Page 11 - The Tyreman 2020 - 4
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apart from our competitors and promote recognition. We shall continue to invest in branding and marketing despite market uncertainty,” he commented.
All set for the new normal, Siew revealed that the company adapted quickly to ensure it recovered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. “There are no pay cuts in Apollo Malay- sia as we try to preserve employees as much as possible. we have sent more than 3 new employees to Thailand for training. They are now back and ready to serve and support our business partners in the commercial vehicle segment, for of being able to properly maintain their tyres. One of the posi- tive impacts of the pandemic is the rise of digital interaction for marketing communication, which we have a degree of le- verage already with our PCR tyres 1 year Unconditional War- ranty program.”
Looking at the current market situation, he said, maintaining market share is a winning strategy. “With Covid-19 changing the way we live, people and businesses are looking for ways to adapt to a new normal. We cannot do what we used to do before, and our Chairman Onkar Kanwar has come out with a strategy - DRIVE. Discover new sales opportunities, Re- engineer the Apollo brand, Inventory and production optimi- sation, (focus on the) Value of cash and Eliminate the costs, which will also be our strategy for the Malaysian market.”
To help their business partners to weather the impact of Co- vid-19, Lau said, Apollo Tyres Malaysia has rolled out a loy- alty programme. “As we treat our business partners as family members, we are open, direct and honest with them in our communication, just like how we communicate with our fam- ily members. We share their gain and pain. We are always these tough times.”
In terms of products, Siew said, they launched EnduRace RA HD radial truck tyres for the general cargo segment in June last year. Suitable for all wheel positions, he said, the 295/80R 22.5 tyre has received a good response from the market. “Many praise the tyre for its enhanced durability, low noise, uniform wear and better cornering.”
Another recent addition is the new Apollo Apterra AT2, he performance all-terrain
model for the sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. “The SUV segment in Malay-
sia is growing. This
new tyre that was designed with the ability to conquer the tarmac, track and
trails comes at the right time, and we are mand for quality and de- pendable SUV tyres.”
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11 truck & bus news 2020/4
