Turning regulatory changes into increased sales

The 2020 Global Sulphur Cap regulations posed a major challenge for the international shipping industry. With just one year to go, time was running out for ship owners and operators to secure compliance before the start date, and their competitiveness thereafter. However, many ship owners were waiting to see which fuel type the industry favoured before making any commitments ahead of 2020. For them, there were simply too many unknowns, and to make the wrong choices could be fatal.

MAN Energy Solutions saw an opportunity to create a sense of urgency around the deadline, and to position themselves as the engine partner with the expertise and engine solutions to guide businesses through this transition. The objective was to drive retrofit sales as soon as possible, in order to avoid a bottleneck as the 2020 deadline approached.

The campaign targeted a niche target audience within the shipping industry. While CEOs and managing directors have overall business responsibility and set the strategic direction, fleet and technical management are focussed on technical operations and make recommendations to top management.

Launched in January 2019, the campaign highlighted the risks of non-compliance and the diminishing timeframe, as well as how MAN provides the optimal solution. It was supported by a wealth of information, from ads and expert interviews to a thoroughly researched industry trends white paper, all of which was shared with – and by – target audiences over multiple channels.