Be close, in order to grow. The conventions with specialised dealers are very important for the alignment of goals and to present products, among other functions. A convention also strengthens personal relationships, encourages growth of sales and helps with the development of new business.
In Honduras, the seventh edition of the event was held at the Hyatt Place in Tegucigalpa, from 20 to 22 February, with the presence of 70 attendees. ‘We talked about the strategy for 2020, the new brand concept, and also the new products, including some product demonstrations. This was a very good experience’, says Diana Lizbeth Mejía, Marketing Manager at Cemcol.
A similar event took place on 28 and 29 February in the Ecuadorian city of Manta, home to the country’s most breathtaking beaches and to the most important tuna fish port in the country. All 75 exclusive STIHL distributors participated both in the presentation of new STIHL machines and in the launch of an own application, mobile B2B. The group took the opportunity to also address the planning for 2020. ‘This was a wonderful celebration, one week prior to all these difficult moments caused by the pandemic we are now facing. We strengthened the bond between the brand and the distributors, getting a positive result in the name of all those who make up the STIHL family in Ecuador’, says Iver Paredes, from Inmeq.
In Brazil, the convention took place on 4th of June, fully online, with over 900 people connected, including dealers and the brand teams. ‘This was an interactive and innovative event, which was broadcasted live to the whole country. Despite physical distance, the link between STIHL and its shops is still the same as always, a very close relationship’, says Rafael Zanoni, Marketing Manager at STIHL Brazil.
On that occasion, the audience could get to know details of the newly launched products such as the MS 462 chainsaw, the GTA 26 battery garden pruner and the BGA 86 battery-run blower, and also get an evaluation and business outlook for 2020.
The new STIHL brand concept was one of the main issues addressed at the event in Honduras.In Brazil, the fully online convention stood out for interactivity and for the high degree of participation.
THE NEW NORMAL The worldwide pandemic has made people learn to live in a different way, giving more value to the simple things in life, such as freedom. It was necessary to ‘slow down’ in many ways. ‘We had all this readaptation, with shops working to reduced hours, severe restrictions on mobility both inside and […]
THE NEW NORMAL
The worldwide pandemic has made people learn to live in a different way, giving more value to the simple things in life, such as freedom. It was necessary to ‘slow down’ in many ways. ‘We had all this readaptation, with shops working to reduced hours, severe restrictions on mobility both inside and outside the country, an extremely limited social life, as well as introduction of teleworking, were challenging to all. This can already be seen as a major conquest’, says Paul Strohm, the LATAM and Caribbean Sales Director, analysing the current situation.
FULLRECOVERY
In the company, the start of the year was marked by several meetings to set the plans of action to tackle the crisis that was already brewing on the horizon, of proportions unseen in the history of our company. Once the initial impact of the first quarter had worn off, the markets where STIHL is present in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in the sector of Agriculture and Gardening, started to show positive signs of live and recovery.
‘From there, we moved on to a new reality, never before witnessed by the Company: record turnovers and growing market share, amidst a world crisis. This means we can affirm that we have the best and most qualified distribution network, and also the best production structure when compared to our competitors. Last but not least, we have the most motivated and most competent people, fighting for the brand at the four corners of the globe. This is a really important conquest that deserves to be highlighted!’, Strohm acknowledges and celebrates.
Paul Strohm, Sales Director for LATAM and the Caribbean: Comments about the initial shock and the speedy recovery
SPEEDY PLANS
The Qualification Manager, Raul Kriedte, calls attention to the redesigning of the training processes, which now rely more on the facilities and advantages of distance learning (DL).
‘It was already our plan to expand and advance the online format, but the restrictions enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this shift’, he says. The STIHL Training platform has received important updates, facilitating and speeding up the use thereof, both in English and Spanish. Catering to the specific demands of importers and subsidiaries also moved forward at full throttle, within the digital environment. ‘Our contacts were more frequent than before, when the in-person mode was used’.
Raul Kriedte, Qualification Manager: Talks about the speedy plans in the light of the pandemic
COMMUNICATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS
The development of a communication strategy in days of coronavirus has been very important during 2020. The different phases have helped with the publicity of STIHL, thereby strengthening the relationship between the brand and its clients.
Another highlight of this year was the launch of the new LATAM Marketing communication app, which allows safe, quick, and easy contact with all importers and subsidiaries in order to share best practices, publish new content, and offer tools for qualifying the markets even more. “We are very happy with the advances we have made. I would specially like to thank all those who have made an effort, day in and day out, to construct this path together’, says Sabine MacDonald, Marketing Manager for LATAM and the Caribbean.
Sabine MacDonald, Marketing Manager, highlights work carried out as part of a team
CHALLENGES WITH LOGISTICS
Carlos Wey, Service Centre Supervisor, also mentions the growth and excellent results obtained in Latin America and the Caribbean.
‘We have managed to overcome adversity and commemorate increased sales. We thank everyone for their understanding, especially with regard to international logistics, which have had an impact on the supply of products, particularly spare parts and accessories’, he says. Being prepared, with available stock at the quality and quantity that clients need, has strengthened STIHL’s competitivity, also in the maintenance of our machines in the after sales service.
Carlos Wey, Service Centre Supervisor, thanks everyone for their understanding, and congratulates everyone on the results obtained
The actions implemented by STIHL in Latin America and the Caribbean resulted in a big recognition: the Reinventar Award, promoted by the Associação de Publicidade do Rio Grande do Sul (ARP), which singled out the best projects for corporate reinvention in the fields of communications, branding, products, services, service/sales channels, which were developed as a […]
The actions implemented by STIHL in Latin America and the Caribbean resulted in a big
recognition: the Reinventar Award, promoted by the Associação de Publicidade do Rio Grande
do Sul (ARP), which singled out the best projects for corporate reinvention in the fields of
communications, branding, products, services, service/sales channels, which were developed
as a reaction to the pandemic in 2020.
The case “STIHL Latam: the strength to move forward” presented the communication and
training actions implemented with importers and subsidiaries.
In her speech given during the online ceremony, which happened on December 8, Sabine
MacDonald, Marketing Manager for the area, thanked the whole team for their huge efforts to
go beyond themselves, even when facing the difficulties imposed by the global scenario. “This
is a recognition to the Latam team. Together, we have shown we have the strength to move
forward and grow more each day.”
Sabine MacDonald and the award received during the online ceremony.
This recognition was very important, but it must be followed up and plan 2021 to celebrate many other achievements.
Planning the future requires responsibility, to assess the current situation in order to project the future scenario of where one wants to be. The year of 2021 will still be strongly impacted by the effects of the pandemic on a world scale. Planning, control, and possible stock management within the network shall be regularly assessed, as efficient cutting-edge communication (distributors) with importers and subsidiaries, shall play an important role in the quality and the speed of reaction to market demands. The STIHL team has been meeting to jointly draw up a consistent action plan that shall take the brand even further. The first step has already been taken, the scenario and sales plan with the quantities and turnover as expected for 2021 is ready. The development of the marketing plan with structured and consistent market actions are also a key to success in such challenging times.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR SALES AND MARKETING PLAN 2021 COMPLETE?
