Big Goals, Big Push: Partnership Puts Beth Oil on Path to Success
When it comes to corporate goals, Madison, Miss.-based Beth Oil LLC aims high. The company strives to become a major c-store and fuel station player in its home state and quite possibly, surrounding ones, opening 10 or more 76®-branded sites and selling 10 million gallons of gas by 2025. And it is teaming up with Motiva Enterprises LLC, Houston, Tex. to help get the job done, Beth Oil executives Navjot “Jody” Thind, president; Ravinder Bedi, CEO; and Satvinder Bedi, COO, tell CSN.
Established in 2020, Beth Oil currently has four 76®-branded sites in Mississippi in the pipeline, with one, a former Citgo site, already operating in Yazoo City and two, including a former Marathon site and a new-to-industry site, opening in Pearl and Bruce by year-end. A new-to-industry location is expected to open in Carthage in April 2024. All four sites, as well as future ones, will be supplied by Motiva and will feature a c-store whose merchandise mix will meet the specific needs of the surrounding community. The Yazoo City store spans 6,000 square feet of space; future stores will be 4,800 to 5,600 square feet in size.
Sharpening the Competitive Edge
Beth Oil opted to partner with Motiva based on its comprehensive customer support and reputation for being easy to work with, the executives say. The 76® brand was chosen as a competitive differentiator; it is not sold at other gas stations in Yazoo City, Pearl, Bruce, or Carthage. Toward the same end, of two 76® image packages available from Motiva, Beth Oil selected the 76® Wave package, which features a silver aluminum composite material (ACM) panel with an illuminated LED wave that covers the length of sites’ canopy and touts a signature, recognizable brand element.
Beth Oil plans to leverage Motiva’s expertise and support in building and maintaining a following for 76®-branded sites. Such support will come partially in the form of traffic-driving promotions and special events, like grand opening events that feature discounted fuel at 76 cents per gallon along with food and entertainment. Motiva typically maintains a presence at these events, all of which are family- and community-oriented.
Assistance from Motiva with community sponsorships and support for local schools and other entities, such as charitable organizations, will be part of this picture as well. The Beth Oil team believes these initiatives will complement and elevate the company’s own efforts to help the communities it serves (for example, through giveback programs in schools), strengthening its connection to each one and sparking repeat business.
Cultivating Customer Loyalty
Beth Oil will also take advantage of other options available from Motiva in its move to attract and retain customers, bolster the bottom line, and pave the way for future expansion. Notably, it will harness the Fuel Forward™ mobile payment app, through which customers can pay at the pump using their mobile phone as well as receive special discounts and rewards. For example, on purchases of 76® brand gas, Fuel Forward™ app members enjoy everyday savings of up to 15 cents per gallon and introductory savings of up to 30 cents per gallon the first time they use the app.
Fuel Forward™ participants also receive holiday discounts on top of other discounts for which they are eligible. Case in point: For New Year’s Eve 2024, customers will be able to fill their tanks with 76® brand fuel at an additional 24 cents off per gallon in addition to the everyday savings on gas they enjoy as users of the Fuel ForwardTM app. The offer will be good for a period of 24 hours. What’s more, to maximize customer interest in Fuel Forward™, Beth Oil will, as each site opens, distribute information cards provided by Motiva on behalf of the 76® brand. The cards include a QR code consumers can scan to get the Fuel Forward app.
Finally, the company will utilize a media toolkit designed by Motiva to keep its business in the spotlight. The toolkit includes out-of-home advertising and social media creative. Motiva will work with Beth Oil to customize the content and identify which advertising strategies best suit its needs as well as assist with targeted media buys, including billboards, radio, digital, and social advertising as it moves toward achieving its goals.