Why Influencer Marketing Plays a Big Role at MAN

Under the motto “Marketing in times of digital awakening”, the PFH Private University of Göttingen invites you to the Göttingen Marketing Day on November 8. In advance, Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Riekhof interviewed some of the speakers. Here Björn Loose, Senior Vice President MAN Truck & Bus SE, provides insights into the marketing of the B2B company against the backdrop of digitalization.

Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Riekhof: What do you think is the biggest challenge for MAN in connection with the digitalization of marketing?

Björn Loose: We are a classic B2B manufacturer. The primary interface to the customer is still the personal sales consultant. Our customers are still very traditionally oriented in their (digital) media use. In order to carry out professional market processing in the future, the use of (digital) relationship marketing is definitely necessary. This switch is challenging in terms of process, technology and culture.

Riekhof: Does digitalization change the possibilities for MAN to gain insights about the customer? Where and how do you “observe” the customer today and in the future in his wishes, his networks, his search behavior, his communication behavior?

Loose: On the one hand, we can gain completely new insights into product use through the networking of vehicles. We can use this information to create offers that are more appropriate for the target group. We also use social media channels to bring the product experience of customers, but especially of drivers, to our attention and to incorporate it into further product development.

Our customers react particularly to product topics on social media

Riekhof: Which social media channels are the most important for MAN?

Loose: We have a dedicated social media strategy that we continuously develop. Currently, we are active on the social media channels Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. For us as a B2B company, LinkedIn is becoming an increasingly important channel that we will continue to expand in the future. We are currently working on a concept of how we can use our employees or experts as ambassadors of our brand on LinkedIn.

Riekhof: Which content topics work best?

Loose: On Facebook and Instagram, due to the focus on drivers (Owner Driver, brand fans), we are particularly successful with content on product topics. Here our MAN XLION vehicles and our new MAN Lion’s City are successful examples. In addition, the presentation of specially modified vehicles of our MAN Individual brand is very well received.

On LinkedIn, we focus more on future topics such as electromobility and platooning. Last year, we handed over the first electric vehicles (eTGM) to customers. We reported on the experiences in practical use at our customers afterwards in a series of posts. The content was very positively received by our community.

Customer feedback flows into our marketing campaigns

Riekhof: Digitalization of communication processes makes it easier for customers to leave comments and likes, place opinions, rate products, assess trends. Does MAN have specific strategies to continuously include these customer opinions in the communication process?

Loose: We evaluate all comments in the social media channels. On the one hand, we use the feedback and the communicative usage behavior in the design of our campaigns and the media selection. In addition, there is a clear process from customer opinion to product marketing.

Riekhof: Does MAN have a (usually app-based) digital customer card to conduct a direct, personal dialogue with customers?

Loose: We have not been able to introduce this for technical reasons so far. But we are working on a pilot in the first countries. Unfortunately, we are only at the beginning here.

Riekhof: Do strategies of location-based marketing, which specifically address the customer where he is currently located, play a role for MAN today and in the future in customer dialogue?

Loose: We have not yet used location-based marketing, as neither the product purchase nor the service stay in our industry is driven by actionism.

Riehof: Will you increasingly rely on strategies of influencer marketing in the future, and how do you proceed here specifically?

Loose: Influencer marketing is a very important tool in our industry. The highest credibility is represented by customer testimonials. We use this for various campaigns. In addition, we want to use influencer marketing for SoMe even more in the future. The selection of influencers is campaign-specific in cooperation with our social media specialized service providers.

Direct sales via a digital marketplace have started

Riekhof: How does the cooperation with your distribution partners or branches change in the context of the digitalization of marketing processes?

Loose: Our goal is to add unknown leads (“non-customers”) to our own sales channels with relationship marketing. In addition, we have already started direct sales via a digital marketplace.

Riekhof: Does the digitalization of marketing processes also affect the strategic and operational pricing at MAN?

Loose: Yes, because with the relationship marketing approach we specifically target the retail customer, who usually has a higher margin.

Riekhof: Many manufacturers are now bypassing (or supplementing) the traditional stationary distribution structures to set up their own online platform to serve the end customer directly. Are you pursuing a similar strategy at MAN?

Loose: See question 7. We can even imagine selling individual vehicle types online in the future. However, this always requires the integration of stationary trade (especially vehicle delivery). We are also working on pilots here.

Riekhof: Is there a company in your industry that you would describe as leading in terms of digitization? Or is there possibly a company outside your industry from which you want to systematically learn best practices in digitization?

Loose: Even though the industry is completely different, we use Amazon as a major impulse supplier. Both in terms of offer presentation and in customer management and customer acquisition.

If you would like to experience Björn Loose and the other speakers in person, please register with the Online form for the 7th Göttingen Marketing Day.

Prof. Dr. Hans-Christian Riekhof and the PFH team look forward to your visit.