What's Big, Gray, White and Shiny

This article was published by Ben Hailes on 15 February, 2017

Is it just me or do Europeans (in general) make luxurious and safe cars? The mere mention of well-known car makers such as Volvo, Mercedes and Range Rover would for many invoke immediate associations. Mention Volvo and one likely thinks safety, a Mercedes Benz with prestige and Range Rover with the Brits, the Royal Mother and her Corgis. Go on, tell me that I’m wrong!

Rightly or wrongly, brands create perceptions and as we all know, perception is reality. Fact. Take Liebherr as an example, a German company that manufactures big shiny stainless steel fridges, the world’s largest (& yellow) mobile cranes and if you’re a miner, giant white diggers and dump trucks.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard the jokes about ‘Leaky bears’ truly I have however, I’m here to tell you that at the Mining Expo in Vegas there was not one leak to be seen. Leibherr’s display was so polished and white, that for a moment I thought I was in the dealership of some prestige European car. What was simply undeniable is that Liebherr clearly know how to market their machines and as history would suggest, they also know how to build products that dominate market segments.

With their diggers and dump trucks now well entrenched on many a global mine site, it would appear they’ve set their sights on other equipment categories with the PR 776 taking on the D10T, the T 236 taking on the 777G and HD785-7 as well as their decision to internalise engine manufacturing with the creation of the D98 engine series.

Now of course, this could all be just my perception, but as we know perceptions can be as strong as the truth and often become reality. Fact.

This article was originally published by the ComponentsONLY team in the February 2017 issue of "@ The Coal Face" magazine.