Case study · Earned media
Taking Firestone from last place to segment leader.
Over four years, my partner and I built an expedition program that brought journalists and creators into the backcountry on Firestone tires. The first trip, into Oregon's Owyhee, moved the brand from fifth of five to first in mud-terrain share of voice.
The challenge
A good product that needed a better introduction.
Bridgestone's all-terrain tire sales had fallen from 3.6 million units a year to 1.5 million while the industry held flat. In the press, Firestone was last among five brands, with 3.6% share of voice in all-terrain and 3.2% in mud-terrain. Each point of market share was worth roughly $20 million in gross profit.
A typical automotive press event hands journalists the keys and somewhere to drive. Off-road tires ask more of the experience. A journalist may not have the right truck or gear, the experience, or anywhere to go.
The approach
A few days on the trail.
So we built the program around what they'd need. We planned multi-day expeditions through remote country with a fleet of trucks on Firestone tires, scouted routes, professional photography, and Firestone engineers along to answer questions. Guests rotated between vehicles on different tires, so everyone got real time with the products in real conditions.
The group mixed automotive journalists, off-road editors, and overlanding creators. As more of the audience moved to social media, creator partnerships became a big part of the program, and I took on most of that work: finding people whose work fit, making first contact, negotiating agreements, setting deliverables, and keeping those relationships going between trips.
The results
One trip changed the conversation.
Firestone moved past BFGoodrich, General, Toyo, and Cooper for the top spot in mud-terrain, and all-terrain share doubled from 3.6% to 7.3%. The program held a top-two mud-terrain position in the years that followed, and the coverage stayed positive across every trip.
The program
Four years of Destinations.
Destination: Owyhee
Oregon's Owyhee Wilderness with 11 media and creators. 55 placements, 233M+ impressions, 400+ marketing assets, and a Road & Track feature syndicated to Yahoo! and MSN.
Destination: Cascades
Washington's Cascades with 12 journalists and creators. Delivered at $124K against a $160K budget.
Destination: Steens
Oregon's Steens Mountain with 8 media. 44 placements, 28 permanent Instagram posts, and 8 new creator relationships.
Photography by Caleb Wallace and Explored Co.
Coverage