Dive Brief:

• Who said construction equipment can't be fun? Manufacturing giant Caterpillar released a marketing video Monday featuring construction workers lip syncing to a rap about their new bulldozer, the Cat D6N.
• The video has already received more than 22,000 views on YouTube. Caterpillar also offers a downloadable ringtone of the song and a full text copy of the lyrics. The chorus goes: "Look at me in my dozer, wanna be in my dozer, Care.. Free in my dozer! Yeah my day is over but I, Stay in my dozer, Lay in my dozer, (yeah boy) I love my job cuz work to me’s like, Play in my dozer."
• The company is also encouraging construction equipment enthusiasts to share their satisfaction with Caterpillar products on social media using the hashtag #DozerPride.

Dive Insight:

This different kind of marketing campaign is a refreshing change to the traditional approach in the often slow-to-evolve construction industry. Recently, Caterpillar has been focusing its attention on encouraging new and innovative methods to draw in business and improve its products.

Last week, technology startup Uptake, based in Chicago, reached a $1.1 billion valuation after raising $45 million from investors, including Caterpillar. In March, Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman first announced the company was investing in Uptake as a way to offer better data analytics technology for customers using Caterpillar equipment. 

And in May, Caterpillar announced it had invested in Yard Club Inc., a San Francisco-based startup connecting renters and owners of heavy machinery.