While at Next Marketing, my primary client was Continental Tire, working on their brand General Tire. With the COVID-19 pandemic still looming over the event industry, General Tire turned to Next to find solutions and ways to continue engaging with their consumers in person.
General Tire’s primary marketing spend was centered around in person experiences and events. Their target demographic of truck/Jeep owners and off-road enthusiasts made these kind of expos and events a perfect match for the General Tire “Destination Anywhere” tour.
The General Tire “Destination Anywhere” tour had a few elements that made it a consistent attraction at the events it attended. First the tour was transported via a 53’ branded racing hauler that housed all of the display elements and awnings/overhangs. The hauler (pulled by a semi-truck) would park at events and a 20’ tall branded awning would be assembled off the truck. Underneath the awning were tire displays showcasing General Tire’s extensive tire line, and a branded display Jeep with General Tire X3 tires installed. Registration desks were also in place with iPads for people to register for the free set of tires giveaway held throughout each event.
The challenges this tour presented were unprecedented in the event industry. Nearly every initial planned event was either cancelled or moved to a later date. COVID protocols had to be implemented for all staff, and navigating labor shortages across the country made staffing events difficult.
However, given these roadblocks the team was able to not only drive expected value over the tour, but exceed expectations by growing lead count 18% year over year with over 18,000 leads total during 2021 and 2022 tours.
My duties included managing the logistics of the tour - which consisted of overseeing two tour managers driving the vehicles associated with the tour and transferring the assets. I created, pitched, and executed a 20 stop event schedule comprised of large outdoors events, NASCAR races and Jeep/Car expos. I compiled 27 reports outlining demographic information, consumer habits, and brand opinion of attendees from thousands of survey responses to measure relevance and success of General Tire’s attended events. I also managed the execution of the onsite sweepstakes for the tire giveaway held at each event.
The success of the tour continued when it was nominated for two EX/Experience Technology Awards at the 2021 award ceremony (Best Event on a Budget of $500,000 or less, and Best Pandemic Era Tour).
