Bridgestone and the Global Tire Industry in 2016

The case describes the development of the Japanese tire company, Bridgestone, leader of the global tire industry. The focus is on Bridgestone’s strategic challenges as it seeks to extend its global leadership while increasing its presence in China. An overview of industry dynamics, the segmentation of the tire market, and the key competitors can be found in the companion case “Michelin in China in 2016”. The Bridgestone case can be used in conjunction with a series of other new cases on Hankook, Continental, and Apollo Tyres, that describe their respective business models and strategies.

The case series allows a discussion of the drivers of industry globalization and the development of competitive advantage and strategy in a global setting. The Bridgestone case focuses on how Bridgestone was able to become global leader, ahead of Michelin and Goodyear, and on the limits of its business model as it faces markets with different dynamics, such as China, and players with different models such as Hankook. The case series allows an in depth analysis of globalization of markets and global competition, supply chain and ecosystem dynamics in a global setting, the strategy models of the new competitiors, and the strategic challenges global leaders face to maintain their prominence and performance.