Later, my first job turned out to be with a lubricant company, at one of the largest lube refineries in the Middle East. There I learned that performance level and viscosity grade are the two main criteria for selecting an engine oil. I also learned that the user manual of every car provides information about the proper oil, drain intervals and the oil sump capacity. Finally, everything was clear to me.

The question for the lubricants industry is, how many motorists think like I did before I joined the industry? The answer, surely, is many. I can assure you that many people still do not actively monitor their engine oil to determine when it needs to be changed. How many times have you, dear reader, used the dipstick to check your oil level?

What does this mean for our industry? For one thing, it shows that oil change shops can influence a customers choice of oil brands. Another lesson is that there is a lot of opportunity to influence purchase decisions by educating both customers and intermediate players in the supply chain.

According to a new study by Campaign Middle East magazine, the majority of advertising spending in this region still goes to newspapers, evidence of their importance as a media. I know of a newspaper that used to publish a weekly column about engine oil and auto maintenance. The column was kept brief and provided simple facts, but it became surprisingly popular and was a common subject of conversation. Apparently readers felt they were getting valuable information that made them more knowledgeable motorists.

Writing or sponsoring such a column is just one way a lube marketer could help itself by sharing information. Another is to educate shop workers, giving them knowledge to pass on to customers. If customers feel the information helps them make wise decisions, it may lead to positive word-of-mouth and improved sales.

If you ever conduct a seminar for employees of oil change shops, you will find that instructors can learn more from those taking it. I used to be part of a team that would conduct such seminars, and we would advise that oil top-ups were unavoidable. After all, car manuals state that 1 percent of oil is lost every 1,000 kilometers to evaporation and consumption. But we learned from shop employees that heavyduty truck operators wanted oil that did not require topping up. They also wanted oil that would provide consistent pressure, that was light in color and that would not darken during use.

Companies that know the things that are most important to their customers can have higher sales, though they may need to adapt their products. Our industry has long said that engine oil darkens because of soot suspended in it. But the reality is that oil will darken less if made with high quality base oil or with better and larger doses of oxidation inhibitor. It is also possible to make oils that do not evaporate, or oils that maintain viscosity and therefore keep oil pressure consistent. A high quality base oil will also provide better color that makes an oil more attractive. Internal education allows companies to replace myths with facts, and lubricant marketers should see this as an opportunity.

Education is especially important for lubricant suppliers that sell directly to end users, and there is a simple reason for this: Often the products they supply are standard products, be they hydraulic fluids, gear oils, slideway oils, etc. But results can vary widely depending on operating conditions and operator practices. I clearly remember visiting a steel manufacturer that was complaining about performance of their hydraulic fluid. The fluid was a standard product and, based on its formulation, should have been adequate for the application. We found, however, that water from the coolant system was leaking into the fluid tank, which was located on a lower floor. We solved the problem by slightly modifying the oil and training plant workers to better maintain the system. In general, lube suppliers can avoid such situations by conducting question and answer sessions to understand the end-user environment and by educating customers on proper practices.

The Middle East is particularly lacking in the transfer of knowledge from manufacturers to intermediate suppliers and end users. Marketers here, like everywhere, should learn that training, education and communication are strong tools that can empower customers and build brand loyalty.