Number 4 - ExxonMobil in the UK

23
Mobil 1 motor oils
prove to be
a big hit
in Russia
Automobiles, especially imports,
have become prized possessions
in Russia among the
country’s rising middle class.
To keep their cars in peak
condition, owners overwhelmingly
insist on using automotive
products with a reputation for
superior performance – products
such as Mobil 1 lubricants.
In the world of lubricants,
synthetics are widely regarded
as the gold standard due to their
superior properties in protecting
high-performance engine parts
when compared with conventional
motor oils.
Mobil 1 is the leading brand of
synthetic motor oil in Russia, and
this nation of approximately 140
million people is one of the fastest-growing
markets for Mobil 1.
Other top international synthetics
marketers are campaigning to
trim Mobil 1’s lead, especially in
the competitive category of passenger
vehicle lubricants (PVLs).
To bolster its position,
ExxonMobil revamped its PVL
lineup this year and introduced
Story by Shelley Moore
Sales of Mobil 1 lubricants are
paced by a new product lineup
tailored to consumers at each
stage of auto-engine life.
Mobil 1 Ages, a new concept in
product selection tailored specifically
to the Russian market. The
effort is already boosting Mobil 1
motor oil sales and extending
market penetration in the country.
A land of “do-it-yourselfers”
During the past four years, purchases
of new foreign cars in
Russia have jumped more than
fivefold. This spring, foreign car
sales surpassed sales of local
makes such as Lada and Volga
for the first time in history. Until
Ford Motor Company opened a
Russian factory in 2002, all foreign
autos in Russia were imported.
“Now most of the major foreign
auto makers are here,” says Yrjo
Jalasvirta, head of the representative
office for ExxonMobil’s
Lubricants and Specialties
Russian Cluster. “St. Petersburg is
becoming the Detroit of the East.”
In July, Ford rolled its
250,000th automobile off its
Russian assembly line, and other
major manufacturers experienced
increased production as well.