OSAKA, Japan — Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. announced from its headquarters here on Tuesday that it is supporting the world-class football club Associazione Calcio Milan (AC Milan) as a premium sponsor until June 2016. Toyo Tire and Rubber Co. is involved in a wide variety of businesses on a global scale with a focus on the production and sale of tires at the core.
“Our management is currently shifting to a stage of further growth based upon the strengthening of various business bases to which we have devoted attention over the past few years,” the company said in a statement released on Tuesday. “Seizing the opportunity of this business expansion, we will begin to actively take advantage of sponsorship of a sport that boasts overwhelming international popularity to influence our global branding content,” it added. AC Milan is among the most prestigious football clubs in Serie A, one of the leagues at the pinnacle of football competition, it said, adding that “the team always demonstrates an all-out, aggressive style of play which transcends the weight of the tradition the club has built”. “We believe that supporting this powerful, individual and genuinely proficient club will contribute to improving the global presence of the Toyo tire brand and, in turn, will allow us to more clearly bring out the potential premium image of the products we offer,” it said in the statement. “This partnership can be expected to bring significant advantages to the Toyo tire brand in the medium term in each market where there is impassioned potential for football such as the Middle East and Russia, where we are contemplating market expansion, China, which is positioned as a key market, Southeast Asia, and Japan in addition to the EU, with a focus on Italy, home to the Serie A league,” it added. “The importance of our global branding strategy has been increasing in light of Group business development. Supporting a club home to top athletes is a new opportunity to further increase brand prestige for all Toyo tires stakeholders, including our customers around the world; we are going to actively publicize our partnership with AC Milan at a variety of touch points.” It noted that Toyo tire company is the first Japanese fire to wrap up a premium sponsorship deal with AC Milan. AC Milan also welcomed its partnership with the tire company. “We are delighted to welcome Toyo Tires as a premium partner of the club. Our shared values of performance and excellence lie at the heart of this relationship,” said Barbara Berlusconi, AC Milan Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. “It is also a partnership which reflects the global reach of our club and we are honored to be working with a global brand such as Toyo. We look forward to building even stronger links with our many fans in Asia through this partnership.” – SG
