TYRES AND FOOD.

 TYRES AND FOOD.

The 2007 Pixar film Ratatuille is based loosely on the life of French Chef Bernard Loiseau. Loiseau, tragically shot himself in 2003 when a rumour in the French press suggested that he might lose one of his three coveted Michelin Stars.

So how could the opinion of a tyre company evoke such passion and tragedy? What is the connection between tyres and food? And how has that relationship endured?

The founding Fathers of Michelin Tyre Company, Edouard and Andre Michelin, were marketing experts long before the word marketing became an everyday word in business. Like Walt Disney, they had an innate sense of what their end users wanted from a product and how to tap into the lifestyle aspirations of their customers with their brand.
With the development of the motor car and the growth of motoring as a pastime, so arose the the need for maps and guides. In 1900 the first Guide Rouge was released. It included recommendations of Country Inns and restaurants where the motorist could find refreshments.

The 1900 Red Guide

In 1933 Edouard Michelin introduced the Michelin Star as a measure of quality and excellence. With time The 'Bib Gourmand' has been added to award Restaurants and Pubs offering 'good food at moderate prices. One, Two or Three stars are awarded for degrees of excellence.
The guide is now available for over one dozen countries including UK and Ireland.
The celebrity chefs which have become household names in recent years; Ramsey,  Pierre White, Blumenthal,  Bacuse ,Blanc all have the Michelin Star in common. In fact Frances Premier Chef, Paul Bacuse said in the 60's, 'Michelin is the only guide that counts'.
There is no doubt that Michelin still leads the way in this regard. The integrity of the guide is preserved through a strict code of behaviour in Michelin's Maps and Guides department. They go to extraordinary lenghts to preserve the anonymity of their inspectors. Inspectors are advised never to disclose their occupation(even to parents) and never to talk to journalists. And so the integrity of the guide endures.

Nearly 23 years ago John and Sally McKenna bought a cheap car and set off around Ireland and compiled the information to write the first Irish Food Guide. Two years later and the annual edition was sponsored and promoted by Bridgestone Ireland. The book received international acclaim and became the 'go to' book in terms of Irish quality food and artisan food producers. The guide reviews restaurants, shops and businesses of all kinds where food is sold or served. It is an excellent chronological guide of Ireland's emerging food culture in that it charts our development from emerging economy to boom and to where we are now. What it demonstrates is, that despite weak economic times, Ireland's quality food sector is booming and ever expanding. This year the Guide was released minus the Bridgestone sponsorship. We hope that this is a temporary arrangement as this has been a very successful partnership. The Irish Food Guide will continue and prosper regardless.

So do food guides sell tyres? Almost certainly not. What they do is reinforce branding. They help to familiarise the brand and the tyre at the point of purchase. It reinforces the confidence of the customer that in purchasing one of these brands, they are purchasing a familiar and quality recognised product.

Whilst we have no Michelin Starred restaurants in Kildare Town, we do have Mary Kathryn's Deli on Academy Street. A Ballymaloe trained chef, Mary Kathryn Murphy is a well deserved recipient of John and Sally's Bridgestone Plaque for excellence in fine food. If you don't believe us check it out when you're in Kildare. We'll drop you up whilst your car is being serviced.

SEMPERIT.'DRIVING' STANDARDS.

SEMPERIT. 'DRIVING' STANDARDS.

In the tyre market there exists something of a glass ceiling where the word Premium is used. It would be fair to say that there are six household premium brands consisting of Continental, Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Dunlop and Pirelli. Six or seven other brands push the ceiling. They include Toyo, Hankook, Kumho,Yokohama, Firestone and Semperit. In some markets such as Australia, Hankook breaks the ceiling. Kumho is a champion performer in the world of Rally. So there are strong examples where the big six come under pressure and these other brands push the ceiling in. In Ireland one brand smashes the ceiling and sits well and truly comfortably in our big seven. That brand is Semperit.

  CIRCA 1970 KILEEN RD. DUBLIN

Certainly one reason for Semperits' success in the Irish market is it's history. An Austrian Company originally, Semperit had a manufacturing hub in Ballyfermot Dublin. They were a popular employer and produced a quality product. As a result ; Irish consumers supported the brand. The factory and it's management became the 'go to' when issues of tyres or road safety arose in the media.

Despite having been taken over by Continental Tyre Group and closing it's base here, Semperit have retained that authority. Surveys into driver behaviour, safety statistics and general market information relative to tyres regularly come with the tag 'A new report by Semperit'.

Irish Car of The Year is supported and sponsored by Semperit. Where other tyre brands have associated with sports, dining, touring , etc; Semperit have made a complete success of concentrating on Marketing activities totally close to what they do. They 'make life easier for the motorist'.

THOMAS HEFFERNAN(LEFT) RECEIVES SEMPERIT RETAILER OF THE YEAR FROM PADDY MURPHY GENERAL MANAGER IRELAND CTG.

Where other tyre companies have scoured the world looking for the finest hotels and restaurants; again Semperit have dared to be different. The Semperit Retailer of The Year is an Irish Initiative in it's third year. It is a continuous assessment of tyre retail businesses over a twelve month period. Businesses are audited on the quality of their business in terms of professionalism. presentation, website and customer service. There are mystery shoppers and mystery phone calls. It culminates in an award ceremony where the overall winner is announced. It is a serious driver of standards. It sets the bar for what is required in our industry in terms of our responsibilities for road safety. Quality retailers sell quality products. Where tyres are concerned, quality tyres save lives. Heffernan Tyres welcomes this great initiative by Semperit and CTG. We are a little biased in that we have won the title for the last two years. 

