While it has been an international launch, different markets have different requirements, which could see a bit of a phased approach being adopted, explains FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA Sales Director Andrew Cowling. For example, locally the well-known William Penn range is also being harmonised into the TITAN range. This means that the William Penn brand now becomes aligned with the global FUCHS naming conventions.

“It is important to note that the William Penn brand is not being discontinued; it is just being harmonised with the overall brand image. It will still be on the shelf as a premium product with the same grade formulation that customers have come to appreciate, but as a FUCHS brand,” says Cowling.

“We now have the capability to focus all of our marketing efforts on a unified brand, which is important to ensure that the market is not confused as to precisely what products we have on the shelf. In terms of William Penn specifically, this is a transformation rather than a discontinuation of the brand.”

The launch is limited to the FUCHS automotive product range only. “In terms of our industrial product range, the overall aesthetic is not that critical, as these are products often used on the workshop floor. Our automotive products, on the other hand, sit on retail and distributor shelves, and therefore really have to grab a potential customer’s attention,” says Cowling. “It has always been a clear differentiator our automotive and industrial product range within our business.”

In terms of the newly-designed packaging, Cowling elaborates that previously about four different colours were used, including a white William Penn bottle, which made the retail shelf presentation look very busy “and not as professional as we wanted it to be.” Thus, the aim of the new bottle design is not only to make the automotive range more visually appealing, but also to harmonise the look of the entire brand, right from the labels and styling to the packaging itself. “One colour is not only easier to manage from a logistics and supply chain point of view, it also enhances the overall presentation on the retail shelf,” says Cowling.

In terms of the main automotive products covered, TITAN consists of premium engine, gear and transmission oils. AGRIFARM is growing rapidly in the agricultural sector, with the new ‘look and feel’ also assisting in differentiating this range from the passenger, heavy-duty and on-highway applications covered by the automotive products. PLANTO is an entirely biodegradable product, while SILKOLENE is aimed specifically at the motorbike market segment.

In terms of the sustainability of both the automotive products and their new packaging, sustainability and recyclability are key factors. “When we designed the new look, we kept in mind how much of it could be recycled and also how much recyclable material we put into the product itself,” says Cowling.

In terms of stockholding, FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA has ensured it has sufficient stock of both the old and new packaging to ensure a smooth transition and maintain continuity of supply. The new packaging will start to filter through in December 2021.