National Petroleum News (NPN) has been the independent voice of the petroleum industry since 1909 as the opposition to Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. So, motor fuels marketing and retail is not just a sideline for us, it’s our core competency.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/25410
Applause TV combines advertising,news, and entertainment with on-demand coupon printing a two percent lift of in-store sales would make ROI closer to six months.” At Dresser Wayne, the company has also integrated campaign. “The needs of these customers are different than those for people who are hearing an ad on the radio, watch- ing an ad on TV at home, or seeing an ad via online media,” said Nichols. “So we were able to craft an engaging and rele- vant message for people ‘on the go’ about the need for refreshment or hydration.” At Gilbarco, Mark Williams pointed out, “There are TV network models that are purely third-party managed, while others are run by the retailer. But our Applause TV system is an interactive solution that combines both models. It’s a turn-key, but the retailer also has site-specific control.” Interactivity is built into Applause TV because customers can choose and print coupons at the dispenser. “Since a coupon is an immediate call to action,” said Williams, “not only are you capturing customers’ attention, but the interac- tivity of printing coupons also means they become more invested in the experience—and more incentivized to make an immediate purchase.” The Applause TV system allows retailers to produce their own promotional content. But because it also carries (at each retailer’s option) national advertisers,Williams added, “The coupons they sponsor benefit you because you aren’t paying for the discount.” In-pump TV is likewise effective for intro- ducing new products “because you can reach all customers that visit your site, not just those that come into the store.” At the same time, the Gilbarco solution allows retailers to do daypart and site-specific marketing. “The best retailers know what they’re good at and focus on that,” said Williams, “whether your key profit center might be your foodservice or your carwash.” In-pump TV can likewise be used for general promotion of a retailer’s own brand.“You can use it to differ- entiate yourself and tell your story—maybe that you use local products, or offer different types of fuel, or clean restrooms every hour, or that you’re environmentally conscious.” Retailers who install Applause TV with Outcast will fea- ture a programming loop that includes weather and enter- tainment from CBS, HGTV, VH1 and The Food Network, among others. The system does not require new fuel dis- pensers since it may be retrofitted on newer dispenser mod- els. Since the screen is integrated into the dispenser then maintenance is the retailer’s responsibility, although Gilbarco centrally manages connectivity. Payback for the upgrade can be swift. “Just a one percent lift in store and fuel sales would translate into payback of less than a year,” said Williams.“Even if fuel sales do not increase, 24 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 screens into its Ovation dispensers. “The platform utilizes the screen at the center of the dispenser with soft keys that allow the user to interact,”said Tom Barrett, vice president of global service. The design also allows for printing coupons at the pump. “By taking advantage of this feature,” Barrett said, “both national advertisers and local c-store owners get measurable results. Couponing also allows the user to tailor the experi- ence. They can select their areas of interest and pick promo- tions based on them, thereby participating in the transac- tion. And we provide the tools to create your own promo- tions. If you’re familiar with PowerPoint, it’s easy.” Though the screen is embedded, nearly all Ovation dis- pensers can be upgraded to color, said Dan Harrell, vice presi- dent of technology services. “The older models don’t have the space for the larger screens,” he explained, “but by and large, any Ovation dispenser manufactured since 2002 can be upgraded. And because we centrally manage connectivity, we can remotely troubleshoot if a screen isn’t operating properly.” Cross-promotions are an obvious possibility for in-pump TV marketing and Dresser Wayne global marketing commu- nications manager D. P. Rabalais said that top sellers at many locations are bottled water and energy drinks.But fuel retail- ers can get mileage “not just from ads for store products, but also from forecourt promotions,” he said. “You can generate bigger margins by having the consumer upgrade to a higher fuel grade or car wash.” Though messages can be tailored by daypart and site, Harrell said, “You can also customize down to the dispenser level. So if you want to push a different message to your diesel customers, you have that option.” Programmers, advertisers, and dispenser manufacturers that have committed to pump video services are being joined by fuel retailers large and small. Sunoco, after a two- year pilot of Gas Station TV, recently announced it would be rolling out the network to all its 4,700 stores. Los-Angeles based United Oil features GSTV at 95 of its 130 locations, making creative use of its allotted TV time both for product promotions and corporate imaging.And in Anderson, Ind., Ricker Oil has piloted GSTV at four of 50 sites and in 2011 plans to introduce the service at ten or 15 more stores. TV at the pump is, GSTV’s Leider believes, an effective way to address a problem that has bedeviled fuel retailers for a gen- eration. “Pay-at-the-pump took away the need for people to come into the store,” he said. “But with in-pump TV you can make customers aware of services and products you provide in a way that benefits both you and the consumer.” NPN Magazine www.npnweb.com