We see improvement in other tyre businesses in Ireland and we continually strive to do things better. There is no doubt that this competition drives competitive spirit and so Semperit are continually 'Driving' standards. Upwards!

WHAT WOMEN WANT

WHAT WOMEN WANT.

The hilarious 2000 Romantic Comedy starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt deals with the subject of target marketing in a Chicago advertising firm. The chauvinistic Gibson (Nick) is given a collection of feminine products by his new boss, Hunt(Darcy) and instructed to design ''copy'' for the products by ''attempting to get into women's heads''. The scenes that follow are farcical, hilarious and make for a great film.
Although beneath the surface the film does deal with some very complex issues including sexism, office politics and the dynamics of male female work relationships where women are the bosses.

 A glance around our waiting room on any given day will confirm who are biggest customers are. Women by a mile! Now we didn't go to the same lenght as Nick to achieve this, however it is not an accident. Several of the conditions that we have in place have made us first choice for the female market in our immediate area and beyond. The three most important factors are Staff, Waiting area and our Premises. How so?

STAFF. Our front office staff are all women. They are a highly professional team and have learnt the technical side of tyre products,features, benefits, USPs, etc, through years of experience and training. They do all the selling with regard to tyres and do so in a consultative non pushy style.
Our Manager Nigel and floor staff of fitters and technicians are a team of gentlemen. There is never any atmosphere of patronising chauvinistic behaviour,swearing or any of the stereotypical behaviour that many people associate with Tyre shops. We make our customers feel relaxed.

WHAT WE'RE NOT!

WAITING AREA All of  the multi national tyre retail chains in Ireland employ near 100% men in their retail businesses. Their staff alternate between workshop floor and counter. The end result means one thing... dirt. Our waiting area is designed for absolute comfort and is always spotlessly clean. We have WiFi, Papers, Complimentary Fresh Coffee, TV, kids toys and wheelchair accessable restrooms. We aim to make a visit to Heffernan Tyres a comfortable experience.

OUR PREMISES Our building ,we believe , makes a statement about what we do. Our multiple bays allow easy access and maximum efficiency. We look like we are experts at what we do because we are experts at what we do. There is no doubt that it is our female customers who are most safety and quality focused. They are far less likely to indulge in the bravado or risk behaviour of their male counterparts. We don't have statistics yet but from what we know, women are far less likely to purchase part worn tyres.

Through our Social Media and advertising channels we will continue to grow our business with our female clientele  We are always looking at ways to improve our image and convenience to this target market and welcome suggestions at any time. We provide a shuttle service to nearby Kildare Village Outlet Centre, allowing our customers to carry out other business whilst their car is being serviced. This has been very popular.

There are some very good reasons as to why businesses everywhere should follow our example. I like this rationale from Robert Craven of Bright Marketing.

''This is not a feminist thing but a straight down the line business/commercial argument. The women’s market is not a niche, a speciality group or a minority – they have wallets, and for many businesses, women as decision-makers and consumers hold the key to future success.''

And the real figures,

''Research from NFWBO (National Federation of Woman Business Owners) shows that women are the primary decision makers for consumer goods in 85% of households, and women make 75% of decisions about buying new homes, make 81% of the decisions about groceries. They influence at least 80% of all household spending! According to Verdict Research women now spend 10% more than men, on average, on the Internet (£579 against £541 for men).''


But ultimately we hope that our business is what everybody wants. What we offer to our customers does not cost any more than our competitors. We have tailored our business to you the customer. Because we know that when you try our service you'll be back. And that's what we want.

IRISH ROAD SAFETY WEEK,

IRISH ROAD SAFETY WEEK OCTOBER 10th-14th

In cooperation the the Road Safety Authority of Ireland, Heffernan Tyres will be launching Irish Road Safety Week on Monday 10th October.

The aim of safety week is to get the public to think seriously about road safety and by their own actions, reduce the number of people killed on our roads.

As a result of this and other initiatives undertaken by the RSA in recent years, we have seen a considerable decrease in road deaths in Ireland. Some of the statistics are startling. For instance a 78% decrease in child fatalities in twelve years. Much of this is down to better awareness on the part of motorists as much as compliance with rules of the road. Businesses like Heffernan Tyres have a role to play in helping to educate and inform the public of safety issues where tyres and motoring are concerned. It is a responsibility that we take seriously. Our Manager Nigel is pictured below delivering a presentation to students at a local secondary school. (Cross and Passion, Kilcullen)

We have also arranged evening safety classes for our women motorists in conjunction with tyre manufacturers. These classes included presentations on basic safety tips as well as practical training on changing wheels when broken down on the roadside. We will advise when we plan to run another of these events as they have been very successful.

As part of our commitment to safety week Heffernan Tyres will be giving a free* pre-winter safety check to motorists which includes tyres,wiper,lights and brakes. This check is obligation free and we will also give away a limited number of gift safety packs containing Hi Vis jacket, tread depth gauge and an ice scraper. We will be advertising the event in our local press and of course on our website  www.heffernantyres.com

*Whiles stocks last.