Public Relations Campaign for Shell FuelSave - Essay Example

? Public Relations Campaign for Shell FuelSave Number, Year Level, Section Academic December 3, Public Relations Campaign: Shell FuelSave Unleaded and Diesel I. Company Background: Royal Dutch Shell As a corporation that positions itself as the “leading innovator for the energy future”, Royal Dutch Shell A (2009) aims to maintain sustainable development by delivering its short-term and long-term business interests with economic, environmental, and social considerations. Through sustainable development, Royal Dutch Shell B (2010) posits that it is able to: firstly, govern the way it develops new oil explorations and projects on alternative energy; secondly, manage its downstream supply chains; and lastly, share its benefits to society by delivering quality products and by spearheading community projects . Shell is present in more than 90 countries worldwide, has 93,000 full-time employees, and maintains a fuel retail network of around 43,000 service stations Royal Dutch Shell C (2001). In 2010, Shell was able to produce 3.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day while it generated earnings of $20.5 billion Royal Dutch Shell C (2001). It spent $23.7 billion on net capital investment while it spent over $1.0 billion on research and development (R&D). The business operations of Shell are classified under three major categories—upstream, downstream, and projects and technology. Firstly, Shell Upstream is involved in the search and recovery of oil and natural gas; and the extraction of heavy oil from oil sands for conversion into synthetic crudes Royal Dutch Shell C (2001). Secondly, Shell Downstream is involved in the manufacturing, supplying, and marketing of oil products and chemicals worldwide. Businesses under manufacturing and supply include “refineries, chemical plants, and the supply and distribution of feedstocks and other products”. On the other hand, businesses under marketing sell a range of products including fuels, lubricants, bitumen, and liquefied petroleum gas for home, transport, and industrial use. Lastly, Shell Projects and Technology manages and drives the research and technology development programs for major projects of Shell. It provides technical services and technology capability to the Upstream and Downstream businesses. II. The Launch of FuelSave Maingrade Fuels With the company’s emphasis on bringing innovation into its fuel products, Shell launched its maingrade unleaded and diesel fuels under the name FuelSave. According to Royal Dutch Shell C (2001), the primary attributes of the product banked on a highly unique feature called the “Advanced Efficiency Improver” which was designed to improve the fuel economy of every car by lubricating areas in the engine where normal engine oils cannot reach, as stated by Royal Dutch Shell D (2011). Through this, FuelSave Unleaded and FuelSave Diesel promised to help its drivers “Save up to one liter per tank”. By bolstering the idea of fuel saving, Shell intended to contribute its important share in solving the worldwide problem on ballooning fuel demand. Although the big idea of saving seemed appealing to any vehicle driver, FuelSave caters to a specific and well-defined target market. Defined by their practicality and a mindset that is driven by wanting to get the maximum benefit in all the products they use, these fuel customers are commonly called Smart Drivers. They are customers who are very sensitive to changes in price, but critically analyze the value in the products they buy, as concluded by IBM Business Consulting Services (2005). To them, fuel is slowly becoming a luxury more than a necessity due to the continued increase in price. Since abandoning their car and taking the public transportation is not an option, the only choice for them is to shoulder the hiking fuel prices. However, they may become occasional switchers especially when they do not get the value they expect from their fuel purchase, as summarized by Manzano (2005). In this light, it can be said that although these Smart Drivers do not necessarily belong to the circle of car enthusiasts, they are information-savvy customers who want to know what goes on behind the hood of their cars. As such, they read car magazines and listen to their friends’ advices on how the proper maintenance of car engine can result in better management of fuel consumption. III. FuelSave Marketing Campaign The marketing campaign of FuelSave worked under the big idea of fuel saving. This umbrella message aligned all of the brand’s marketing communication activities. For matter of convenience, we wish to divide the discussion of the campaign into two parts, mainly, above-the-line and below-the-line communications. A table summary of all activities included during the launch of FuelSave can be seen in Appendix A. A. Above-the-line (ATL) Communications As for its ATL, Shell harnessed the television, print, radio, and out-of-home (OOH) to increase brand awareness. Firstly, the FuelSave television advertisement focused on a technical yet creative explanation of how FuelSave works. Taking in mind the nature of fuels, and the kind of affinity that customers usually have with it, the advertisement took a more traditional approach of explaining the unique product attribute of FuelSave, which is the “Advanced Efficiency Improver”. The advertisement featured Shell fuel scientists who were collaboratively working on the product. Secondly, the FuelSave radio advertisement reinforced the primary messages delivered in the television ad by adding elements of comicality in execution. In this light, although it still featured the fuel scientists, the radio ad presented more insightful messages from them, specifically, on how grateful they are that Shell is committed in helping its customers save on their fuel expenses. Thirdly, as for print and out-of-home (OOH), Shell used a uniform creative material to maintain customer retention of the newly launched product. Such material showcased the same fuel scientist holding a beaker with one liter of fuel saved. B. Below-the-line (BTL) Communications The below-the-line activities of Shell are comprised primarily of brand activation, sales promotion, and special events. As such, the BTL activities of FuelSave launch were divided into two primary categories: on-site activation and off-site activation. The on-site activation primarily happened in the forecourt of the Shell stations. To heighten the awareness of its current, competitive, and emerging customers, Shell redesigned its stations with collaterals of FuelSave. In line with its creative materials for print and out-of-home (OOH) advertisements, the on-site collaterals were meant to further strengthen the customer value proposition of fuel saving. A summary of the on-site collaterals used can be viewed in Appendix B. Aside from the redesigning of the stations, Shell also used customer promotions to induce more frequent purchases from its current customers; as well as create more switchers from its the competitive markets. For this matter, Shell embarked on raffle promotions which provided luxurious prizes such as new car and house to randomly chosen users of FuelSave Unleaded and Diesel. Both these on-site activities provided leverage not only for the new product, but also for Shell as a company. On the other hand, the off-site activation of FuelSave included various mall events and the celebration of FuelSave Day. Firstly, the mall events helped provide further support in the awareness building of FuelSave by having the FuelSave booths. These booths not only showcased the different versions of the television and radio advertisements, but also highlighted various games related to fuel saving. To add more excitement, the Shell Fuel Simulator (SFS) was also placed in the booth. The SFS resembles real car driving by allowing the customers to ‘drive’ the stationed car. On the other hand, the FuelSave Day served as a culminating event for the launch of FuelSave. Gathering the different publics, such as Shell customers, motoring media, bloggers, and other special guests, the FuelSave Day stood as a big event centered on fuel saving. Like any grand celebration, the FuelSave Day included various activities that catered to the different participating markets, such as free concert, booth activations, and mini games. In the end, all activities contributed in the solidification of the value proposition of the product, which is about Shell’s commitment to help its customers save up to one liter per tank. IV. The Public Relations Campaign for FuelSave Everyday PR (2011) pointed out that a public relations (PR) campaign is meant to elevate the value of a marketing campaign by focusing on strategic messages that can be relayed to the target audience to better meet the brand objectives. In this light, a good public relations campaign not only uses apt messaging to strategically target its intended audience, but also harnesses the right mediums to maintain high impact. As for the FuelSave launch, it is important to highlight that the primary objectives of the PR campaign are as follows: firstly, strengthen the customer value proposition (CVP) of FuelSave by focusing on its unique product attributes; secondly, form FuelSave brand ambassadors to create positive brand associations from the target market; and lastly, elevate the importance of saving, especially on fuel, and link this to Shell’s commitment to help the people save on their fuel expenses. The PR campaign is divided into three phases, which are distinguished individually according to its angles of messaging: (1) Introduction of FuelSave to public; (2) Rise of FuelSave Team; and (3) Shell’s FuelSave Day. Each part will be discussed thoroughly in next section of this paper. A summary of all PR-related executions can be seen in Appendix C. A. First Phase: Introduction of FuelSave to Public This phase involves two primary executions: firstly, the release of a feature article that talks about the launch of FuelSave; and secondly, the release of another article that focuses on the technical explanation on how FuelSave works. 