Yale Materials Handling Corporation is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of lift trucks. The lift-truck industry is highly competitive and, over the years, product parity has leveled the playing field. In order to stand out, Yale needed to establish a differentiating factor that would work to make the company unique, while deepening relationships with customers, driving sales and providing the basis for a new and more profitable model of doing business.
Princeton Partners’ vision for Yale was to change its role to its customers from manufacturer and aftermarket service provider to proactive business partner. After conducting one-on-one interviews, industry trend analyses and an overarching competitive overview, we decided to concentrate our marketing efforts on a specific business silo where Yale excelled and where they always created new value for customers – their Fleet-Management services.
The focus on Fleet Management was a business transformation for this lift-truck manufacturer. Internally, Fleet Management became a point of pride that united the company’s departments and drove Yale’s new product development. Externally, it gave Yale dealers, one of the company’s most important assets, new ways to approach business with current and new customers.
We unveiled Yale Fleet Management in advertising and public relations materials targeting both traditional decision makers as well as C-suite executives. At the same time, we created print and online educational programs that targeted lift truck dealers who would need to be educational partners in delivering fleet management solutions. We recommended to Yale that they confidently go to market with a performance guarantee. The client agreed and introduced the guarantee that Yale Fleet Management would save customers 15% or more in materials handling costs in the first year. The bold advertising, plus this guarantee, delivered the message, in no uncertain terms, that Yale’s tough-and-ready lift trucks and intelligent Fleet Management Services would lead to increased productivity in the warehouse.
Today, Yale is the recognized market leader in fleet management with more than 130,000 trucks and 15,000 companies under contract in the program, more than twice the amount of the nearest competitor. And Yale has successfully established a high-quality, high margin, fee-based revenue model that complements and strengthens its traditional sales model.