Apollo Tyres is developing global brand strategies

By David Shaw, ERJ staff

Geneva, Switzerland -- For Apollo Tyres the top priority is to develop a global brand strategy. Key aspects of the strategy will be to manage the introduction of the Apollo tyre brand into Europe and how to take the Vredestein brand into Africa and India. In addition, the strategy will outline plans for the Dunlop brand in most of the African countries and the introduction of both primary brands into other regions around the world.

Marc Luyten, based in Brussels is in charge of the global strategy, said Onkar Kanwar, chairman of Apollo group, speaking exclusively to ERJ at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this week. Kanwar said, "The immediate priority is to come up with a multi-brand strategy and see how we can launch Apollo in Europe and Vredestein in India and in Africa." Thus, he noted, marketing has become Apollo's topmost priority in the short term. Kanwar noted that the brand messages would not necessarily be the same in Africa as they are in Europe.

He also said that Apollo has divided global responsibility for market development and sales between its three main offices. The head office in Gurgaon, India has responsibility for Asia, while Brussels will handle Europe. and the South African unit will handle the African continent.