With millions of motorcycles on the road in this vast territory, Motul is leading the way to provide the right products where reliability, performance and protection are key.
“The 21st century customer is more value-conscious and discerning than ever,” says Motul’s Chief Marketing Officer of APAC, Carlo Savoca. “The focus on the customer has also led to Motul intensifying its investments within the Asia Pacific region in recent years to bring the company's operations as close as possible to all of its customers.”
Motul is also celebrating its 170 anniversary this year, so this is a milestone to engage with on a worldwide scale, and an opportunity to demonstrate its desire to lead the new modern industry.
“The 170th anniversary is a fantastic opportunity for Motul to show that it is more than ready for the new automotive world,” he adds. “As an innovative energy-provider for the coming years, we want consumers to recognize that the century-transcending company is much more than just engine oil; it's a partner of the mobility of tomorrow.”
Three Asian Motul subsidiaries were established – in Indonesia first, then Japan, and then Thailand. Other key markets in the region continue to grow, also in India, Philippines, and Malaysia.
“[Our] main motivation is a service to customer in terms of time-to-market and overall availability for our value chain,” says Savoca. “We are looking at various initiatives in the region to bring to our customers greater value and enriched experiences.
“In the pipeline are an intensifying and intentional push into e-commerce, and a ‘new way to communicate’ to better engage consumers. We have an ambitious plan to roll out exciting new Motul-branded retail stores over the next few years and across many markets.”
“Two-wheelers in Asia are the main mode of transport for many – or even their livelihood for some,” says Savoca. “Reliability is a very crucial factor when it comes to choosing the right product for their motorcycle. We had to ensure our products must be able to keep their engines in optimum condition especially in the humidity and heat and with start-stop traffic conditions experienced in major Asian cities.
“We further invested in a R&D facility in Japan to work with top Japanese motorcycle manufacturers to further develop products suited for this region. We now produce our products in Asia to better service to our customers at a reduction of cost in logistics and turn-around time to maintain our position as the market leader for high quality lubricants & other operational fluids.”
Indonesia is an example of how Motul has achieved phenomenal success leveraging on the huge potential of a market of over 120 million motorcycles.
The dynamic market situation proved to be an opportunity for Motul to strategically position its products to suit varying needs. Since its presence in Indonesia in the 1990s, Motul has always strived to provide the best for customers, and it was in the 2000s when the brand started to gain recognition through the clear distinction of its products’ advantages. Customers were able to experience how Motul’s premium lubricants and product range have provided protection and reliability, impacting their motorcycle performance in the long run.
With the establishment of subsidiary PT. Motul Indonesia Energy in 2018, Motul embarked on various strategies to widen its distribution network and create demand for its product range. The vast, robust landscape presented an opportunity and a challenge, with Motul facing stiff market competition from various regions. A strong network of 35 distributors captured key customers, addressing their needs through a streamlined product portfolio. The sound strategy was instrumental to propelling the sales growth. In 2022 Motul has achieved remarkable results; sales growth was 43% vs 2021, with 80% growth as compared to 2019.
As the Asian market continues to expand, Motul will be there for its consumers for every turn of their wheels.
