Nitto Tire U.S.A. Launches New Ambassador Program as Latest Addition to Social Engagement and Community Building Efforts

CYPRESS, CA--April 4, 2013: Nitto Tire, a leading innovator in high performance tires, has launched a new Ambassador program as the latest extension of its dynamic community building efforts. The program is part of Nitto's overall social strategy for 2013 and focuses on engaging with its extensive community of followers and advocates. The announcement follows on the heels of the brand achieving a milestone of 3 million fans on Facebook to become the third most followed Japanese company, behind Nissan and Sony.

"Our social media team has built an amazing community around Nitto fans and enthusiasts," said Tomoshige Mizutani, President of Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. "As such, we are constantly looking for new ways to create opportunities for our fans to engage with us and benefit from their involvement with our brand."

The Ambassador program offers Nitto's most loyal enthusiasts the opportunity to become leaders and influencers within their peer groups. Membership in the program brings access to special Nitto and automotive content like videos, articles, images, interviews and more. Members can then share that information through their personal social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and gain rewards points, with a leaderboard tracking the most influential members in the community. Members can also post their own content onto the site and share it with others in the community.

"Because the online social landscape is always evolving and there is no way of controlling EdgeRank, Facebook's algorithm responsible for brands' share of voice and reach, we have to explore new ways to facilitate communication with our 3.2 million loyal fans," said Mizutani. "Our Ambassador program helps take back a measure of control and at the same time strengthens our social presence."

Each month, members with the five highest reward point totals earn Nitto swag. And all members are entered for a chance to win a set of Nitto tires at the end of the year. In addition, special limited edition prizes will be offered throughout the year to encourage members to stay active and check back to the site to accumulate points.

The program is being supported by a yearlong promotional campaign, including a robust blog with ever-changing automotive content and videos plus onsite activation at events.