For years, Yokohama Tire Corp. has utilized football, basketball and baseball as the backbone of its sports marketing program. In 2014, it added golf, specifically women's golf.
Yokohama is the title sponsor of this week's Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament, which will be held in Prattville, Ala., Sept. 18-21. The Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic will be held on the Senator Course at Capitol Hill along the Robert Trent Jones (RTJ) Golf Trail.
This year's event, the first in a multi-year sponsorship, will feature many of the top women golfers in the world, including No. 1-ranked Stacy Lewis, 19-year-old Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome and Morgan Pressel.
"This tournament provides an excellent venue for Yokohama to place our brand in front of a new audience,” says Andrew Briggs, Yokohama director of marketing and product planning. “Working with the LPGA and RTJ Golf Trail has helped maximize our visibility, promote our full tire line-up and ultimately expand our sports marketing portfolio.
"Sports marketing is a perfect way to build our brand while partnering with our dealers. Our approach has resulted in expanded awareness that ultimately drives consumers to our dealers.”
Besides the LPGA sponsorship, Yokohama’s 2014 sports marketing program includes partnerships with the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens; National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Clippers; and Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds.