1. Launch of FuelSave Article The article will be released in all major newspapers and magazines. The intended targets are current and emerging customers of FuelSave. To maintain aptness in article placement, the feature article will be placed on the lifestyle section of the newspapers and on the motoring section of car magazines. As for the story angle, the article will focus on the launch of FuelSave and its primary CVP, which is saving up to one liter per tank. To ensure that the interest of the target audience is sustained, the article will briefly summarize all the marketing communication activities—both ATL and BTL—that went along with the product launch. As such, the article is intended to encapsulate into one story all communication executions that Shell used in the launch of FuelSave. 2. How FuelSave Works The article will be released in major car magazines and its online counterparts. The intended targets are current customers of FuelSave, known as the Smart Drivers. The main objective is to provide rational substantiations on the claimed benefit of FuelSave—saving up to one liter per tank—by going through a more technical yet interesting explanation of the product. As for the story angle, the article will focus first on the main attribute of FuelSave, which is the “Advanced Efficiency Improver”. This part will involve an analysis of the chemical components of FuelSave, then, link these characteristics to more tangible effects on engine operations. Aside from this, the article will also underscore the highly significant contribution of the real fuel scientists in bringing this product into the market. This is to be magnified by emphasizing on their dedication to provide the best fuels in the market. Through this article release, not only will the product be reinforced, the credibility of Shell as a global petroleum brand will also be enriched. B. Phase II: Rise of the FuelSave Team Shell believes that another important way of inducing purchases of FuelSave from its current, competitive and emerging customers is through gaining third-party endorsements. As such, since FuelSave is a fuel commodity, it is important to form a set of dedicated brand ambassadors who will serve as effectiveness medium to communicate the benefits of the product, as summarized by Royal Dutch Shell E (2011). Thus, we intend to form the FuelSave Team. There are two main objectives for having the FuelSave Team: firstly, to extend credibility of the product through positive testimonials from influential media personalities; and secondly, to make the advertisement more ordinary and less commercial. There are two main executions for this phase: the first one is a press release that will introduce the new FuelSave Team; the second one is a customer competition to be formed by FuelSave Team Members in their respective blogs; and the last one is the launch of the FuelSave tips. 1. Meet the FuelSave Team This feature article will be released in major newspapers and magazines. The intended targets are current customers of FuelSave. The overall objective is to bring in more customer affinity to the brand by assigning FuelSave Team Ambassadors whom the target market can relate clearly with. As for the story angle, the first part will deal with the reasons why each member has been chosen to be part of the FuelSave Team. Since the primary intention is to have members from various fields of work and different socio-economic class, this will make the Team more relatable to the market. It must be noted, however, that this part of the article must bank on how they also suffer from the hiking of fuel prices. Thus, they realize the difficulty of finding concrete ways on how to save on fuel because the demand is inelastic. After this brief introduction, the article will expose the rigid selection process that the FuelSave Team members went through. The main objective is to highlight their ability to come up with practical ways on saving fuel as the primary reason why each of them was chosen. 2. Customer Competition by FuelSave Team Members To ensure their effectiveness as contact points for FuelSave, each team member will initiate an online competition within their respective blogs. The competition is simple: blog readers will submit an essay stating how FuelSave has helped them become more efficient. Winners will be given special prizes. Through this competition, there will be an expected leverage on the media value of FuelSave since this will become news-worthy material for other media—such as television and print. 