UNIQUE ONLINE APPROACH FOR APOLLO’S NEW RANGE OF TRUCK AND BUS RADIAL TYRES

Global tyre giant Apollo Tyres today announces its debut in the notoriously competitive Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tyre segment in Europe, and has also become the first and only manufacturer to launch its TBR range exclusively online, with a new go-to-market approach.

Apollo Tyres is no stranger to the sector: founded in 1972, it is the market leader in India, with 25% of the TBR market; truck and bus tyres constitute almost half of its production output; the company boasts six manufacturing plants globally, including a brand new, state-of-the-art factory in Hungary (opened this month), along with four R&D centres spread around the world.

“Quality, reliability and performance are central to Apollo Tyres’ philosophy. The company benchmarks against the best in the market and, often, outperforms them,” says Chief Retail & Marketing Officer, Marco Paracciani. “However, for the European TBR market we felt that a strong product offering was not enough as we saw an opportunity to innovate in the go-to-market approach.”

Apollo’s ambition to establish itself as a radial truck tyre technology leader in Europe is supported by its innovative approach to the market. Unique among tyre manufacturers, products are exclusively available through an online platform - ApolloTyresDirect.com - directly from Apollo, where pricing is completely transparent, with no hidden costs or complicated deals. Stripped of all unnecessary ancillary expenses, customers (whether dealers, large or small fleets, or owner-operators) can choose the service they prefer, and only pay for what they need. Paracciani explains: “Thanks to our cutting-edge business model, we can offer performance tyres at cost-effective prices. Indeed, our value proposition is nicely summed up by “Performance Tyres. Your Price. Your Way.””

“This launch today, is the culmination of our five-year testing and development programme for the Apollo brand of truck-bus radials in the UK and Europe,” says Benoit Rivallant, Apollo Tyres’ Group Head of Global Product Management for Commercial Vehicles. “The new range was designed for Europe and extensively tested over 250 million kilometers across six European countries, in a wide range of applications, by around 50 fleets and driver partners.”

“Streamlining the process was paramount to the success of this project,” continues Rivallant. “We are finding new ways to provide premium tyres how and when our customers need them, whether directly to the end user or providing new service opportunities for dealers. And of course, even though we are completely online, our Customer Service teams are always available to help customers, wherever they may be.”

Apollo’s revolutionary strategy is centred around providing the best deal for users: direct from the manufacturer, online, with transparent pan-European pricing, and leaving out anything the customer does not need or wish to pay for. The lean approach ensures that the tyres are cost-effective to produce, stock and deliver, so Apollo can pass its savings onto end customers.

This means that at ApolloTyresDirect.com customers create a personalised price based on order volume, delivery slot and payment method. Criteria such as large orders, advanced planning for orders or delivery, payment in advance or on credit, and even collection from the warehouse in Hamburg, all enable further reductions in the cost-per-tyre. And buying directly from the manufacturer means that once an order is accepted, it is guaranteed to be fulfilled.

Apollo Tyres pilots the delivery of its new TBR European tyre range in UK, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, with Germany and other countries soon to follow. However, countries currently outside the scope of delivery, can take advantage of the cost-effective pricing at ApolloTyresDirect.com by arranging collection from Apollo’s Hamburg warehouse.

To find out more about Apollo Tyres’ new TBR range, and the brand new online platform, visit stand C80, Hall 3, at the Commercial Vehicle Show, NEC, Birmingham, 25-27 April.

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