Claire Birchenough – INEOS Automotive Group

Claire Birchenough is the Brand Communications Manager for the INEOS Automotive Group. INEOS, a global chemical company that comprises of 36 businesses with 194 sites in 29 countries around the world, has in the last few years launched INEOS Automotive, with the Grenadier as the first of many vehicles to come. A 4×4 that is built on purpose, will get you there and get the job done. Claire’s responsibility is for the brand identity and the communications plan across all channels for the Automotive group.

BRAND LOYALTY IS OUR MAIN INGREDIENT FOR BRAND GROWTH

When discussing the importance and the main ingredients for brand growth for the Grenadier, it is apparent that brand growth for this niche brand and product, isn’t built through mass awareness. As a new player in the quite established automotive industry, it’s not easy to immediately cut through without either a brand new story or an enormous marketing budget. Claire explains: ‘’For INEOS, it is crucial to build credibility and create a fanbase.” Claire adds: ‘’For us, it is more important to be true to the original mission and what the company believes in, and to give our customers what they want.’’ She continued: ‘Building a high quality product, means we practice what we promise.’’

“People find out how brilliant the Grenadier is by getting behind the wheel and experiencing the quality and greatness of the brand.”

Claire explains that part of her own journey to adjust her approach for the Grenadier brand, had a real moment of truth: ‘’I joined the tour 2B prototype event in Spring 2021, an inclusive event for about 20 people and their families. Someone came up to me to ask some general questions about the Grenadier brand. At the time, I was wearing a pin badge of the Grenadier logo, as soon as he saw it, his eyes lit up and he asked several times to have it! That was the moment that I realised that this was a brand for fans, and not a brand for everyone. Brand loyalists want to rave about it and share it with their families.’’

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

For Grenadier, a niche approach for a niche product is far more effective than driving mass appeal. Claire explains: ‘’We have the freedom to do things differently than everyone else in the automotive industry. Our way of marketing is to have test drives around the world, from the mountains of Austria to the Sahara desert, and sharing these experiences, as well as showing people behind the scenes. While some companies might be worried about showing something has gone wrong, we are happy to show everyone that not everything works how we hoped, every time.’’

In the automotive sector, is there a risk of not appealing to everyone and therefore diluting brand loyalty? While discussing the brand’s authenticity, Claire mentions: ‘’We have a single-minded clear brand and proposition, and everything stems around that. Many brands do not have that kind of focused goal. We ask ourselves, is that marketing campaign or product feature aligned to our brand, is it purposeful?”

“To be authentic is to be unapologetically clear about who you are, and to be unafraid to not be for everyone.”

BRAND ASSOCIATIONS DETERMINE THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

Consumers also have moments of truth associated with the brand, from landmine clearers through to kayaking business owners, the same vehicle meets so many different needs, its easy to create emotional connections. Claire shares: ‘’Besides its rational function, the purchase of the Grenadier often reflects their personality and identity, which clearly says something about them. If we, as a brand, are clear about who we are, that is reflective of who they are, and that is something they buy into. If two Grenadier buyers see each other at the pub, and they see their car keys, they immediately have some form of connection because it is likely they share the same kind of lifestyle.’’

CUSTOMER JOURNEY

For INEOS, the post-purchase is a crucial part of the customer journey.  Claire elaborates: ‘’People tend to buy vehicles every three years, but we always believe in a car being a long-term thing, because it is built as a durable vehicle. We want the car to be a brilliant experience for a long time. It is not just about marketing, but also the customer journey, which is to create something that is made to last.’’

Claire shares her thoughts on the role of media, innovation, and influencing the customer’s moment of truth: ‘’We know that most people have heard about us through specifically the automotive press which is a great way to inform and be informed within our category. But to take our customers on the journey requires more than that, so we use our website and email journey to take people behind the scenes. We take them on the Grenadier testing series, we bring them into the factory and help the customer have that driving experience without having driven the vehicle yet.’’ Claire adds: ‘’We create exceptionally authentic photography and film to give that physical presence and experience, even when they are not the ones driving. Having a sense of innovation, a feeling of difference, and not doing it like everybody else, is key for us at INEOS Grenadier. The car itself is already unique, and we want our marketing to be just as unique and create many more moments of truth for our customers.‘’