Kumho Tyres' annual 'Big Match Day' at Manchester United in October was the focus of a three day European celebration of the company's 50th Anniversary.
Some 120 VIP guests from 14 countries began the long weekend with a gala dinner at the magnificent Gorton Monastery. The welcome speech was given by Young Nam Byun, Head of Kumho Tire Europe, with a response by Manchester United Chief Executive David Gill. The star-studded evening was compered by the club's resident stadium announcer, Alan Keegan, and guests included England and MU legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
The match day of October 30 was one of non-stop entertainment for the visitors and included tours of the MU museum, Megastore and Old Trafford stadium followed by lunch overlooking the hallowed pitch. Musical accompaniment was provided by renowned Manchester-born jazz singer Cole Page.
The sell-out crowd of 76,000 attending the massively popular home tie with Spurs were exposed to powerful Kumho branding around the stadium including: two gigantic 50 foot banners, pitchside advertising in three languages and back-lit 48-sheet posters. Outside the stadium a Kumho 'Fanzone' featured a prototype of Bowler's new road-going Nemesis EXR, Damian Cole's all-conquering Ford Focus WRC rally car and David Mann's Subaru Impreza Group N rally car - all shod with Kumho tyres. There were also Kumho kickspeed cages for the kids to test their skills and a replica of the players' tunnel, where they could be photographed running out alongside lifesize cutouts of some of the first team squad.
Kumho provided the game's half-time entertainment too, which included a troupe of ribbon dancers dressed in Kumho colours, flag bearers and seven minutes of memorable pyrotechnics set to music; all of which provoked rapturous applause from the spectators.
United's 2-0 victory made the day all the sweeter for Kumho's delighted guests, who included distributors and retailers from countries as far apart as Korea, China, Russia, Ukraine, Kosovo, Germany and Italy.
Said Kumho's UK Marketing Director John Thrupp, "Kumho had already celebrated the 50th anniversary in Korea and the 'Big Match Day' was our opportunity to recognise this major milestone on European soil. The event was a huge success from our guests' point of view and there is no question we left a major impression on the crowd at old Trafford."
The first tyre technicians to graduate from a Kumho Tyres supported NVQ training programme were honoured at a special ceremony held at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in October.
For the last 18 months Kumho has been promoting a range of government-backed apprenticeships in vehicle fitting operations to selected members of its ECSTA Performance Centre (EPC) network of retailers. In recognition of their achievement, the first seven to complete their courses were invited to receive commemorative glass trophies, which were presented during Kumho's recent 50th Anniversary celebrations at Old Trafford.
The scheme - thought to be the first of its kind involving a large network of independent tyre businesses - is being operated in conjunction with Kumho's national distributor, Micheldever Tyre Services. The training provider is REMIT, a part of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI). The trophies were in addition to the apprentices' official certificates (which they had already received from the awarding body, the IMI), and were presented on the Old Trafford pitch immediately prior to Manchester United's victorious game against Spurs on October 30, in front of a capacity crowd of 76,000.
The presentation was made by Duncan Cho, Head of Marketing for Kumho Tires, and James Pegg on behalf of REMIT. The trainees concerned were: Andrew Barnaby, Steven Brown and Stephen Barrand of Auto Exhausts & Tyres; Simon Grocott and Justin Grocott of AA Silencers, and Christopher Hughes and Nathan Bennett of Crewe Tyres & Exhaust.
The next stage - which is already under way - is to roll out the scheme to the full EPC network. Said Kumho Tyre UK's Marketing Director, John Thrupp, "Competition amongst retailers is bound to increase in these recessionary times and Kumho is keen to support this programme which will enhance still further the professionalism and service levels of all EPCs."
Making full use of the benefits from its official sponsorship of Manchester United Football Club, Kumho Tyres recently hosted a unique 'Dream Day' for children and their parents or carers at Old Trafford and the club's Carrington training ground. Adding the gloss to an already very special event were no less than five of the club's first team players.
