Yokohama Signs First Sponsorship In Philadelphia Market

The tire category has seen a lot of sponsorship activity lately from the likes of Bridgestone, Continental Tire, Khumo, Toyo and Yokohama. Today, the latter has announced its first sports marketing foray in the Philly market, part of a broader initiative to align with professional sports teams in key markets. Yokohama has teamed up with the Philadelphia Phillies, its second MLB team deal, in an effort to raise brand awareness and drive traffic to local dealers.

“The sponsorship is designed to drive consumer traffic to our dealers,” said Shawn Denlein, Yokohama director of sales, Consumer Products. The sponsorship agreement includes a combination of signage behind home plate and on the first and third base lines; pre-game, post-game and in-game spots on the Phillies flagship radio station throughout the season; in-stadium displays and in-game announcements on the public address system and LED scoreboard.

As part of the deal, A “Home Team Pride” promotion will reward fans with a free official replica Phillies jersey with the purchase of four Yokohama tires from participating dealers. Along with the Phillies, Yokohama’s 2011 sports sponsorships include the Los Angeles Angels, Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets. Yokohama also sponsored three NFL teams in 2010: the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos.

“Sports sponsorships provide dynamic brand visibility and are a perfect platform to promote our line-up of tires, including the AVID ENVigor and the eco-friendly, orange-oil infused dB Super E-spec,” said Denlein. “Partnering with a team like the Phillies, which has dedicated, loyal fans, will allow our dealers to generate store traffic and create local consumer excitement within the community.”

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