Customer interaction has changed in the wake of COVID-19, driving innovative companies to think differently about marketing opportunities — both in the short- and long-term.
This challenge led JLG to explore new options outside of its traditional channels and marketing activities. And, what we discovered was that there was an appetite in the industry for on-demand, immersive online experiences that would continue to have value well beyond the pandemic.
This led to the launch of “Access Your World,” a unique, customer-focused virtual experience that allows visitors to explore and consume information about JLG® products, services and technologies, however and wherever they prefer.
Below is an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at this new educational site that allows visitors to experience JLG products in a variety of job site environments, enabling customers and end-users to better understand specific applications and uses.
How did the idea for JLG’s “Access Your World” virtual experience come about?
This idea really evolved over time. As COVID-19 took hold and even before, we began looking for ways to build more customized marketing experiences for our customers. With the progressive adoption of mobile devices and them becoming an almost necessary tool to manage day-to-day work and personal obligations, it became increasingly apparent that not only would we need to cater to this new medium —but we would also somehow need to break through the noise to get the attention of target customers.
As 9-5 workdays become a thing of the past, flexible hour engagement is increasingly common, so we wanted to develop an experience that allowed users, regardless of time zone, the ability to experience JLG where and when they wanted, giving them the control to explore what was of greatest interest and of greatest benefit to their business on demand.
Describe the virtual experience’s features and how it's meeting the need to get equipment in front of customers.
“Access Your World” is an on-demand digital experience that showcases JLG products and services across multiple applications and stages of construction. The initial launch focused on construction tasks on the outside of stadium, such as site preparation and steel erection work. The second job site scenario brings visitors inside the stadium and focuses on truss, fit out and finish work. It is a highly interactive and dynamic experience that will continue to evolve to include additional job sites, featuring a wide variety of products and new content for users to explore.
It is not designed to be a stop-and-go solution — rather, a start-and-grow experience that provides visitors the flexibility to attend, navigate and absorb content at any time, from anywhere, at their own pace.
In addition to featuring virtual job sites, it also offers equipment owners and end-users the opportunity to view virtual walk-around videos, download product information and apps, view 3-D hydraulic schematics, order parts, sign up for training and schedule meetings. Site visitors have access to a wide range of JLG tools and services including: #DirectAccess, JLG Financial, JLG Gear, the JLG dealer locator, the JLG augmented reality app, Online Express for parts ordering and JLG University to sign up for training online or in-person training courses.
Who is the “Access Your World” virtual experience designed for? What are the benefits of participating?
We really had two audiences in mind when developing this experience. The first was our rental channel partners. Many of our products start in a rental fleet, so both national and independent rental companies are important to our business.
That said, the end-user is their customer, so this group was also a very important consideration when developing the experience. The virtual environment is really an educational environment. It allows visitors to experience JLG products in a variety of job site environments to better understand specific applications and uses of the equipment.
Beyond these two core audiences, we found an unexpected benefit and use of this experience internally. It is a great training environment for new employees and those seeking advanced product knowledge. They can visit and revisit as necessary to gain a broader perspective on our business, our customers and the industries we serve.
What types of equipment or info are participants particularly interested in? (i.e. Have you seen any noticeable trends?)
Interestingly enough, we are seeing significant engagement with our aftermarket and value-added suite of services, the offerings we have that aren’t perhaps as well-known as our industry leading lines of boom and scissor lifts, telehandlers or low-level access solutions. Some of the most popular content areas are 3-D hydraulic schematics for service, BIM for architects and design engineers, virtual training, our augmented reality app and online parts ordering.
From a product perspective, our newest JLG 1075 telehandler and AE1932 DaVinci™ scissor lift are receiving the greatest engagement.
What actions can participants take after they check out the “Access Your World” virtual experience? What actions are they most frequently taking?
Answering a short survey is one of the biggest actions being taken to provide feedback on their experience.
The second is return visits. Many are communicating the training benefits this environment has for new employees or advanced product training for existing personnel. It’s different for each visitor, which supports the notion that customers are looking to interact with us differently today than they were even 18 months ago.
The flexibility of this environment supports the needs of a multitude of customers and puts them in control of what they consume, when they consume it and how they’d like to experience JLG products and services in the future.
What's next for the “Access Your World” virtual experience? Are there plans to include new features moving forward? How could it help not only with equipment rental (and rental co purchasing decisions) but also equipment selection for end users?
At JLG, we really see the sky as the starting line when it comes to virtual. The possibilities are endless, and we’ve seen the industry accelerate 5 years nearly overnight as it relates to the adoption of virtual. It became a necessity when COVID hit, and it opened a world of endless possibilities that at one time seemed perhaps daunting. We have an endless number of ideas and thoughts, but we have taken a pragmatic approach. As we execute within the virtual world, we are learning, adapting, and optimizing. User behavior and experiences will be the guide for our next moves and the evolution of our efforts in the virtual space.
While we don’t want to reveal much about the feedback, we will say this. Experiential marketing is on the rise. The more engaging and realistic we can make a virtual environment the more likely it is to be successful. As we evolve these spaces you will see more operator like experiences and more technician like experiences that bring a degree of realism to what people are seeing when they engage with us digitally.
What role do you see virtual opportunities like this playing as a trade show alternative in the future? How do you envision it will be used post-pandemic?
Virtual experiences will not be a replacement for face-to-face events, such as tradeshows, though we do believe that smaller, more personalized, regional events will gain in popularity. That said, virtual will not go away. We are only skimming the surface of what is possible today, and we’d anticipate an increase and evolution of these types of experiences in both the near-term and long-term.
To check out JLG’s “Access Your World” virtual experience, click here.
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