Marketing E15: Engine-Safe, Engine-Enhancing

The third in a six-part series about the benefits of E15

The data is in and the conclusion is clear: E15 works with all vehicles 2001 and newer, and it even enhances engine performance.

So, what motivates consumers to purchase E15?

“Customers want to choose their fuel, fill up their vehicles as quickly as possible and be on their way,” explains Mike O’Brien, vice president of market development for Growth Energy, the leading biofuel trade association representing ethanol producers and supporters in the United States. “Instead of trying something new that they are unaware of, most consumers will resort back to their previous habits of selecting the fuel they have always used, until they are properly educated.”

What Growth Energy has learned from more than 4,000 consumer surveys conducted in partnership with E15 retailers over the past several years is that most shoppers don’t know what is in the fuel they buy.

“They aren’t aware that they already fill up with E10, which is in over 95 percent of the fuel today, and that E15 is just a little bit more ethanol. Nor do they generally care about the ethanol content in their fuel,” O’Brien reports.

The natural follow-up question: What’s the best way to market E15?

Education is the Answer

The best approach to marketing E15 is to promote the fact that it is engine-safe and engine-enhancing, and to explain why.

“There is a prime opportunity to educate the consumer about the benefits of E15, which is a cleaner-burning fuel that is good for their engine and enhances the engine’s performance,” O’Brien says. “Once consumers understand that the fuel is good for their engine and the air we breathe, the customer chooses E15 every time when it is available.”

What are some of the facts consumers should know?

According to Growth Energy, the following facts are important to impart regarding E15:

• It is a fuel that burns cleaner and cooler than other options.
• It emits fewer toxins than other fuels.
• It is the most tested fuel ever.
• It is good for your wallet since E15 usually sells for less.

While relaying facts is important, using precise language when educating consumers is key, O’Brien stresses.

“That’s why when we talk about E15 enhancing performance, consumers understand it as something beneficial for their cars. We point out the lower cost and value of the product and the societal benefits after we have established the fuel is a good choice for their car,” he says.

There’s a limit, however, to how much emphasis to place on octane, because consumers equate that with a high-performance vehicle and not being able to use it in their family vehicle.

“Consumers have stated that if you talk too much about higher octane, they feel the fuel is something for high-performance vehicles only,” O’Brien adds.

Results From the Field

Minnoco, one of Growth Energy’s first retailer partners, has experienced the positive results messaging can bring. The company — which began selling E15 more than five years ago and now offers the biofuel at more than 35 locations nationwide — has seen an increase in sales that directly correlates to the presence of E15 at the pump.

The fact that E15 is a cleaner-burning fuel that costs less than its regular 87 octane counterpart, and that it supports local Minnesota communities, are among the attributes that have contributed to the impressive growth, according to Lance Klatt, executive director of the Minnesota Service Station and Convenience Store Association (MSSCSA).

On average, E15 contributes to more than 35 percent of the overall fuel sales for Minnoco, with the highest trend they’ve seen up to 49 percent of their fuel sales, Klatt reports.

“Consumers want a good value when it comes to fuel and with E15, they get a cleaner-burning fuel that has higher octane and is generally less expensive than regular 87,” Klatt says. “That can help attract more customers in this highly competitive industry.”

Growth Energy’s retail partners also report that they have now completed tens of millions of E15 transactions without a single consumer complaint of any kind.

As knowledge about E15’s engine-safe, engine-enhancing attributes grows, so too will the biofuel’s sales, O’Brien predicts.

“All of our consumer research, our analysis of customers’ E15 purchasing behavior, and our test marketing programs are paying off for our E15 retailers, who are enjoying optimized sales of the new product,” O’Brien concludes. “With the price advantage E15 provides retailers, they can now offer a more competitive product than retailers who don’t offer E15.”

Coming next… Marketing to Millennials: Better for Society, Better for the Environment.