Cruise awaits thirteen winners

JOHANNESBURG – Gabriel, the premier shock absorber brand of Control Instruments-Automotive, has announced the winners of the joint Parts Incorporated Africa (PIA) competition to win 13 double tickets for an all-expenses-paid cruise this month to the Portuguese Islands and Maputo on the MSC Opera cruise ship.

The promotion was based on sales targets set for PIA’s branches and customers on achieving the highest sales of Gabriel shock absorbers. The winners are from various branches nationwide including Gauteng, Cape Town, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. Prizes also included Gabriel mechandise.

Sean Staley, Control Instruments-Automotive divisional head – Ride Control, said working with Gabriel’s wholesale partners in promotions of this nature emphasises the importance of shock absorbers as a safety feature and brings top-of-mind awareness at retail level. “It is a foundation of Gabriel’s SafeZone 2.6 programme,” he said.

“In 2007, Gabriel shock absorbers joined an elite club of iconic brands in celebrating its 100th anniversary. Gabriel shocks are locally designed and manufactured to meet South Africa’s harsh road conditions,” he said.

The Safe Zone 2.6 project is a safety programme aimed at educating consumers and fitment centres about vehicle and passenger safety.

Safe Zone 2.6 is based on road tests performed on an average passenger vehicle travelling at 80km per hour with good shock absorbers and comparing it to a vehicle with worn shocks.

“Good shocks will stop a vehicle on average 2,6 meters sooner than a similar vehicle with worn shocks,” he said.

Last year Gabriel achieved top position in the shock absorber category of research conducted by Target Group Index (TGI). TGI’s ICON Brand Survey is the largest of its kind in South Africa. More than 15 000 consumers were surveyed, representing more than 19,8-million adult South Africans.