New Yokohama social media campaign will meet consumers on their own terms

LANGLEY, B.C. (February 8, 2010) – Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. will meet it’s newest customers where they live – on-line – in a bold initiative to use digital media to reach a broad spectrum of consumers with news, information and attractive offers on Yokohama tires.

Yokohama Canada has launched a suite of new social media channels, including a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter feed, a YouTube channel and Flickr presence, to offer the latest in product information and interactive fun to customers seeking a better understanding of the company and its products. The multi-pronged initiative is the most ambitious approach to digital media of any tire company in Canada.

Yokohama will use the various channels to offer an array of information to interested consumers, from updates on the company’s involvement in the high-action sport of rallying, to the latest information on ‘green’ products like the new Yokohama dB Super E-spec tires for hybrid cars.

The company will also create cross-promotions with retail partners through channels like Twitter, in which followers of both companies can roll-up the special offers from both organizations to maximize their savings. “The most successful ventures in digital media are the most authentic efforts to reach consumers and have an honest, straight-forward dialogue,” says Jonathon Karelse, marketing manager for Yokohama Canada. “We’re passionate about cars and tires, and we hope that comes across in our encounters with consumers through social media. We like the subject and we are happy to share our enthusiasm with the people who feel the same way.” All the channels can be accessed by the Yokohama website (www.yokohama.ca) as well as directly through their respective platforms.

The launch of the interactive initiative is in parallel with the company’s extensive advertising, point of sale and promotional activity aimed at consumer and trade audiences across Canada.

Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining, forestry and construction applications. It maintains distribution centres across Canada to serve more than 700 independent tire dealers and more than 2,000 retail locations.