Page 8 - The Tyreman 2020 - 3
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 special feature
  Tyre Industry Looks to Digital Platforms to Stay Relevant a
With more and more industries migrating from brick and mortar to online stores, the tyre industry has been stuck in the slow lane. Traditionally, the tyre industry has been dealer and distributor oriented with focus on personal touch, store location, servicing and repairs. Selling tyres online is far more complicated than selling groceries, apparel and even furniture online. It involves technical knowledge, skills, logistics                    alignment.
There are various digital marketing platforms, B2B (business to business), B2C (business to consumer) and O2O (online to of-                    purchase.
Although online tyre sales are not expected to be the norm in the near future, especially in Malaysia, many tyre distributors and dealers have followed the footsteps of multiple tyre manu- facturers that have taken the lead on the e-commerce platform. While some have already developed a footing in digital plat- forms, others are still at the initial stage of development. Even these sales channels might have powered the growth of some of the largest companies in other industries, but for the local tyre market, there is still a long way to go.
However, the impact of digital marketing cannot be underesti- mated, and tyre players recognise the advantages that e-com- merce can bring to them. These include overcoming geographi- cal limitations, and the advent of e-commerce on mobile device has virtually broken through all remaining limitations of geog- raphy; boosting market presence and market share; reducing                     staying relevant and connected with clients, as well as greater control of their brand. Furthermore, they are able to understand customer preferences and buying habits thanks to a wealth of customer data, as well as keep an eye on emerging industry           for a better-tailored experience as well as reaching out to new customers.
The rise of digital platforms
Companies that operate in this sector have adopted a range of         - cial websites, facebook pages, Youtube channels, whilst others provide an online marketplace and encourage private sellers, independent dealerships to join them. There are also dealers or distributors that have joined the manufacturers’ digital retail 
The worldwide lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19 has            food and groceries. The Malaysian government implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18th March, and had


       
   
      
         
数字平台的崛起
  
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