What's in a name? New lines of tires for GoodyearBy Theresa Howard, USA TODAYNEW YORK - A glimmer of glamour in advertising sometimes succeeds in giving even prosaic products a little sex appeal.

Until now, however, that's rarely worked for tires. Goodyear is trying to change that with more descriptive names, such as SilentArmor, and crafty engineering, such as using Kevlar — of bulletproof vest fame — to beef up its tires.

"Tires have become such an important part of accessory auto care," says the president of CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore. "The emphasis in the last four years has been about upgrading wheels and tires, and the tire industry has been behind the curve. It's about time they catch up."

Goodyear CEO Robert Keegan recognized that the world's biggest tire brand was getting worn and needed new traction. When he took over in 2003, he mandated, along with new products, consumer-friendly marketing that gave the lines names rather than numbers. Ad spending also was increased — now up 50% over 2000.

"We have leaders that believe in the power of marketing," says Joey Viselli, Goodyear's director of marketing services. "That's played a big role in the recent turnaround."

For the second quarter, ended June 30, Goodyear posted record revenue of $5 billion, up 10% from the period in 2004. Sales were up 2.5% to 56.4 million units.

In September, Keegan told investors that the turnaround remains on track and that the company has more innovations in its pipeline. The most recent: the Triple Tread, with three tread zones for various weather conditions.

New product names are being carefully chosen to be descriptive and easy to remember. "We've brought (the products) to life in a way that's easier for a consumer to walk into a dealer and ask for (it) by name," says Viselli. "Instead of using a letter and number, we are using the name SilentArmor. Kevlar in the product makes it tough, and technology in it makes it quiet."

Two recent ads, by Arnold Worldwide, Boston, show how Goodyear's SilentArmor technology with Kevlar improves its Fortera SUV tires for SUVs and Wranglers for light trucks. Rather than pitching engineering data, the ads show how the tires perform in everyday use.

One shows a couple driving through heavy rain in their truck to deliver sandbags to friends. Another ad shows a couple driving their SUV safely and smoothly through a road construction site as their baby continues to sleep soundly.

Results of Ad Track, USA TODAY's exclusive weekly consumer survey, indicate that if Goodyear hasn't made tire ads a viewer favorite, it is hitting some of the right buttons.

Of those familiar with the ads, 13% overall like the ads "a lot," compared with the Ad Track average of 21%. Among Goodyear's target group of 25-to-29-year-old consumers, however, an above-average 22% gave the ads the top rating.

Meanwhile, like them or not, 18% of all respondents rated the ads "very effective," near the average of 21%, and about the same as the 17% "very effective" rating from the 25-to-29-year-olds.

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