Aged between six and 17, the 40 lucky children had won their places in prize draws in the football publications Match and FourFourTwo, on Manchester's hit radio station Key 103 and in competitions running on the Kumho and Manchester United websites. Some special places were also provided for the families of children at Francis House Children's Hospice in Manchester.
The Dream Day started with a tour of the legendary Old Trafford ground. The group then transferred via official Manchester United team bus to Carrington, the club's training ground and home to its Academy, for a skills session with the players, who included: Patrice Evra, Tomasz Kuszczak, Jonny Evans, John O'Shea and Rafael – surely an unforgettable experience for any fan of the beautiful game. The stars then stayed to sign autographs after joining in a lively Q&A session with the children.
The day was rounded off with a mini football tournament with prizes for the winning team, best child and best adult presented by Manchester United legend Denis Irwin.
Said John Thrupp, Marketing Director of Kumho Tyre UK, "It was a huge privilege for us to be able to offer such a 'money can't buy experience' and a delight to witness the joy it created, both among the children and their equally enthusiastic parents. We are enormously grateful to Manchester United for helping to make our guests' dreams come true."
Kumho Tyres' partnership with Manchester United has been recognised on an unprecedented scale at one of football's top regional awards ceremonies.
Kumho and Manchester United were presented with a 'Special Commendation' award in the 'Best Club Sponsorship' category for their 'Play Safer' scheme at the prestigious Northwest Football Awards 2010 held recently at The Point.
'Play Safer' is a unique initiative that uses football skills, such as awareness, vision and control, to teach young kids about road safety and is backed by Greater Manchester Police. Following an action-packed launch day earlier this year at Old Trafford, visited by thousands of children and parents, the scheme is being progressively rolled out to primary schools across the North West. More than 1,800 children have so far taken part.
The scheme is seen as a major success for Kumho and Manchester United and is being supported by substantial web and PR activity, even being featured on BBC news. Visitors from 75 countries have accessed the joint-branded website and downloaded the road safety cards, while some 37,500 people were exposed to Kumho's positive community action on the launch day. Manchester Online gave 58 million opportunities to view the campaign and visits to the Kumho Tyres website achieved 162% growth.
According to John Thrupp, marketing director of Kumho Tyre UK, the company believes that 'Play Safer' will show the world that it is about more than making tyres. He said, "We want to be seen as a responsible citizen, connecting with consumers and improving perceptions within the community, helping us to raise awareness and drive future sales.
"We're thrilled to have won this prestigious award and to have been able to use our sponsorship of Manchester United in this valuable way."
Kumho Tyres recently rewarded some footie-mad members of its ECSTA Performance Centre (EPC) network with a money-can't-buy 'Pitch Day' at Manchester United. Optimising its Platinum Sponsorship of the world's most famous football club, Kumho was able to treat the 40 lucky representatives of its national network of independent tyre retailers to an experience they will never forget.
Old Trafford's popular stadium announcer, Alan Keegan, acted as MC for the day's busy programme, which kicked off with a lively Q&A session with former England captain and Manchester United football legend Bryan Robson - other former United stars on hand included Mickey Thomas, Quinton Fortune and Clayton Blackmore. Then, attired in suitable club strip, the guests exited the players' tunnel to the sound of the official Champions' League anthem. After being put through their paces in an intensive skills session with Manchester United Soccer Schools coaches, they were split into teams for the afternoon's tournament.
Following an over-lunch quiz, the teams returned to the hallowed turf for their six-a-side competition. Each was managed by one of the legends, who also presented the eventual winners, 'Matt's Marvels', with their trophies.
Said a Kumho spokesman, "This is the third time we have held this event at Old Trafford. There are many avid footballers, young and not-so-young, within the EPC network, many of whom still play the game to a high level and this is a fantastic opportunity for them to show their skills and live out their dreams."
Manchester United's legendary ground turned into a 'Theatre of Road Safety' ahead of the game versus Tottenham on Saturday April 24, with some very special guests in attendance to help launch 'Play Safer'.
