Continental tyres are continuing their run of fantastic online competitions to celebrate their role as an Official Sponsor of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

The tyres manufacturer are looking for the UK’s Biggest Football Fan and want to hear about the incredible lengths followers have gone to in order to get to a match.

If it’s a good story - the more extreme the better - all you have to do is fill out the entry form and tell Conti all about it in no more than 500 words.

You have to show how you proved your loyalty to your team by going to extreme measures to get to a game. The deadline for entries is 19th April.

A judging panel will then select 10 quarter finalists on the 3rd May, which will then be whittled down to four semi-finalists on 17th May.

Each of these semi-finalists will then have to make a video, telling the world why they deserve to scoop the top spot, these will be posted on the website and voted for by members of the public.

The contestant with the most votes will be announced on 28th May and will win an amazing holiday to South Africa and of course the honour of being awarded the title of ‘Britain’s Biggest Football Fan’.

To take part go to www.whowillwintheworldcup.co.uk.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Continental tyres have got two amazing prizes up for grabs for anyone who downloads their free iPhone app and takes a shot at predicting the results of the World Cup matches.

Taking second billing in the prize line up offered by the tyres manufacturer - and Official Sponsor of the 2010 World Cup - is a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to the host nation of South Africa.

But for the real football fans - and we guess this is what separates the men from the boys - is the chance to be entered into a draw to win an official match ball!

So if you fancy taking a shot at winning either of these two prizes all you have to do is visit whowillwintheworldcup.co.uk or download the iPhone software directly from the app store and predict the results for all the matches and plot the path to glory for your favourite team.

Use your knowledge to assess each team’s strengths at the group stage and see how the match results affect the group tables. Move on to the knock-out round and predict which teams will meet on the way to the 2010 World Cup Final.

You don’t have to play alone either. You can share your World Cup predictions with friends, post a note on Facebook, swap tips, tweet to your Twitter followers or just have fun comparing predictions.

But if you’re aiming for the chance to win an official match all, all you have to do is compete against others to predict the winner of any days matches and you’ll be entered into a draw to win the coveted prize.

Also, if you predict the exact score correct for any match on any given day you’ll be entered into a grand prize draw to win an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime holiday to South Africa.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Oliver Hall

Continental tyres have been awarded “highly recommended” accolades in the eagerly awaited results of the summer tyre tests carried out by three leading European motoring organisations.

A total of 36 tyres models were tested, but only five - including the ContiSportContact 3 in the test size 225/45 R 17 and the ContiPremiumContact 2 in the smaller size 185/65 R 15 - were rated as ‘highly recommended’.

These tyres are suitable for a whole range of cars from the Golf class right up to dedicated sports car level, according to the German tyre manufacturer.

The tests were carried out by the German, Austrian and Swiss motoring organisations, the ADAC, ÖAMTC and TCS.

The testers praised the Continental summer tyres above all for their “extremely balanced driving performance on dry roads and their positive characteristics in the wet”.

When it came to assessing their driving characteristics on dry roads, both tyres came top.

The experts also gave the Uniroyal and Semperit summer tyres good marks, whereby the Uniroyal RainSport 2, size 225/45 R 17, was rated as ‘highly recommended’.

In the smaller tyre size the Semperit Comfort-Life - which also falls into the category of so-called ‘quality brands’ - was ‘recommended’.

The new Barum Brillantis 2 made a successful debut - this dedicated tyre for small and compact cars from the budget tyre brand Barum was also rated as ‘recommended’ in its first test.

Seven tyres in all were rated as ‘not recommended’, with four of these bearing the M+S symbol, despite being suitable for summer use only.

By Denna Bowman

A campaign to promote discounts on family days out helped to lift Continental tyres out of the motoring press and into mainstream media.

Inside Media used the tyres manufacturers summer offers website “Conti Great Days Out”, which gave discounts on days out around the UK, to help extend the brand name beyond tyres.

The PR company had six months and a £3,000 budget to move Continental out of the motoring press and position it in general consumer media as a trusted family brand, according to a report in PR Week UK.

Inside Media commissioned a survey of 2,000 families and used the data to devise a formula for the perfect day out, which was used as a news peg to launch the site.

The Great Days Out formula was picked up as a story and featured in the Daily Express, The Sun and The Scotsman, as well as in Look and Best magazines.

There were 35,661 visits to the Great Days Out website during the campaign period and 4,872 discount vouchers were used.

Continental tyres is continuing its successful, long-term marketing strategy of aligning itself with football by signing up to become an Official Sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The tyres company, which is all set to kick off its campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa this June, is convinced that the deal with help strengthen its brand awareness around the world.

Continental’s Executive Board Member Nikolai Setzer, who is in charge of the Division Passenger Tyres, said: “Whereas the preparations for our activities during the 2010 FIFA World Cup are in full swing, we have already set the course for the worldwide marketing communication in the next few years by renewing our FIFA-partnership until 2014.

“For us, professional football is perfectly suited as central communication platform – since 2003, we have already considerably increased the brand awareness of our premium tyre brand Continental.

“We want to continue this strategy in our core markets and, at the same time, strengthen the positioning of the premium tyre brand Continental with special focus on safety.

“As a glittering football nation and host of the next Football World Cup, Brazil is already now expected to become an exceptional festival of enthusiasm and passion and these attributes correspond perfectly to our products as well as technique, precision and teamwork.”

He added: “We are convinced that we will be able to boost our brand awareness considerably by the help of the football sponsorship of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, especially in the currently growing regions South America and Asia.”

By Denna Bowman

Continental tyres bosses are predicting a slight recovery in the passenger and light truck tyres markets for 2010.

The German tyres manufacturer is expecting to see 4% growth in North America and 2% growth in Europe.

