BKT, one of the major Off-Highway tire manufacturers worldwide, has taken the sport delegations the company partners with to India to show them the Mumbai headquarters, meet the management and visit the most recent BKT production site in Bhuj in the state of Gujarat. An unprecedented occasion to make the company's origins and the corporate philosophy along with current business models better known to its new sport partners.
In 2018, BKT has indeed changed its pace compared to the past by undertaking a series of significant international sponsorship agreements in the world of sport – first of all soccer, but also cricket.
This decision is part of BKT's strategic process aiming by means of a structured investment and action plan at increasing its market share within the specialist Off-Highway segment from the present 6% global value to 10% by 2025.
To the question of how to achieve such an ambitions goal, BKT's response is the development and extension of more and more performing and technological tires, the consolidation of its sales network, the improvement of after-sales services, but certainly also the strengthening of its brand awareness.
This is why BKT has decided to invest into its image in key markets such as Italy, France, and Australia by sponsoring the leagues that are organizing the most popular sport in these countries.
In June 2018, the company undertook a three-year partnership with Lega Nazionale Professionisti B, the governing body of the Italian Serie B soccer championship, which has changed its name into Serie BKT starting from the present season with visibility in all stadiums hosting the B league matches, at the stands and during radio and TV broadcasts.
In September 2018, BKT undersigned a sponsorship agreement with Ligue de Football Professionel becoming Title Sponsor of the Coupe de la Ligue, which is now called “Coupe de la Ligue BKT”.
Still in the month of September last year, BKT entered into a partnership with the KFC Big Bash League (BBL) by means of an agreement with Cricket Australia, the promoting body for all events around this sport throughout the country.
Thanks to these alliances, synergies between BKT and the sport organizations have been extraordinarily strong and effective since from the start. Here it is where the idea of hosting in India sport representatives originates from, namely of the Italian Lega B in the person of Alberto Monguidi, Head of Communication, of the French Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP) in the persons of Olivier Jaubert, Chief & Marketing Officer and Investor Relations and Matthieu Ficot, Chief Media Officer di LFP, and of Cricket Australia in the person of Nick Thodey, the league's Commercial Partnerships Manager.
The tour stages included a stop at Mumbai to visit BKT's headquarters in India welcomed by Mr. Arvind Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director of BKT and Mr. Rajiv Poddar, the group's Joint Managing Director.
After a quick round table for introductions, participants departed in the direction of Bhuj, a small town located in the Indian State of Gujarat, where BKT has set up its most recent production site, the company's showpiece.
After having visited the plant and the modern house colony where 406 employee families live, the group left for Mumbai, where Raymond Domenech, former coach of the French national soccer team, joined as LFP ambassador. He had the opportunity to personally meet the BKT management and to learn about corporate values and philosophy.
It is no coincidence that BKT has chosen the sport as powerful communication tool, since the company shares its key qualities: team spirit, fair play, and competition.
“A really enriching experience from all view points,” the participants of the remarkable trip stated.
No matter how different the represented international sports are, they have one goal in common, namely to spread values, the dimension of training, and models. These are values that BKT has been able to turn into a global change project.
