ND0202129

Title: BP Unveils $500 Million Marketing Plan to Revitalize U.S. Retail Brand

Description: Major initiatives were rolled out at BP?s annual marketers convention, including an aggressive campaign to market the benefits of Invigorate.

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CHIGACO ? BP Products North America Inc. this week rolled out plans to reclaim the title as the number one fuels marketer east of the Rockies at the 2012 BP Amoco Marketers Association (BPAMA) Convention and Business Expo ? an annual gathering of BP marketers taking place in Florida.

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A distinctive fuel offer, improved customer experience and a more compelling loyalty rewards program are at the foundation of BP?s 2012 marketing plan, which is part of a $500 million investment in the U.S. retail brand over the next two years.

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?In 2012 and beyond, BP?s commitment to its branded marketers will be second to none in our industry,? said Doug Sparkman, president of BP?s East of Rockies Fuels Value Chain. ?Our top-quality fuel offer, improved consumer rewards programs and exclusive energy sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Committee and Team USA all point to this year?s convention theme of ?winning together? through teamwork and collaboration with our branded customers.?

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At the heart of BP?s branded fuel offer in 2012 is the re-launch of BP gasoline with Invigorate. The revamped advertising campaign will emphasize the increased mileage benefits of continuous use of Invigorate compared to low-detergency fuels.

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An integrated marketing campaign around Invigorate is slated to launch in the first quarter and extend through the greater part of the year. The campaign will feature a rotation of the company?s first new fuels-related television commercials since 2009. The television creative, called ?side by side,?�uses a split-screen to follow the journey of two similar vehicles continuously using different fuels and concluding with one vehicle outdistancing the other due to the ?few more miles per tank?�benefit from using BP gasoline with Invigorate as compared to a low detergency fuel. The Invigorate marketing plans also include a robust schedule of spot radio, digital support, local public relations activation and refreshed point-of-purchase materials.

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"BP's value proposition to consumers is clearer and more relevant than ever,?�said Kevin Phelan, senior vice president of sales and marketing. ?We?ve invested a lot of time and hard work to ensure that our offers and communications reflect a keen understanding of what consumers truly want and how we can best motivate them to choose BP. We believe our Invigorate campaign will do that in 2012.?

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Another highly anticipated announcement coming out of this year?s convention was BP?s confirmation of a March 1 launch of its Pump Rewards payment technology. This first-of-its-kind technology allows BP customers to instantly redeem cents-per-gallon rebates by rolling back the price that appears at the gas pump. Pump Rewards marks a significant advancement in how retailers can reward consumers and encourage brand loyalty. The March launch will mark the rollout of several new initiatives that marketers can use to leverage the technology. These include the ability to distribute one-time-use rebate numeric codes that can be entered directly at the pump and the option to produce third party direct and bulk promotional cards that customers can personalize for their own site offers.

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BP also discussed its plans to launch a multi-million dollar marketing campaign to support the Pump Rewards program as well as an aggressive effort to properly train CSR staff across the network. Currently, BP expects to lead nearly 900 training sessions at retail to help educate staff on the Pump Rewards technology and prepare them to support its use and handle consumer inquiries.

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In other news, BP?s Fueling Communities Grant Program, an initiative that helped donate more than $3 million to more than 400 community organizations nominated exclusively by BP?s branded marketers last year, will return in 2012 with even greater application. The program will continue to offer customers the opportunity to build and strengthen community relationships, but for the first time it will leverage BP?s sponsorship of the U.S. Olympics Committee and allow BP branded marketers to elect for special activation packages that provide customized resources to support Paralympic Sports Clubs in their regions.

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BP also owns exclusive rights as the official energy sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Committee and Team USA through 2016. Convention organizers dedicated time each day to rally branded marketers and set the stage for an exciting year of Olympic activity, including an in-person introduction to eight of its nine sponsored Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

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Content Subject: Corporate

Formatted Article Date: February 2, 2012

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