Nitto Tire Kicks off SEMA 2012 with Social Media Celebration and Guest Appearance by DJ Steve Aoki

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Nov 01, 2012, 02:06 ET

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SEMA Show -- Nitto Tire kicked off the 2012 SEMA convention by announcing its most recent partnerships and milestones. The company celebrated having recently reached two million fans on Facebook with a guest appearance by DJ and producer Steve Aoki. Show attendees enjoyed cake and received autographed posters while Aoki's tracks played in the booth. The event marks the countdown to Aoki's birthday bash concert on November 21, 2012, which will be fueled by Nitto.

Starting in 2010, Nitto put a heavy emphasis on fan engagement through social media. Soon after the company created a Facebook page, Nitto started gaining traction with fans. "A few months after we set up a Facebook page, we celebrated our first milestone: 30,000 fans," explained Harry Kong, Marketing & Social Media Strategist, Nitto Tire. "By the end of the first year we had 100,000 and at the end of the next year, we had one million. Now, this year, we are celebrating two million fans." Nitto attributed its success with fans to innovative social media strategies. In 2011, Nitto's Fan Drive promotion – where consumers built and voted on the best giveaway car – and an in-game sponsorship with Car Town – the top automotive game on Facebook – helped them engage with automotive enthusiasts.

This year, Nitto sought to expand brand awareness and fan engagement through a partnership with electronic dance music (EDM) DJ and producer Steve Aoki. Nitto identified EDM as an emerging music trend in the United States. "Recently, I read an article describing two types of people: digital natives and digital aliens," remarked Tomo Mizutani, President, Nitto Tire. "As a Japanese-American living in the United States for many years, I know I am a digital alien, but Nitto has always prided itself on strategically listening to digital natives to identify emerging trends." One of Nitto's core philosophies is helping the automotive market grow by supporting emerging trends before they are mainstream, like EDM.

Guests who visited Nitto's booth were greeted with cake pops, posters autographed by Aoki, the chance to win tickets to his birthday concert and photo opportunities while Aoki's music played in the booth. Aoki, who is famous for "caking" his most loyal fans, smashed a celebratory cake into the faces of onlookers and even the president of Nitto Tire himself.

Nitto's partnership with Aoki kicked off this summer with an exclusive track remixed for Nitto's fans entitled, "Come with Me (Doorly Remix) Fueled by Nitto." The partnership culminates on November 21, when Aoki celebrates his birthday bash, fueled by Nitto. In conjunction with this celebration, Nitto will choose five lucky winners to fly out to LA, meet Aoki and to gain VIP access to his birthday party. A grand-prize winner and Aoki will be awarded with the ultimate automotive experience: the chance to drift! Nitto is sponsoring a one-on-one drifting session with professional drift drivers at the Long Beach Convention Center followed by a birthday concert at the Shine Auditorium that evening.

To enter for your chance to win concert tickets and even the grand-prize drifting event, visit Nitto's Facebook page.

Visit Nitto at SEMA in booth #43183.

About Nitto Tire
Nitto Tire (www.nittotire.com) develops performance tires for all uses, including racing, off-road and street. Using state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in both Japan and the United States – Nitto provides innovative and high-quality performance tires for the most demanding automotive enthusiasts. For more information about Nitto or its products, visit the company's web site or contact the company directly. Nitto is a registered trademark of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc., located at 5665 Plaza Drive, Ste. 250, Cypress, Calif., 90630.

Contact: Irving Der/Karina St. Jean
Rogers & Cowan
310-854-8491/212.878.5108
[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Nitto Tire