Think snow tires or water-skiers or sports cars squealing around mountain roads. Or maybe wet traction or stopping distance. Or celebrity endorsers, like Arnold Palmer or Wayne Gretzky.
Someone has to jump out and do something more daring.
That just might happen soon. In a slowing economy, many tire makers are seeing markets weaken, inventories growing and profits slipping. They need to boost sales and market share without setting off a price war. In fact, they need to raise prices to recover the rising cost of raw materials. A big part of the solution is to continue developing innovative, quality tires.