Taking JCB Closer to its Customers in Southeast Asia

Challenge

Globally recognised for its distinctive yellow livery, JCB – is a British family-owned multinational corporation whose diggers, excavators and tractors have the highest reputation in the construction, agriculture and waste management sectors. With factories across Asia, Europe, North America and South America; its products are sold in over 150 countries.

The company has long-held ambitions to continue the development of its presence in the important Southeast Asia region. In particular, extending every aspect of its world-class customer service and range of machines to the burgeoning markets in the local agricultural, mining and construction industries.

JCB is investing significantly in its regional distribution, adding new employees and dealers to its network, backed by the development of strategic parts and servicing facilities. Mulberry’s brief was to help raise awareness of JCB’s exceptionally reliable machines and its customer service provision. This is an essential part of promoting the company’s strategic ambitions in the region and to help grow sales of its products – including the company’s flagship, market-leader, the highly versatile Backhoe Loader.

Strategy

JCB’s declared aim is to get even closer to its customers in Southeast Asia with the heavy investment in dealers, facilities and service teams viewed as a start to the process, rather than as an end in itself. For two years, the JCB network has expanded by 20% and this is envisaged to also be the case in 2019. This rapid expansion is designed to make it easier for JCB to sell extended service packages and deliver access to retail finance to customers across the region.

This year has seen JCB’s attention switch more towards the voice of the customer, building on feedback from its partners about their experiences with the JCB brand. Mulberry devised a new campaign called – ‘Why for me it’s always JCB’ – featuring a collection of testimonials from customers from Thailand, Malaysia, and across Indonesia. Whether in plantations, mining, or general construction projects, letting customers talk about JCB products, and reveal the support they receive from their dealers, is evidence of the significant progress JCB are making in Southeast Asia.

Results

Mulberry produces a quarterly regional newsletter for JCB’s dealer network and customers that details innovation – including its LiveLink remote machine monitoring – new products and services, in addition to information about the new dealerships and facilities established. Mulberry support for JCB’s key messaging incorporates a range of targeted assets. These include traditional press releases, feature articles, and broad activity across digital channels where engagement has increased significantly. Developing JCB’s social media strategy has focussed on Facebook and Instagram. These channels have been used to deliver detail of the latest campaigns, related events, and news from the team at JCB; as well as significant moves in the market, such as B20 fuel compliance becoming standard across the full product range. All of these initiatives help toward ensuring that JCB’s customers receive market-leading aftermarket support.

The backcloth to Mulberry’s wide-ranging communications activity is that JCB’s historic retail volumes and revenue ceilings have been surpassed in the Southeast Asia region as a whole, with sales of between 34,000-35,000 machines in 2018 (up 30% from 2017). Mulberry is committed to help advance JCB’s ambition to match and outgrow the market. A singular focus, that to succeed requires a combination of the right products, people, investment strategy, and marketing communication partners.