Case Study
“Reach the Technician”
Delphi Product & Service Solutions
The Marx Group | www.themarxgrp.com

“Reach the Technician”
Delphi Product & Service Solutions
www.delphi.com
Background
After several years of selling products in the aftermarket and acquiring some success selling product to its
distributors, Delphi Product and Service Solutions was struggling to sell through its products to jobbers
and independent service dealers. Delphi engaged The Marx Group in order to help make a significant
improvement in its sales and to develop more intimate relationships with its customers – identified as
“the person that throws away the box.” Existing awareness studies provided evidence that Delphi P&SS
was not well-known or was misperceived to be part of the AC Delco family. Delphi’s current agency,
McCann Erickson, had been assigned the aftermarket account, however the agency had very limited
aftermarket experience, knowledge or industry contacts. When TMG came on board, many of the right
tools were already in place—what was needed was a refocusing on the core audience, the delivery of the
right messages and the proper implementation.
Goal and Action Taken
TMG realigned the marketing to build awareness, with the goal of delivering the right messages to the
right audience.
Based on existing and new research, TMG implemented the “REACH THE TECHNICIAN” strategy. TMG:
• Changed the strategy from a focus on the DS800 diagnostic system to parts and reallocated the
budget from largely print media to include more direct marketing programs
• Shifted from corporate-driven to technician-driven
messaging
• Designed a new ad campaign that scored high on
readership scores and still worked within stringent
corporate design guidelines
• Highlighted oxygen sensors, thermal products, fuel
injection, battery, fuel pumps and other key product
categories
• Additionally Delphi needed a vehicle to directly reach the
targeted audience. TMG:
• Leveraged our industry relationships to get mailing lists from key groups and distributors.
• Leveraged Delphi’s existing NASCAR sponsorship with a Brickyard 400 promotion
• Trained the Delphi P&SS sales team and sales reps for follow through
• Launched the promotion with the triangle box and flat mailers, following through with additional
touch points by mail, email, online marketing and registration and telesales, as well as POS and
loyalty programs
• Opened doors to new distributor and distribution group customers
Outcome
TMG developed a database of over 10,000 customers and potential customers, and continued to reach
them via technical and informational bulletins and special offers. TMG also formed user and advisory
groups. In the next 24 months, double digit growth was realized and subsequent surveys increased
awareness by over 20%.
The sales team reported that they found it much easier to open doors for meetings – that the Delphi
P&SS value proposition and unique product offering was finally being embraced.