HOUSTON -- Motiva Enterprises LLC is working to sign on hundreds of new 76-branded locations in 2018 and beyond, with a larger sales team and advertising campaign to support the growth, according to the company.
For 2018, Motiva has doubled its 76 sales force and will launch new print, digital, social and broadcast marketing and advertising. The moves will help supply and support the planned addition of 250 new 76-branded locations annually.
Eric Lockwood, Motiva's general manager of business operations, said 2017 was successful for the 76 brand, which debuted in new markets with a combination of local events and sponsorships. Motiva also launched a targeted social-marketing campaign last year to draw consumers to 76-branded sites.
“By expanding our sales team in 2018, we can focus on a much wider segment of our geography, targeting the best wholesalers in every market to further support penetration of the 76 brand,” Lockwood said.
Mountain Express Oil Co., Acworth, Ga., a family-owned c-store operator and distributor of gasoline, diesel, racing fuels, ethanol blends, oils and lubricants, recently signed on as a 76-branded marketer. “The 76 brand has been a great addition to our portfolio and will be a priority brand for us as we expand our network,” said Chairman Barry Bierenbaum. “Given the strong site performance after branding our first 16 sites in southwest Texas, we’ve recently signed an agreement in Houston that will increase our 76 site count considerably.”
Motiva had limited its 76 brand marketing campaign and wholesaler outreach in 2017 to Texas, Georgia and the New York region. With its larger sales team, Motiva plans to partner with wholesalers in its entire licensed geography, which includes 26 Gulf and East Coast states and the Washington, D.C., market. For 2018, the 76 sales team will focus on signing up wholesalers and retail sites in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Florida.
Based in Houston, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the United States. It owns and operates North America’s largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. Under exclusive, long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76 Brand), Motiva’s marketing operations support more than 5,000 gas stations. Motiva is wholly owned by affiliates of Saudi Aramco.
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