CEAT takes fight against drunk driving to social media

Saturday, 20 December 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Tyre market leader initiates novel seasonal CSR project

Sri Lanka’s top tyre brand CEAT is harnessing the power of social media this festive season to campaign against ‘driving under the influence.’ A link that went live on CEAT’S facebook page (www.facebook.com/CeatLK) and the company’s website (www.ceatpledge.com) on Friday 5 December enables visitors to make an online pledge to drive sober via facebook or Twitter, and have the Pledge Icon placed on their personal facebook pages, as evidence that they have taken the pledge. Visitors will need little convincing as the facebook page dedicated by CEAT for the Pledge to Drive Sober campaign contains visual elements and the frightening statistic that drunk driving and negligence claim 2,000 lives a year, to emphasise the dangers of drunk driving. It poses the question ‘How much do you value a life?’ “Every year this season, the rate of accidents caused due to drunk driving escalates to frightening numbers,” the page notes. “Despite measures taken by officials, nobody but you can put an end to this. CEAT believes that an individual’s vow can make a change, and as an all new CSR initiative we proudly give you the opportunity to ‘Take the Pledge’ to drive sober. Holidays are meant for happy memories, not a tragedy.” The social media campaign is to be supported with announcements of E FM requesting listeners and visitors to the station’s studio at Odel Alexandra Place to make the pledge online and receive a car sticker similar to the Pledge Icon, the company said. “Although this campaign is designed for the festive season, its relevance extends to the rest of the year, and we hope that it will help make our roads safer,” CEAT Kelani Holdings Vice President Sales & Marketing Ravi Dadlani said. “If even one life is saved or an injury is prevented by this campaign, the effort would be worth it.” A global tyre brand present in 110 countries and now headquartered in India, CEAT is an acronym that stands for Cavi Electrici Affini Torino, or Electrical Cables and Allied Products of Turin, with origins that date back to 1924 in Italy. A National Business Excellence Award winner in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and a National Quality Award winner in the ‘Manufacturing – Large’ category in 2013, CEAT – Kelani Holdings is a successful Indo-Sri Lanka joint venture between the RPG Group of India and Kelani Tyre – Sri Lanka. The company operates three manufacturing units in Sri Lanka and employs a workforce of 1,000 people.