Tag: manufacturing; strategic communication; corporate communications; international relations; public affairs; global expansion

Shandong Linglong Tire Co., Ltd. (Linglong), China’s third largest tire marker, has announced appointment of IDEA Communication as its agency-of-record to handle integrated communications and digital campaigns, in conjunction with the company’s product roll out into overseas markets. Having built a strong reputation in China over the last three decades as a reliable and customer focused tire supplier, the partnership with IDEA communication will further advance the company’s agenda of on-road safety and sustainability. IDEA communication is charged with handling the tire manufacturer’s global communication duties including media relations, digital marketing, messaging, crisis management and social media campaign.

Linglong is a leading Chinese tire-manufacturer founded in 1975 that has expanded to Southeast Asia and East Europe in recent years. Today, the company has manufacturing facilities in China, Thailand, and Serbia, and R&D centers in Zhaoyuan, Beijing and North America. The company launched construction of its second overseas manufacturing base in Zrenjanin, Serbia In March, 2019, covering 136 hectares, in a bid to ramp up manufacturing capacity for the European expansion underway. Linglong has established a strong brand visibility amongst sportsfans globally. Linglong’s products are sold to over 180 countries and partners with leading automotive brands Geely Motors, Nissan Motors, Volkswagen, and sponsoring Premier League Juventus and Japanese racing team [get name from Justin].

IDEA will be responsible for the company’s overall communications strategy and planning as part of this expansion into Europe, providing key expertise on public relations, corporate communications, media relations and digital marketing. Over the span of the retainer, IDEA communication will conceptualize an omni-channel external communication strategy for Linglong to raise company profile, drive social advocacy with an engaging multi-pronged and holistic approach

“IDEA communications has a proven track record of success working with companies in growth and expansion phase,” said Feng Wang, Linglong’s CEO. “We are delighted to partner with IDEA and tap the team’s understanding of digital media, automotive market and story-telling prowess to elevate the Linglong brand experience to a new level and drive our next stage of growth in key markets.”

According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global automotive tire market is projected to reach $154.4 billion by 2027 from $112.16 billion in 2019. The rapid growth of the global automotive tire market is driven by the growing economies of China, India, South Africa, and Brazil, and the rising middle-classes therein. This has led to a rise in demand for automobiles and prominent growth in their manufacturing sectors. China has dominated the growth of this industry in the Asia-Pacific region thus far, with players like Linglong leading the charge forward for the global automotive tire market.

“We are tremendously proud of including a major Chinese manufacturer and a forward- looking brand like Linglong into our expanding client portfolio and ready to gear up to drive full throttle ahead.” Says Helena Ma, founder and managing director of IDEA Communication. “Shandong Linglong is a heritage Chinese manufacturing brand with a long track record of providing safe rides for Chinese households and a reliable supplier for an extensive range of automotive vehicles from sedans to off-highway trucks. We look forward to partnering with a progressive company like Linglong to shape compelling stories that delivery social and economic impact.”

Since its founding in May 2016, founder and manging director Helena Ma has led IDEA to considerable success over a short span of time, having partnered with chemical giant BASF, Swedish smartwatch innovator Kronaby AB, Chinese co-working Unicorn Ucommune, Thailand’s CP family-backed fintech company Lightnet Group and numerous others on integrated public relations, digital and social efforts. The integrated communication firm has ramped up its client servicing capacity with a growing team, strengthened core services and upgraded IT infrastructure to maximise the efficiency and efficacy of clients’ support. Its non-profit social consulting and community partnership arm Heart4Dream is slated to launch in mid Q4 2020, supporting profit-for-purpose businesses with social impact consulting services.