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New Initiative • 35
“Through innovation and technology
Goodyear has made great strides
in the field of safety. The launch of
the Highway Hero programme in
South Africa reflects this important
contribution and reinforces Goodyear’s
new brand positioning of ‘Safety
Together’,” Dustine explained.
glittering final award ceremony, to be held in January 2010, where South
Africa’s first Goodyear Highway Hero will be announced,” he added.
The rewards include not only a prestigious trophy but also R10 000 in cash, an
all-expenses paid trip to Goodyear’s exciting Technical Centre in Luxembourg,
Europe, for the winner as well as the same trip for one management
representative from his or her company and, of course, the well-deserved glory
of being recognised as the Goodyear Highway Hero 2009.
“Almost every day, truck and bus drivers
make valuable contributions to road
safety. We want to elevate their image
and create public awareness of those
responsible members of the industry
who go beyond the call of duty. ‘Hero’
is a special label, but there certainly are unsung heroes on our roads who
deserve to be rewarded for their selfless efforts.”
Highway Heroes in other parts of the Goodyear world have included those
who have pulled injured passengers from burning vehicles, one who rescued
an old woman from her sinking car after it veered off the road into a river,
another who displayed huge posters on his rig of missing children to raise
awareness as he drove and yet another who swerved his truck to avoid three
street-racing cars and veered off the highway to avoid colliding with oncoming
traffic. This last courageous and selfless driver died in the accident.
Goodyear’s nationwide search for its own South African Highway Hero will
run throughout 2009 and repeated annually thereafter. The programme
was launched to prominent players and the media in the truck and bus
sector on 10 December. The call for nominations from the general public,
the truck industry and law enforcement agencies will be supported by
various marketing initiatives via the media, industry associations and law
enforcement agencies. “We will also publicise the campaign on late-night
radio programmes – when many truckers are driving and tuned in – in
which people can call in and tell their stories of heroism. Toll gate flyers are
another innovative way in which we plan to spread the word and there will
also be information at Trentyre, Tirepoint and Hi-Q dealerships. Nomination
forms will also be available online through www.goodyear.co.za,” said Myles
Dent, Marketing and Communications Manager for Goodyear SA.
“Nominations will be tallied and judged every three months. The finalists
from each quarter will receive media recognition and will go forward to a
NATIONWIDE SEARCH FOR SA’s OWN HIGHWAY HERO - Sharmini Naidoo (Road Freight
Association CEO), Dustine Gascoyne (Goodyear Marketing Director) and Gary Ronald
(Automobil Association Public Affairs Manager) at the launch of the prestigious new
Highway Hero campaign. Various road safety and transport related associations such as
these are endorsing this campaign with enthusiasm.
SEARCHING FOR OUR COUNTRY’s LEAST ACKNOWLEDGED ROAD WORRIORS -
Sharmini Naidoo (Road Freight Association CEO), Derek de Villiers (Goodyear Managing
Director) and Jeff Osborne (Retail Motor Industry CEO) at the launch of the prestigious
new Highway Hero campaign. The programme aims to recognise and reward professional
truck and bus drivers who have performed barely noticed yet frequently life-saving acts of
heroism while going about their daily work on our busy roads.
DRIVEN BY INNOVATION
BECAUSE NOT ALL TYRES
ARE THE SAME _