In this interview, Oliver Biggart, the MD of Michelin Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, answers questions about the company’s strategies during the pandemic.
Michelin MD on Motion for Life Campaign
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been seen in many companies across many industries, including the automotive and tyre industry. Global manufacturers and business leaders have had to adapt or reshape their strategies in the Covid era to sustain their business operations and to protect and support their customers.
In an exclusive interview with Oliver Biggart, the Managing Director of Michelin Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, he shares how the company has handled disruptions, the action they have taken to help their dealers to weather the impacts, as well as their latest branding campaign, business goals and prospects.
What has been the impact of Covid-19 on the tyre industry in Malaysia, as well as the rest of the world?
The decline in the demand for tyres was certainly felt all over the world as both the pandemic and restricted movement orders prevented people from travelling.
However, the first observation that I made from this pandemic is that people desire and require mobility – now, more than ever. Motion and mobility are highly linked to our social interactions, our sense of enjoyment and adventure, as well as the transport of people and goods. Michelin is proud to play a pivotal role in ensuring mobility is achieved and achieved in the most sustainable manner possible – this, therefore, culminates into our latest branding campaign ‘Motion for Life’.
Secondly, my outlook for the short to medium term ahead, is that this pandemic will realign the balance of mass and private transportation.
Within the industry dynamic, I have identified 2 key trends:
– There is an increase in digitalisation amongst the manufacturer-dealer interactions and transactions, as well as interactions involving dealers and consumers.
– There is a transition towards more local manufacturing links. This not only allows us to remain agile but is also more sustainable for the planet.
What are your strategies during the pandemic? The rationale behind the introduction of your new brand campaign?
Throughout this pandemic, tyre brands and manufacturers have had to reimagine daily operations to be online and without personal contact. We had to adapt to more digitalised forms of carrying out activities amongst the manufacturer-dealer interactions and transactions, and also interactions involving dealers and consumers. There has also been a transition towards more local manufacturing links – which has allowed us to remain agile and become more sustainable for the planet.
As for Motion for Life, our 2021 new brand campaign, it represents so much of what Michelin stands for – motion, mobility, movement. With the lockdowns in 2020 that continued into this year, the desire to be closer to loved ones has been hampered by restricted movement. To turn this around, we are celebrating every other form of motion that brings out the true nature of human interaction – whether it is walking in the park or cycling around the neighbourhood. Movement is so fundamental, and Michelin sits at the very heart of it……
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独家专访马新汶米其林董事经理奥立佛●比格加特
新冠肺炎大流行影响了各行各业，包括汽车和轮胎行业里的许多公司。全球制造商和企业领袖面对冠病时代，不得不调整和重塑他们的策略来维持他们的业务营运，保护和支援他们的客户。
马来西亚、新加坡及汶莱米其林董事经理奥立佛●比格加特（ Oliver Biggart），在接受本刊的专访中分享该公司如何处理混乱，他们为帮助代理商抵御冲击所采取的行动，企业的目标与前景。
冠病对马来西亚和世界其他国家的轮胎业有何影响？
全世界的轮胎需求量因冠病大流行和禁止人们出行的限制令而下降。
然而，我从这个大流行中得出的第一个观察结果是人们比过去更渴望和需要移动。移动与机动性与我们的社交活动、享受和冒险，以及人员和货物的运输息息相关。米其林为能实现机动性，并以最可持续性的方式实现机动性方面发挥举足轻重的作用而自豪，而这最终融入了我们最新的“Motion for Life”品牌宣传活动。
第二，我对未来的中短期展望是此次的冠病大流行将重新调整大众运输和私人运输之间的平衡。
在行业动态方面，我发现了两大关键趋势：
-在制造商与代理商的互动与交易，以及涉及代理与消费者互动中的数字化增长。
-转向更多本地轮胎制造商环节。这不仅仅让我们保持灵活，而且对地球而言也更具可持续性。
可否谈谈您在冠病大流行期间的策略？您推出新品牌宣称活动的理由？
在整个冠病大流行期间，轮胎品牌和制造商必须重新想象日常运作都在线上，没有任何个人接触。我们必须在制造商与代理互动交易中适应更多数字化形式的活动。此外，转向更多本地轮胎制造商环节的趋势，则让我们得以保持灵活和对地球而言更具持续性。
至于我们的2021年“Motion for Life”新品牌宣传活动，代表着米其林所支持的 – 运动、移动性、走动。随着2020年的封锁行动持续到今年，与亲人亲近的渴望受到行动受限的阻碍。为了扭转这个局面，我们就以其他形式的走动来展现人类互动的真实本性—不管是在公园里散步或在家里附近骑自行车。走动是如此重要，而走动正是米其林的核心。
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