CYPRESS, Calif.—Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc.'s Facebook page gained its 10 millionth fan on Sept. 29, nearly double the count since the start of the year.
Nitto began 2014 with 5.4 million Facebook fans and since June Nitto's fan page has gained more than 25,000 fans per day, surpassing many major industry brands including Ford Mustang, Porsche, Audi and Harley-Davidson, according to the tire marketer.
“When Nitto first came to the U.S., we prided ourselves on connecting directly with enthusiasts so that we could make a product they wanted,” said Harry Kong, Nitto Tire U.S.A.'s brand publishing and social media strategist. “Now, with the advent of social media, we have the ability to connect with millions of enthusiasts on a daily basis so that we can make our products even better while also giving back to the community that has made Nitto Tire what it is today.”
The company's Facebook page features vehicles sporting Nitto tires, sponsored racers and links to content on the Nitto-powered blog, DrivingLine.
Nitto Tire also has attracted fans with crowd sourcing and social contests. Nitto engaged its fans to vote to have the Trail Grappler tire used on Nissan's Wounded Warrior Project Titan vehicle, a completely spec'd-by-fans truck that two wounded Iraq War veterans are currently driving across Alaska.
Nitto currently is running a contest in which the company's modified 2014 Ford Mustang SEMA Show car will be given away to one winner. So far this contest has received more than 20,000 entries through Nitto's Facebook page, the tire marketer said, with more entries coming in every day. Registration for the sweepstakes ends on Nov. 30 and the winning entry will be randomly selected around Dec. 1.
In celebration of the 10-million fan mark, Nitto released a series of short videos that feature its employees, giving fans an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes at Nitto. Each of these eight videos shares Nitto's story from the standpoint of the various divisions within the organization and demonstrates the brand's personal and human sides, the company said. The eight videos can be found on the Nitto's Facebook page and the official YouTube channel.