Kumho tyres had one goal in mind when they sponsored the Manchester United Tour 2010 – to boost sales.
The Korean tyres manufacturer hoped that teaming up with Man U would help them capitalise on the growing interest in football in the US and help them sell more tyres.
Rick Brennan, Kumho’s vice president of marketing, said: “This sponsorship has generated tremendous excitement for our dealers, our loyal customers, our new fans and also our employees.
“I’m confident that this excitement will lead to increased visibility for Kumho and increased sales for our dealers.
“We plan to increase our efforts in sports marketing programmes in the coming months and engage passionate fans at their events,” he added. “We will leverage the passion and enthusiasm that sports fans have for their teams to increase Kumho’s brand awareness and brand relevance.”
The tour began in Toronto, Canada, on July 16. Kumho executives and select dealers were on hand to witness Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Scotland’s Celtic FC. Additional stops in Philadelphia and Kansas City followed.
The last stop was in Houston, where Manchester United beat the Major League Soccer All-Stars 5-2 in the league’s annual All-Star game, which was televised live on ESPN.
Kumho received plenty of exposure for sponsoring Manchester United, arguably the most valuable sports franchise in the world.
Kumho’s parent company, Kumho Tyre Corp, has been a platinum sponsor of Manchester United since 2007. Its goal was to leverage the soccer club’s brand to increase awareness of the Kumho tyre brand in Europe and throughout the world. “The enthusiasm and passion that fans have for Manchester United is something Kumho Tyre Corp. hopes to cultivate with the Kumho brand,” said the company.