JLG Industries, Inc. was acquired by Oshkosh Corporation, a global leader in designing and manufacturing tough specialty trucks, truck bodies and access equipment. JLG owned the premium position for aerial lifts and, consistent with its “house of brands” strategy, Oshkosh wanted to maintain and enhance that position. Direction was to emphasize the performance dimension of the brand — the product in the field, the company behind the product, service, financing, etc. Our goal was to reassert category leadership in a big and bold way. Part of capitalizing on this opportunity was making a splash at CONEXPO 2008, the huge construction industry event that is held only once every three years.
Our creative challenge was to build on the strong foundation of the JLG brand while making a bold, dramatic statement. We developed a multi-phased campaign to Unleash the power and performance of the brand, using the distinctive orange color of JLG machines along with photography that made JLG products appear as the biggest, boldest and best performing in the market. In advertising and all other initial graphics, products were chained down to emphasize strength and power. The ads demanded attention. Visuals were shot at angles that emphasize their heft and rugged character. Orange backgrounds were used for JLG brand identification and lit for dramatic impact.
Program integration included print and online advertising, a strong direct marketing effort, including a pre-show email newsletter for promoting activities at the show. A customer event was a “Foreigner Live at the Hard Rock” concert that was “sold out” in terms of room capacity. A mobile text messaging component was incorporated as part of the at-show program to enhance visibility and booth traffic. Banners and posters were provided and prominently displayed at dealer show booths.
The program, introduced at the end of 2007 and still rolling out, has already achieved impressive results. The preferred call to action is to direct viewer to the JLG web site for more information. There have been more than 58,000 viewers to destination pages to-date. An ongoing Google AdWords program is generating 500,000 impressions per month. Although we cannot share specific lead information, the JLG sales and marketing team, as well as JLG management are delighted.
This case history offers an excellent example of a thoroughly integrated program, based on a single, compelling idea that champions a strong brand in a way that engages the equipment audience. In an industry (and trade show) populated by big names and big machines, JLG stands out. It is also on the forefront of new marketing technology in its industry, an achievement of which we are very proud.