Mobile phone useage in the Balkan states of Europe has exploded and with it the use of the internet and social media.
For Bulgarian oil producer Prista Oil, a rapidly expanding lubes product range and distribution has required a major step-up in marketing activity. With a young regional population, where more than 50% are under the age of 21, the boom in mobile technology and social networking has provided the perfect channel.
Prista Oil turned to lubricants database experts OATS, with which it already had a long-term partnership, to find a way of harnessing Prista’s lubes data and OEM specifications to social media.
The result was the launch of the Prista Oil Selector, initially onto the global social networking site Facebook, but with plans for expansion to local touch-screen kiosks and some smart phone application (app) markets.
The concept is simple. Via Prista Oil’s Facebook page, visitors can find information about the appropriate oil for their passenger car using a simple search for vehicle make and model.
Once entered, the system automatically searches the OATS-supplied database of Prista lubricants and offers the recommended product for the vehicle.
For Prista Oil’s Marketing Expert, Detelina Momcheva, social networks provide an important route to key target audiences. “Facebook is a nice option as most of our customers are between 18 and 50 and are on Facebook. It meets our consumer needs in Bulgaria and the region and we can use it for a variety of marketing purposes.”
The task set for OATS by Prista Oil was complex because the app data needed to include all aspects of product specification, approval ratings and the different application uses for the Prista lube range. “It’s always better to be able to read information directly from the supplier rather than hearing it from somebody who’ll recommend whatever oil he knows without basing this on a knowledgeable comparison,” Detelina explains.
She adds: “Until fairly recently, people in the Balkans were used to DIY oil changes. In the last few years, with more complex engines, greater numbers are going to workshops. They trust the mechanic who will change the oil and the Prista Oil Selector is a great helping tool for all mechanics. There are lots of online forums in Central and Eastern Europe about car maintenance and we want Prista to be part of the discussion.”
For OATS the benefit of social media for its clients is clear according to Chairman, Sebastian Crawshaw: “While data is important, so is word-of-mouth. For Prista Oil, Facebook and other social media apps offer the perfect combination of using trusted information about products directly from the manufacturer to fuel word-of-mouth endorsement from trusted friends.”
It would appear that social media is set to provide a new marketing vehicle for the lubes industry as a whole. “The oil industry is moving from the old, traditional methods of marketing with a younger generation of marketers coming through,” explains Sebastian. “OATS needs to be ahead of the curve in providing the tools for these marketers to be able to deliver messages effectively and be part of the social media dialogue.”
This is a view echoed by Prista’s Detelina Momcheva: “We are more than satisfied with the initial results of our social media work with OATS and are very positive about the future. There is more work to do, but I think there is a real potential for social media to drive the lubes choice of the consumer industry and probably this will happen over the next three to four years.”