KENNOL is a matter of passion, racing, performance, and people. That’s why winning the 24h of Le Mans the very first year meant a lot to them. It was about a team, it was about endurance, it was about limits and performance.
Since that very moment, KENNOL understood that oil would be a key-feature of the engine performance, consumption, and lifespan.
KENNOL likes to dream of better vehicles and products. And most of the time, they try to turn these dreams into reality.
Today, KENNOL’s partners in business and on track share the same passion. This is the way the company builds this brand, and the way they develop on new markets.
Interview with Vincent MONTEL, Head of Communication & Marketing at KENNOL
Easy Engineering: What do your customers look after when buying products or services?
Vincent MONTEL: As the aftermarket professionals oil brand, KENNOL is thought of as soon as garages seek high-quality oils (engine, transmission, etc.), liquids (coolants, windshield washer) and fluids (brake, hydraulic, power steering, etc.). We also provide solutions and products for motorbikes, trucks, heavy-load, agricultural and civil engineering. This way, clients can rely on a global supplier. Which simplifies orders, logistics, shipment, etc. And they also access the Made in France quality, of course. Made in France products, with French services.
E.E: What are the main needs of the customers?
V.M: Today, the aftermarket professionals need specialized products to face the many needs of the market. 20 years ago, you could service most cars with 4 motor oils, for example. Today, you need several engine oils for just 1 car make. It’s a brand-new World, but we have solutions for that.
E.E: How important are your aftermarket services?
V.M: The aftermarket is our main activity. Car manufacturers have segmented the market in such a way that each model has its own engine oil, almost. Here at KENNOL we innovate to help garages to service and drain most vehicles with a minimum of engine oils. And thanks to our manufacturer’s approvals and high-quality formulas, we maintain the OEM warranty of all car brands. That’s how we bring performance to aftermarket service and products.
E.E: What aftermarket services do you offer?
V.M: The main topic, beyond the quality of products, raises in the recommendations. If a garage doesn’t have access to official manufacturers recommendations, they don’t know what products to use. KENNOL develops a range of tools and services, all interconnected, that provide official manufacturers recommendations for any car, truck, motorbike. Depending on countries, they login to our Pro Access and can use different Oil Finders tools. They can search a car model by keyword search, license plate search, or V.I.N. search. This way, they easily find the exact car model they need to service. And of course, see which KENNOL product to use for every service point: engine, transmission, coolant, brake fluid, power steering, compressor, differential, shock absorber, etc. Moreover, each aspect also indicates the drain interval, and finally the volume of product expected for this specific drain. We bring the same level and quality of information that an official car dealer gets from his own manufacturer.
E.E: What kind of support do you offer your customers?
V.M: We also support our clients by providing tools. Not only do we provide accessories and equipment, but also dedicated tailor-made furniture, such as our KENNOL BARTENDER². Imagine mobile shelves that stacks up to 12 KENNOL ECOBOX of any oil type you may need. Accompanied by 12 jugs, they allow any garage to easily access small amounts of 12 different lubes, just like a mobile draining station, but loaded for most of the daily needs. Those KENNOL ECOBOX are carboard boxes, protecting an oil-filled reinforced plastic bag with a high-speed faucet. Everyone saves money, room, logistics, and plastic. We also are leaders on this field.
E.E: How do you promote your services?
V.M: We mainly work with national distributors. 1 to 3 by country, with protected geographical areas, and good margins. We sell in more than 60 countries to date. We do believe that even if the product adapts to the same cars across the World, each region has its own cultural aspects that nobody better than a local distributor can understand. This lets us work together, as teams, with each of them, helping with marketing tools that we adapt to each need, so that the KENNOL DNA stays the same everywhere, but with a local twist each time. We also have a long-time involvement in racing competition. That’s actually how the KENNOL brand was born: on the racing track! We have a glorious record of many great victories and titles (winner of 24h Le Mans, 24h of Spa-Francorchamps, 24h of Daytona, multiple FIA GT World Champion, multiple FIA F2 World Champion and Vice-World Champion, etc.). But we also act as official suppliers of manufacturers or championships and teams (official supplier of Euro NASCAR, of FFSA Historic Tour, of FFM Endurance Championship, of ADESS LMP3 manufacturer, of Wolf Racing Cars prototypes manufacturer, etc.). This gives us great visibility. And above all, great credibility, since each client can see our products perform in racing conditions. While we can also invite them to those events, with their clients!
E.E: What impact has product innovation on your customers?
V.M: They love that we are involved in innovation! Of course, the lubricants market is highly regulated. But being independent, it means that we have a true freedom of acts. Who else would launch those new coolants specifically designed for electric and hybrid vehicles? KENNOL does it. Who else would have motor oils that even some petroleum groups don’t have on their catalogue? KENNOL has them. We are even opening a new breach by supplying official car dealers, for example some BMW dealers in France, because we have the products they don’t have, and because we care about the clients who don’t get any attention from huge global groups. That’s maybe why KENNOL truly stands as the aftermarket professionals’ brand in 2022.
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