AMSTERDAM – AkzoNobel, the Dutch paints and coatings multinational, uses YouTube to dismiss the mystique of its coats and paintings “from an applicators point of view.” Its video sessions, labeled “AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings and Coffee,” highlight additional information on application techniques, gear setup and other tips to get the best out of AkzoNobel Yacht products.
The video series began during the 2021 COVID pandemic when the lockdown banned in-person support, says Richard Jennings, AkzoNobel’s Global Technical Manager Yacht. He hosts the sessions with Kees den Hollander, European Technical Service Lead for AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings.
Jennings: “Providing professionals with first-hand expert insight into how to get the best from our products and systems has always been a core element of the sales and technical service of AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings.”
The company runs training centers worldwide called Yacht Paint Application Centers. They lure applicators who come in for classroom and hands-on training and provide a complete immersion in AkzoNobel’s coatings, application, sanding, and maintenance techniques.
Van Hollander and Jennings developed new ways to engage with painters and applicators that applicators can watch during a coffee break. Most sessions take less than 15 minutes. The expertise at the heart of AkzoNobel’s Yacht Coatings team has generated more than 1.5 million views on AkzoNobel’s Awlgrip-YouTube channel.
Jennings and Van Hollander go where the session leads them: spray gun settings, how-to repairs, product differences etc. “We have also extended it to partners in the wider marine industry that cover topics like ceramic coatings and sandpaper,” says Jennings.
The episodes attract a broad and diverse audience. Viewers are marine professionals – applicators, boatyard managers, general boaters and so on. They want to learn more about coatings. “If you watch the different episodes you’ll find out there is a lot of science and technical know-how in sandpaper. And how to properly use it to bring out the ‘wow’ factor,” says Jennings.
The most popular installment to date: a build primers overview that lured over 200,000 views! The series also provides a stage for yachting industry experts to provide their insights. 3M application engineers, for instance, have shared their know-how in a sanding episode with an expert in ceramic coatings and sanding profiles.
“The success of AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings And Coffee demonstrates how applicators are keen to take their finishes to the next level,” says Jennings. “In future episodes, we’ll highlight our new products, showcase product repairability and do more interviews with industry professionals. We’ll also expand into different coatings technologies, such as fouling control. Much new content coming! Make sure you follow us at Awlgrip-YouTube.
