Isuzu ramps up digital push

Australia's top-selling truck brand, Isuzu Australia Limited, is making a concerted push on the digital communications front, with the company recently appointing Michael McLean (pictured) to the newly created role of Marketing Manager, CRM and Digital.

Focussing on customer engagement and relations management, Mr McLean will also hone Isuzu's efforts in digital communications, where he will draw upon his 15 years of marketing and sales experience.

Most recently, Mr McLean headed up the marketing consumer division for Techtronics Industries Australia (TTI), where he took responsibility for the digital, on-site and in-store teams. The role saw Michael attend to some heavyweight brands in the competitive power tool market such as Ryobi and AEG.

IAL Director and Chief Operating Officer, Phil Taylor, said the appointment underscores Isuzu's commitment to embracing the rapidly evolving media and marketing landscape.

"For many decades we've worked hard to establish ourselves as genuine leaders of the Australian trucking industry, but that's not just confined to selling steel," he said.

"We've identified the importance not only of having a strong presence within a shifting media, marketing and communications setting, but also in having an even more sophisticated understanding of our customers' needs and aspirations."

Mr McLean said he was excited to be entering the truck market with a leading brand.

"Isuzu has done an incredible job of being market leader for the last 26 years but, like any organisation, there's a growing need to embrace new technology when it comes to marketing and communications," he said.

"More than ever before the customer is in charge of their own purchase experience. We know that 80 per cent of customers have already done their research online and come very close to making a final decision before they even set foot on the showroom floor.

"It's our challenge then to guide and manage that experience."

Mr McLean said his approach is governed by a simple underlying truth.

"It's not about applying digital tools for the sake of it," he said.

"It's about employing the right tools for the business to grow and continue to succeed."

Isuzu has invested considerable time, effort and expense in the field of emerging technology in recent times, as demonstrated by the release of Isuzu Telematics to its truck range last year – a locally developed system that unlocks a broad range of efficiency and safety gains for fleet operators through a variety of integrated GPS- and digital-based technologies.