AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT) has announced the introduction of a specific mobile site, allowing on-the-go tire shoppers increased accessibility to the information they need via their "smart phones."

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20050204/GTLOGO )

By simply going to goodyear.com on any browser-enabled mobile phone or smart phone, consumers will automatically be forwarded to the new mobile site where they will see a purpose-built but consistent experience to select a retailer for Goodyear products and services.

Once there, users will see a tire/retailer selection process by vehicle, tire size or tire name. This functionality includes the identification of retail locations, tire categorization, tire recommendations and MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Pricing).

"This is an investment by Goodyear in making the effort to connect shoppers with retailers, especially at the times when the need for tire purchasing becomes more urgent" said Mike Dauberman, Goodyear's director of interactive marketing. "It is a role in which mobile tools really shine, giving consumers on-the-go research capability and flexibility as they strive to make the most informed purchase decision, often in a shortened amount of time."

There are also sections for retailer locator, promotions, warranty, click-to-call, and "Contact Us." The site takes advantage of GPS capabilities of many smart phones to automatically display retailer locations nearest to the user.

The new mobile device site was developed to work on all mobile phones and smart phones that have a web browser. The experience is optimized for each device, which means the functionality works, but the visual experience varies based on device capabilities. This includes supported mobile devices such as Android, WebOS, iPhone and Blackberry.

Electronic tablet users will see the traditional desktop site, rather than the mobile device site, as that is a more appropriate experience for tablet-size screens, according to Dauberman.

"The introduction of the mobile site is an evolutionary step as Goodyear continues to offer consumers the tools they need to make smart purchase decisions," he said.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies.  It employs approximately 73,000 people and manufactures its products in 54 facilities in 22 countries around the world.  Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.  For more information about Goodyear or its products, go to www.goodyear.com.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company