Rafe Britton

In this episode of Beyond the Blend, host Rob Taylor sits down with Rafe Britton, engineer, lubrication specialist, and creator of Lubrication Explained, a highly successful YouTube channel educating the industry.

Rafe shares his journey from aerospace engineering to lubricants, the industry's marketing problem, and how AI is changing the way people work and buy.

Key Topics Discussed:

* The Accidental Entry into Lubricants – From a childhood fascination with Apollo 13 to a career in aerospace engineering, Rafe takes us through the twists of fate (including a CV typo!) that led him to lubricants via ExxonMobil.

* Marketing in the Lubricants Industry – Rafe argues that the sector suffers from a major marketing problem, relying on bland, corporate messaging that fails to engage customers or attract new talent. He discusses how the industry must shift to storytelling, branding, and customer-centric communication.

* The Power of YouTube & Content Creation – Rafe explains how Lubrication Explained grew from a simple way to save time during COVID into a 25,000+ subscriber community and a driver of inbound business. He highlights how buying has changed and why social media and digital platforms are now critical to success.

* AI’s Impact on the Industry – The discussion explores how AI is transforming research, customer interactions, and efficiency in business. Rafe shares concerns about over-trusting AI-generated content, its limitations in technical applications, and how businesses can train AI with trusted data rather than relying on generalised models.

* Talent Retention & The Next Generation – With an ageing workforce and industry veterans retiring, Rafe highlights the urgent need for knowledge transfer. He discusses how young engineers are drawn to industries with purpose and innovation, and how lubricants needs to better communicate its real-world impact across every sector.

* The Thrill of the Unknown – Rafe shares what excites him most about his work: problem-solving in unfamiliar industries, tackling challenges from mining to manufacturing, and constantly learning in a field that touches everything that moves.

Standout Quotes:

🗣️ “The lubricants industry has a marketing problem—it fails to tell its own story in a way that engages customers or attracts talent.”

🗣️ “If it moves, it has lubricant in it. That’s what makes this industry exciting.”

🗣️ “AI is an answer in search of a problem. The challenge is figuring out where it truly adds value.”

🗣️ “We need to capture the knowledge of the retiring workforce before it’s lost forever.”

Connect with Rafe Britton:

🔗 YouTube: Lubrication Explained

🔗 LinkedIn: Rafe Britton

Stay Connected:

📌 Follow Beyond the Blend for more behind-the-scenes insights into the lubricant industry.

Brought to you in partnership with the Lubricant Expo!

Join Lubricant Expo Europe from 16-18 September 2025 at Messe Düsseldorf, and help shape the future of lubrication together.

Lubricant Expo Europe is the must-attend annual event for professionals looking to discover or promote the latest advances in lubricant and lubrication technology. Whether you’re an engineer, executive, or industry professional, this free-to-attend exhibition and conference connects lubricant solution providers with end-user buyers and the entire chemical and equipment supply chain.

Bringing together the lubricant community and end-users from over 80 countries, Lubricant Expo Europe is a comprehensive showcase of all lubricant technologies, including finished lubricants, additives, process equipment and machinery, condition monitoring, automation systems, testing and analysis, data technologies, lubricant manufacturing equipment, end-user application systems and more.

Join Lubricant Expo Europe from 16-18 September 2025 at Messe Düsseldorf, and helpshape the future of lubrication together.

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