Developed by Kumho Tyres and the MU Foundation, in conjunction with Greater Manchester Police, 'Play Safer' is a new football skills and road safety training programme for children aged five to 11 years. 'Play Safer' is the only programme of its kind in the world as it uses the skills of professional footballers - such as vision, awareness, anticipation and control - to teach kids about road safety, which makes it a fun, effective way to save lives. There are 10 road safety skill cards to collect in total, featuring tips such as 'Control it like Berbatov' and 'Play it safe like Van der Sar'.
On the Saturday, children were able to enjoy free 'Play Safer' sessions coached by MU Foundation staff, with club mascot Fred the Red and some of the Manchester United Legends such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Irwin and Andy Cole joining in the fun.
Sir Bobby Charlton said, "I've always believed a football club, especially one as big as Manchester United, has a responsibility to contribute to the local community. I'm convinced that by using the power of football and some of our iconic players, this fantastic programme by Kumho Tyres and our own Foundation will help to keep our children safe on the roads."
This opinion is shared by all players from the current Manchester United team. South Korean winger Ji-Sung Park believes that 'Play Safer' is a great way to make children aware of the dangers of crossing roads and riding bikes', while the Red Devils left back, Frenchman Patrice Evra, reckons that 'It's great to transfer skills such as awareness and vision into helping kids with their crossing'.
The launch was also attended by John Thrupp, Kumho Tyres; John Shiels, Chief Executive of the MU Foundation; and Alec McMurchy, Chief Inspector of Greater Manchester Police.
John Thrupp commented, "At Kumho we take our corporate responsibility very seriously and are committed to helping children stay safe on the roads through initiatives such as 'Play Safer'. As official sponsor of Manchester United Football Club, our affiliation with it and our partnership with Greater Manchester Police for this event provided an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of road safety in a fun and engaging way that children both enjoyed and learned from."
John Shiels said, "Children's safety is very important to us at the Foundation and so it was a privilege to work alongside our sponsor in launching the 'Play Safer' campaign. The event was great fun and highly educational at the same time and we were delighted at the opportunity to show children how they can use football skills to keep safe on the road."
Alec McMurchy concluded, "Public safety is a top priority for Greater Manchester police. 'Play Safer' provides an ideal opportunity for children to learn about the risks and dangers associated with our roads. Using football skills and expertise from Manchester United offers an interesting way to equip children with the right knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe."
This year, Kumho's 'Big Match Day' as a platinum partner of Manchester United Football Club was the May 10 Premier League derby between Manchester United and Manchester City. Kumho made the most of the occasion with highly visible advertising in and around the iconic Old Trafford stadium, on‑pitch entertainment, and interactive and event zones outside the arena. The company also provided hospitality for some 100 VIPs, dealers and media from around the world. United's 2‑0 victory made the day all the sweeter for Kumho's delighted guests.
As befits an association with arguably the world's greatest football club, the resulting exposure for the Kumho brand was positively massive. In addition to putting the name before the 75,000 or so spectators in the stadium, the company's presence was visible to the millions of fans worldwide who watched the match live on Sky Sports, ESPN or MU's own television channel MUTV.
Kumho's sponsorship of Manchester United began in January 2007 and, in addition to its four‑year platinum sponsorship agreement, the company is backing the Korean leg of the club's Asia Tour this summer. Commenting on Kumho's highly‑valued relationship with Manchester United, Executive Vice President HS Lee said: "We believe effective sports marketing will help us build a sustainable business in the global tyre market, and what could be more effective than a strategic partnership with the biggest brand in world football."
Kumho is also heavily involved in motorsport throughout Europe. It is the sole supplier to the F3 Euro Series, plus the blue riband 'Masters of F3' meeting which this year returns to its home circuit of Zandvoort in Holland. The company successfully supports numerous rally teams and backs both a race and rallycross series in the UK.