3. The FuelSave Tips To complement the CVP of saving up to one liter per tank, a set of FuelSave Tips are to be released in the blogs of the FuelSave Team members, as well as in other online mediums. These tips will mainly cover some good driving practices which can allow more savings on fuel as encapsulated in the article by Royal Dutch Shell F (2011). In this sense, the Tips are intended to create the message that saving on fuel is not only dependent on the kind of fuel injected into the car, but also on the different driving elements that go along with it. C. Shell FuelSave Day The objective of FuelSave Day is to magnify the relevance of FuelSave from a customer’s to society’s convenience. As such, the intention of the FuelSave Day event is to rally the message of fuel saving in a grander scale, as highlighted in the online article by Royal Dutch Shell G (2011). By organizing such event, not only is the product reinforced, but Shell as a brand in general. This is to be complemented by a press release stating the facts of the FuelSave Day and ending with the insertion of Shell as a company that helps society save on fuels. In this sense, the value of product is magnified, which hopefully, would gain positive customer feedbacks. V. Conclusion We believe that this public relations campaign proposal will be effective for Shell due to three reasons: firstly, it is in-line with the entire product launch campaign of FuelSave as it hinges on the big idea of fuel saving; secondly, it strategically targets the right audiences and creates creative ways on how brand perception can be improved; and lastly, it adds to the brand equity of Shell as a company. List of References Every PR, 2011. Public Relations: Its point and purpose [internet] Available at: . F Manzano, 2005. Supply Chain Practices in the Petroleum Industry [internet] Available at: . IBM Business Consulting Services, 2005. Downstream Petroleum Supply Chains: Incremental Optimization leads to Greater Gains [internet] Available at: . Royal Dutch Shell A, 2009. Shell Brand Update. [intranet] Available at: . Royal Dutch Shell B, 2010. Sustainability Report. [intranet] Available at: . Royal Dutch Shell C, 2001. This is Upstream. [intranet] Available at: . Royal Dutch Shell D, 2011. Clean and Protect your Engine [intranet] Available at: . Royal Dutch Shell E, 2011. Shell FuelSave Ambassador and Team. [internet] Available at: http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services/on_the_road/fuels/fuelsave/fuelsave_day/shell_team/. Royal Dutch Shell F, 2011. Shell FuelSave Tips. [internet] Available at: http://www.shell.co.uk/home/content/gbr/products_services/on_the_road/fuels/fuelsave/tips/ Royal Dutch Shell G, 2011. Shell FuelSave Day 2011: We Did It! [internet] Available at: . Appendices Appendix A: Summary of the Marketing Campaign of FuelSave Form of Communication Specific Executions Above-the-line Communications Television Advertisement Shell fuel scientists introducing the new unleaded and diesel formula, FuelSave Unleaded and Diesel, which help customers save up to one liter per tank. Radio Advertisement Shell fuel scientists in a lab explaining the attributes and benefits of FuelSave Print Advertisement Shell fuel scientist holding a beaker that bears the CVP: “Save up to 1 liter per tank” Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertisement Same creative material as print Below-the-line Communications On-site Activations Redesigning of Shell stations with FuelSave branding materials Customer promotion in form of a raffle Off-site Activations Mall activations FuelSave Day Event Appendix B: Summary of FuelSave Collaterals Used Shell Station Location FuelSave Collaterals Within the forecourt area Monolith wrap, Spreaders, Pump topper, Stanchion poster Outside forecourt area Poster Display Unit (PDU), Shop poster, Perimeter wall streamer, Roadside banners, Beach flag, Scientist standee poster Appendix C: PR Campaign for FuelSave PR Phase Specific Executions Phase I: Introducing FuelSave to the Public FuelSave Launch Feature Article Highlighting CVP and attributes of FuelSave How FuelSave Works Article Technical explanation on how the product delivers on its promise Phase II: FuelSave Team Introducing the FuelSave Team Members Create stronger brand affinity by providing appealing brand contact points Customer Competition Online competition on picking the best testimonials about efficiency of FuelSave FuelSave Tips Extend idea of great fuel product that saves to an array of smart driving tips that help on saving fuel Phase III: FuelSave Day FuelSave Day Article Article that summarizes all activities that happened during this one big celebration on fuel saving Highlights Shell’s commitment to bringing solutions to problems on fuel demand Read More