviours that could impact the tyre industry?

·?????? The price sensitivity is certainly already impacting the tyre market which is quite concerning if our consumers substitute safety for a saving.

·?????? The increased demand for online tyre purchases.

·?????? The fluctuations in fuel costs.

·?????? The commercialisation of Artificial Intelligence.

In Marketing, digital vs traditional, ATL vs BTL is always a topic of debate. What value does traditional, BTL media, still hold in marketing tyres?

It certainly holds value, particularly if you separate the B2B and B2C customer journey map. The tyre industry does not evolve at a rapid pace with innovation. As such, for B2B the traditional “Brick & Mortar” business model remains relevant. In this model, traditional marketing communications still holds weight. Today, our customers still appreciate physical marketing collateral far more than digital collateral.

Tyres are critical components in a vehicle. What are key pieces of information that you wish every South African should know about tyres, and why?

Tyres hold an essential safety function of the vehicle. I would wish every south African understands the importance of selecting the right tyre for the right application. Tyre education is key. Consumers seldomly understand this – in most cases we find consumers with over or under spec’d tyres. This should be communicated through both traditional and digital platforms utilising the relevant language.

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