Car care company 3M is targeting decision makers in charge of the UAE’s largest fleets with its product offering at Automechanika Dubai 2014.
Tarik Abd-Rabu, senior marketing specialist at 3M Gulf’s Car Care Market Center, says that the firm’s entire range holds benefits for individual vehicle owners. However, a number of 3M’s products offer specific advantages to those operating large commercial fleets.
“One of the specialist products that we are introducing to the region at this show is called 3M Crystalline,” he told PMV.
“This is a transparent window film, the idea being that it reflects as much heat as possible during the summertime. It also reflects 99.9% of the ultraviolet rays and 95% of the infrared rays, which are harmful for passengers. At present, this product is intended for the commercial vehicles sector.
“Once a company has permission from the RTA to apply this product to their fleet, we will install the transparent window film on its vehicles. 3M Crystalline reflects between 60% and 70% of the heat, which means that drivers use their air conditioning systems less. In turn, this reduces gas consumption, which is both financially and environmentally beneficial,” Abd-Rabu said.
In order to communicate the extent to which this project can benefit large fleet owners, 3M is hoping to arrange meetings with some of the UAE’s biggest players, such as taxi operators.
“The product is still new to the market,” said Abd-Rabu. “We’ll have to approach RTA and we’ll have to approach the fleet companies. They have to get special approval, and then we can take it from there,” he said.
In addition to Crystalline window film, 3M is showcasing products such as its Scotchgard vehicle protection film and its headlight lens restoration package. This suite of options provides additional advantages when applied on a large scale, according to Abd-Rabu.
“Scotchgard vehicle protection can maintain the colour of the car, the paint of the car, and the shine of the car for approximately two years,” he explained.
“Commercial vehicles are overused in comparison to privately owned vehicles because they are constantly being driven. This means that value depreciation occurs at a faster rate and the residual value of the vehicle is reduced. With this in mind, we also offer an internal protection package to preserve upholstery,” he added.
In conjunction with its exclusive UAE distributor, Auto Millennium Group, 3M supplies products to a network of authorised garages across the country. These establishments are trained in the sale and installation of the manufacturer’s products. This arrangement, according to Abd-Rabu, makes it possible for 3M to cater to large fleet operators – the likes of which he is hoping to meet at Automechanika Dubai 2014.
“In terms of growth, the Middle East is the biggest region for the automotive industry at the moment,” he said.
“Automechanika provides us with a great platform to meet with all of the different business sectors and potential customers through our distributors. We’ve got a lot of interest, a lot of people coming to the stand and asking questions; the curiosity is there and this is a good sign,” he concluded.
