SAN RAMON, Calif. -- Resort towns nationwide, worried that high gasoline prices will keep visitors away, are offering free gasoline as an incentive for people to travel. According to the Associated Press, towns are tapping into motorists' angst over high fuel prices during the summer tourism season to offer encouragement to drive a little farther. For some, the promotions have been so successful that they are becoming a summer tradition.
And oil companies such as Chevron, CITGO and Shell are also rolling out seasonal free gasoline promotions. Shell also [image-nocss] continues to tout its V-Power premium gasoline through a ratcheted-up advertising campaign.
As reported in CSP Daily News, AAA has forecast the July 4 weekend will be the most highly traveled holiday weekend ever, with 40.3 million people traveling more than 50 miles away from home, 84% of them by car.
California's Big Bear Lake recently extended its spring promotiona $25 gasoline voucherfor the entire summer because it was so successful.
Such giveaways have become an increasingly popular marketing tool as gasoline prices continue to rise, said Justin McNaull of AAA. Gas prices are certainly something that people talk about. Even if high gas prices play a comparatively small part of your overall travel costs, some people perceive them as a much larger factor than they actually are, he said.
Gasoline giveaways are an effective outreach tool because they show that the tourism industry empathizes with cost-conscious travelers, said Cathy Keefe, spokesperson for the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA). It's one of those things that's a small gesture that makes for a huge goodwill effort. Travelers appreciate it. We're all watching our pennies, but we're all continuing to travel.
The TIAA first identified the trend toward free gasoline cards in 2001, when fuel prices were high and the economy was stagnant. Some resorts kept the promotions in place, while others bring them back whenever fuel prices spike.
In Maine, Bethel's Tanks for the Memories promotion gives travelers $20 cash for gasoline for staying with participating innkeepers. In Colorado, Aspen isgiving visitors $50 in gas vouchers. In West Virginia, people who booked a visit to Snowshoe Mountain by June 22 were rewarded with $25 in their Fill Up Your Summer With Fun promotion.
Resorts are not the only ones getting into the act. Some auto rental chains are offering gasoline vouchers to get people to use their services, Hotels.com is offering up to a $30 rebate and AAA had its own gasoline giveaway through hotels. Super 8 is running a free gasoline promotion in connection with the film Bewitched. Also, about 100 participating BedandBreakfast.com properties are offering gasoline rebates in a Tanks A Lot promotion nationwide.
Chevron
As for the big oil companies, Chevron Products Co. has launched a new promotion for consumers to save 5 cents off every gallon of gasoline purchased at participating Chevron and Texaco stations for 90 days after they are approved for a new Chevron and Texaco credit card.
Applications for this special promotion are only available at participating Texaco Xpress Lubes and Chevron-branded oil change facilities.
With expected high gas prices affecting road trips this summer, we're extending this special promotion to help our customers when they visit our Chevron and Texaco gas stations during some of the country's peak family vacation months, said Violet Anderson, installed motor oil manager for North America.
Customers who are approved after submitting a credit card application from participating Texaco Xpress Lubes or Chevron-branded oil change facilities must purchase a minimum of eight gallons of any grade of gasoline to qualify for the 5-cents-per-gallon discount. The special offer lasts for 90 days after the Chevron and Texaco credit card is approved, and the promotional credit will automatically appear on customers' monthly credit card statements. New credit card applicants can sign up for this special offer until Dec. 31, 2005.
Chevron and Texaco credit cards are accepted at Chevron and Texaco service stations in more than 29 states, as well as many Texaco Xpress Lubes and Chevron-branded oil change facilities.
Chevron Products Co., a division of Chevron USA Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chevron Corp., San Ramon, Calif.
CITGO
Also, Houston-based CITGO Petroleum is giving away $1 million in CITGO Cash Cards good for gasoline or anything in store this summer. It is part of the second Great Gas Giveaway promotion that begins this holiday weekend, when four Prize Patrol crews will travel the country to give CITGO customers the opportunity to win a year's worth of free gasoline (up to $1,200).
Throughout the summer, the four Prize Patrol crews will distribute $1,000 per stop via CITGO Cash Cards at more than 1,000 CITGO locations and approximately 40 roadside attractions such as festivals, fairs and amusement parks. The cards are good for gasoline or anything sold at CITGO retail locations. Additionally, 1,000 customers will be the winners of free gasoline money via mail-in entries that they pick up at their local CITGO station, or they can enter online at www.citgo.com. This year's top prize is a year's worth of gas (up to $1,200) for 50 winners.
At the end of the promotion, there will be more than 80,000 winners. The CITGO Great Gas Giveaway is void in Puerto Rico, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and where prohibited or restricted by law.
Shell
And Shell Oil Products US, Houston, has announced a $25 million national advertising and communications campaign to support Shell V-Power, the company's premium-grade gasoline.
This summer, Shell will continue its efforts begun with last year's launch with a campaign that will feature national print and TV advertising as well as additional support in key Shell markets.
Shell V-Power owes its initial success to a combination of exceptional product appeal and a sharply focused marketing message Actively cleans as you drive,' said Karen Wildman, brand and communications manager for Shell Oil Products US. This year, we're building on the Shell V-Power theme with a campaign reminding consumers of the importance of a clean engine and the impact that can have on performance. Shell V-Power's new marketing tagline, Actively cleans for better performance,' is a message consumers have told us is compelling to them.
The 2005 campaign will use a variety of marketing outlets to take this message to motorists nationwide. It will use a mix of channels to increase product awareness, deliver messages and drive product trials; 30- and 15-second TV spots will air on national cable networks such as ESPN, CNN, The History Channel and A&E. A national point-of-purchase (POP) program will support the campaign's rollout, along with a mobile marketing tour, public relations programs and a direct-mail promotion. The company will use online banner ads and an online sweepstakes to drive traffic to www.shellvpower.com, a website designed to educate consumers on how the product works and to provide them with tips.
There will be additional support in key markets where Shell and its operators will relay messages to customers first-hand through a mobile marketing tour and onsite activities. The tour will offer consumers the chance to win free gasoline.
The tour will feature a super-modified Cadillac Escalade EXT and Shell V-Power customized Segways to help put a human face on the Shell brand. The company will use its more than 13,000 Shell stations to engage directly with customers through POP materials. Shell station owners and operators are invited to implement customized promotional and advertising programs to remind drivers in their area about the products benefits.
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