Sumitomo Rubber Industries has announced that it will acquire the exclusive rights to use the “DUNLOP” trademark for tires, tubes, and flaps in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei starting January 1, 2026. This move goes beyond a simple transfer of sales rights and represents a significant step forward in the company’s global brand strategy.
DUNLOP is a brand with more than 130 years of history, having produced numerous world-first technologies. Its spirit of innovation and longstanding reliability have earned the trust of consumers for decades. The acquisition of exclusive usage rights demonstrates Sumitomo Rubber’s strong intention to leverage this brand power more strategically.
In addition, under the ONE DUNLOP philosophy, the company aims to reunify brand experiences that tended to differ across regions and deliver a consistent global value. By standardizing the customer experience across all touchpoints—products, advertising, retail stores, and more—the company is poised to strengthen brand consistency and foster long-term customer loyalty.
Furthermore, initiatives to enhance brand value from multiple angles are progressing in parallel, including the expansion of premium product lines, participation in motorsports, and collaborations within the sports domain. In particular, the active and positive imagery associated with sports like tennis and golf aligns well with DUNLOP’s inherent values of “challenge” and “innovation,” contributing to greater brand affinity.
The company also plans to strengthen its brand communication originating from Europe and expand customer touchpoints even further. To reinforce its presence in global markets, it is essential to consistently deliver a unified brand message while understanding local contexts, and Sumitomo Rubber’s efforts reflect a clear commitment to building such a foundation.
This acquisition of exclusive rights marks not only a step toward strengthening business in the Southeast Asian market, but also a major move toward the broader reconstruction of the DUNLOP brand. It will be interesting to see how Sumitomo Rubber shapes the world of “ONE DUNLOP” in the years ahead.