It announced: “In 2010, we expect the global output of cars and light commercial vehicles to increase by around 7% as compared with 2009. It is still difficult to determine sales opportunities in the truck tyre replacement market, but many indicators here also suggest a recovery, albeit at a very low level.

“According to the most recent forecasts, the world economy will grow by up to 4% in 2010, but growth in Europe is expected to be only 1%.”

In 2010, Continental also expects the global output of cars and light commercial vehicles to increase by around seven per cent as compared with 2009.

Against this background, Continental expects to generate sales growth of at least five per cent in 2010 and a significant year-on-year improvement in adjusted EBIT in 2010.

By Denna Bowman

Motorists who pass driving test second time round are safest on the road, according to a nationwide study by Continental tyres.

The tyres manufacturer surveyed 6,200 motorists on their driving history and skills and the researchers discovered that those who pass on their second attempt have fewer points on their licence, are less likely to suffer road rage or be stopped by police.

They are also less prone to being cautioned for using their mobile phone behind the wheel, have had the fewest accidents in the last five years, and are unlikely to scare passengers with their driving.

However, the research found that those who took more than two attempts to pass have more bad driving habits.

Perhaps not surprisingly, drivers who need four, five or six attempts before making the grade have the worst record behind the wheel.

They run more red lights, admit to driving the wrong way down one-way streets and have been stopped by police for speeding more than any other driver.

They have also had their car clamped, hit stationary objects whilst trying to park their car and claimed on their insurance more than anyone else.

Guy Frobisher, director of safety at Continental Tyres, said: “It seems that second time around is perfect when it comes to the best drivers.

“Second time passers appear to fare better, especially when it comes to driving safely and considerately.

“Perhaps this is down to concentrating more and taking into account different road conditions and other drivers.

“First time passers know how to handle a car but some might be over-confident and that can quickly lead to recklessness.

“Safety should be the priority for all drivers, this includes making sure the car is road-worthy before you set off and being aware of issues such as stopping distances being affected by weather.”

By Denna Bowman

A leading US tyres industry analyst predicts demand will improve during 2010.

According to Saul Ludwig: “As I suggested late last year, Chinese imports fell 50% in October and I expected a similar fall-off in November and December.”

Commenting in his latest installment of the “Ludwig Report” in Modern Tyre Dealer magazine he added: “US tyre producers are recapturing market share that has been lost over the last several years.

“With improving demand and factories running full out, pricing will be very firm. You will see far fewer marketing specials from your suppliers.”

Ludwig, a managing director with KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. based in Cleveland, Ohio, added: “Continental and Pirelli gained market share in 2009 while imports were the ones who lost share.

“I expect 2010 to see much improved tyre demand vs. 2009.”

Towards the close of 2009, Ludwig concluded that tyre demand was already showing signs of improving and that as stocks ran low, manufacturers were struggling to keep up with fresh orders.

By Oliver Hall

More than three million motorists have been involved in accidents during the UK’s Big Winter Freeze, according to a survey by Continental tyres.

The German tyres manufacturer discovered that one-in-ten motorists have already pranged, scraped or crashed their cars as Britain shudders through the coldest temperatures in 30 years.

While the average bill for the damage was £320, the researchers found one-in-three people failed to leave their details after hitting another motor.

However, some of these drivers were traced by the footprints they left in the snow as they ran away from the scene.

A study of 1,000 drivers also found that 30 percent of motorists admit hitting the road without being able to see out of their windscreen properly .

Tim Bailey of Continental Tyres, which carried out the poll, said: “This is a shocking amount of accidents in a two week period and shows how many people are unprepared for driving in these conditions.

“We are not even necessarily past the worst yet, as further snow and ice could yet arrive, bringing yet more hazardous driving conditions.

“The stress of driving in bad weather conditions can lead people to make mistakes, such as driving too closely to the vehicle in front.

Tim Bailey also reiterated Continental’s advice to motorists about fitting winter tyres. He said: “When the temperature drops below 7°C, cold weather tyres which have tread patterns and compounds designed for wintry roads are certainly worth considering.

“They improve stopping distances in icy, wet and any snowy conditions we might experience in the coming months. Again, it’s all about being prepared so that you are safe in all eventualities this winter.”

By Oliver Hall

Continental are advising van drivers and fleets of the many safety benefits of fitting cold weather tyres to cope with extreme winter weather.

Given the recent icy weather conditions across the UK, Continental tyres believe it is vitally important that every measure and precaution is taken to stay safe on the treacherous roads.

Intensive testing undertaken by Continental has shown that a vans braking distance when travelling at 30mph in icy conditions dramatically increases by up to 31%.

The average extra distance a van will travel when braking on standard tyres versus cold weather tyres is 13 metres while a passenger car or car-derived van will travel a further 8m – an increase of 23%.

Scott Benbow, product manager at Continental, said; “Every winter, we have problems on the road because drivers are poorly equipped to cope.

“Drivers in most European countries fit cold weather tyres from October to March. This allows them to have greater tyre performance when temperatures drop to below 7C a common occurrence in winter months.”

With a unique compound which stays supple in cold weather, the advanced Continental VancoWinter 2 aids drivers with sipes – the small slits in the tread blocks of the tyre – that spread when braking. This creates an ice scraper effect on the road surface allowing shorter braking distances on winter roads.

Open shoulders on the tyre with wide lateral grooves give excellent water drainage leading to a high level of protection against aquaplaning on wet roads.

As well as ensuring the occupants safety, the VancoWinter 2 has an optimum tyre footprint to give even wear. This coupled with the cold weather compound gives the VancoWinter 2 as much as 30% extra mileage potential in the winter months compared to a conventional van tyre.