How Liebherr Cranes pioneered WhatsApp for customer service and newsletters back in 2019
Key points of the project
- Industry: Industrial / B2B
- Use case type: Real-world implementation
- Channel: WhatsApp
- Primary goal: Customer Service & Community Engagement
The challenge
In the B2B world, especially in highly technical industries like crane manufacturing, customer service is often slow, complex, and tied to traditional support systems. At the same time, Liebherr had a strong global fanbase of crane enthusiasts and industry professionals who wanted updates and news — but existing communication channels lacked immediacy and reach. The challenge was clear: simplify technical support while building a direct line of communication to customers and fans worldwide.
The approach
Back in 2018/2019 — long before most brands had even considered using WhatsApp professionally — Liebherr Cranes positioned itself as an early adopter of WhatsApp communication. Together with Memacon, they launched a WhatsApp-based solution that showed real courage and innovative spirit in the conservative industrial sector.
The solution combined two elements in a single platform:
- Customer service support: Customers could report technical issues directly via WhatsApp, receive quick guidance, and reduce downtime through faster response times.
- Fan & B2B newsletters: At the same time, Liebherr used WhatsApp newsletters to distribute targeted content — from product updates to crane enthusiast news — creating a new kind of direct engagement channel.
The integration into existing workflows kept the process lean for support teams, while the WhatsApp format made it effortless for users worldwide.
The result
Within just six months, more than 3,000 users had joined the new WhatsApp channel. The system was seamlessly integrated into existing customer service workflows, ensuring that issues could be handled quickly and efficiently. At the same time, Liebherr launched a B2B newsletter that reached both industry professionals and crane enthusiasts around the world. This combination not only strengthened customer loyalty but also reinforced Liebherr’s positioning as a market leader in the crane industry. Most importantly, the project earned recognition as a true pioneer in business messaging — proof that even heavy industry can innovate with courage.
What you can learn from this
The Liebherr case shows how being an early adopter of new technologies can create lasting differentiation and strengthen a brand’s position. It also proves that even in a sector as traditional as heavy industry, WhatsApp can transform customer service and engagement. By combining service and newsletter functions in a single channel, companies achieve both efficiency and broader reach. Above all, the project highlights that courage to innovate always pays off — especially when customers value speed, simplicity, and direct access.
