The number of users converting to brand is increasing day by day, thanks to its diligent distributors cum dealers and its all-out marketing strategies
by AKMAR ANNUAR / pic UTUSAN
GRANTT Lubricants, a local lubricant brand by UMW Grantt International Sdn Bhd which is a wholly owned subsidiary of UMW Group, has achieved its highest users’ conversions ever this year.
The in-house brand has been around for a couple of years now and the number of users converting to Grantt Lubricants is increasing day by day, thanks to its diligent distributors cum dealers and its all-out marketing strategies.
In terms of sales since its inception in 2015, it has grown tremendously. UMW Manufacturing & Engineering (M&E) Division group director Anas Nasrun Mohd Osman said the Grantt Lubricants are sold via distributors, dealers and e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Lazada.
“In the recent years, we have re-strategised our plans to increase our sales. We are focusing on the ‘push’ (sales team) and ‘pull’ (marketing team) strategies.”
“We have invested more above-the-line and below-the-line marketing, subsequently creating brand awareness towards Grantt Lubricants,” he told The Malaysian Reserve (TMR) during the recent Grantt Lubricants Dealers’ Appreciation Night.
We take pride in our products which are sold at affordable prices and uncompromised quality, says Anas Nasrun
Anas Nasrun disclosed that the highest revenue primarily comes from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and commercial (Diesel Engine Oil and Hydraulics) segments.
On consumers’ demand for the products, Anas Nasrun said it has been encouraging as the company has started distributing these products to government agencies such as the municipal and city councils and The Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM).
He emphasised that Grantt Lubricants are made by Malaysians for Malaysians, highlighting all its lubricants meet the stringent automotive and commercial industries’ requirements.
Some of the strategies that have been implemented over the years to drive sales growth include offering more products that meet OEMs’ latest requirements and increasing brand awareness among customers regarding the quality of Grantt Lubricants.
“We take pride in our products which are sold at affordable prices and uncompromised quality. I dare to say that in terms of quality, our products are equal if not better than the local and international brands out there,” Anas Nasrun said.
Leveraging the UMW brand, he said that it is vital to build stronger trust and relationship with Grantt Lubricants’ customers/distributors/ dealers, as UMW is well-known for producing high-quality products particularly in the automotive industry.
Products Diversification
Meanwhile, UMW Grantt GM Iskandar Mohd Salleh said UMW Grantt has been diversifying its products to cater to automotive and industrial markets, and it has also been creating more stock-keeping units (SKUs) to meet the ever-changing customers’ demand.
On adapting to changing market conditions and customer preferences in order to remain competitive in the market, UMW Grantt will continue to undertake research and development (R&D) for new formulations as well as cost optimisation by working closely with base oil and additive suppliers.
Anas Nasrun also stressed on strengthening its marketing and branding platforms to give more brand awareness to the public and end users.
On the electric vehicles (EV) market, he said Grantt Lubricants is ready with its EV products.
“We have started promoting our EV coolant and brake fluids and we already have distributors in Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei dan Cambodia,” he told TMR. Additionally, he said, to demonstrate UMW Grantt’s commitment towards sustainability, it has launched and produced Bio-Hydraulics (VG 46 and VG 68) which are derived from palm oil. It caters to customers seeking cost-effective and sustainable hydraulics that deliver high performance.
These products have successfully met stringent requirements and have received MyHijau certification from the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corp (MGTC) to give maximum protection in the hydraulic equipment used.
“We have launched and started producing Bio-Hydraulics in October 2022,” he added.
On the other hand, Anas Nasrun said UMW Grantt is expected to produce its Food-Grade Bio Grease and Food-Grade Bio Hydraulic which are used extensively in the food and beverage (F&B) industry.
He also said that the lubricant products such as Passenger Car Motor Oil (STELLAR), Motorcycle Oil (QUADRA), Diesel Engine Oil (QUASAR), hydraulics, brake fluids, gear oil, automatic transmission fluids, and coolant are made locally and to cater to the needs and demands of Malaysian and Asean markets.
Furthermore, Grantt Lubricants is collaborating with reputable companies like CarTell Gymkhana, which offers an affordable platform for both new and experienced drivers, while promoting and marketing Grantt Lubricants.
For the East Malaysian market, Grantt Lubricants has been selected as the official lubricants partner for the Borneo Safari.
To retain its customers, UMW Grantt has placed emphasis on technical support.
“The technical support is not only for the distributors and dealers, but also to the end users,” said Iskandar. UMW Grantt has a new lubricant plant in Pulau Indah, Klang, with a maximum capacity of 60 million litres per annum.
Granntt Lubricants products are made locally and to cater to the needs and demands of Malaysian and Asean markets (pic: MUHD AMIN NAHARUL/TMR)
Dealers’ Appreciation Night
UMW Grantt has more than 300 dealers nationwide, with recognition of Grantt Lubricants increasing among workshops.
To show appreciation towards its distributors and dealers, a “Grantt Lubricants Dealers’ Appreciation Night” was held in Dorsett Subang on Sept 2, 2023.
The highlight of the night was the awards ceremony for Grantt Lubricants’ Best Conversion and the winners were Merantika D’sara Trading Sdn Bhd, Minjon Lubricants Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Bernas Edar Sdn Bhd, SM Mechanical (M) Sdn Bhd, Eng Tat Trading (North) Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Wan Sen Sdn Bhd, Amecon Sdn Bhd, I&A Enterprise, LPC Hardware & Autoparts Sdn Bhd, and R&S Petroleum (M) Sdn Bhd.
Merantika D’sara Trading MD Majelan Mat told TMR that his company has been a Grantt Lubricants’ distributor since 2015 and expressed his confidence towards Grantt Lubricants as not much “hard sell” marketing is required compared to other lubricants. “We do not have to go out and find customers; the customers will come to us and look for Grantt Lubricants,” he said.
Similarly, Pahang-based Syarikat Bernas Edar spokesperson, who only wanted to be known as Madam Yap, said that her company has been selling lubricants for the past 28 years and she was singing praises for Grantt Lubricants.
Similarly, Mr Goh from Minjon Lubricants, who has been selling lubricants for 20 years, said that his customers would go to his workshop specifically looking for Grantt Lubricants due to its affordable price and premium quality.
Source: The Malaysian Reserve