3 Priorities for ExxonMobil in 2019

IRVING, Texas — Investment, innovation and the customer experience: These are the priorities for ExxonMobil across its massive U.S. network of more than 11,000 Exxon- and Mobil-branded gas-station and convenience-store sites in 2019.

“Our focus in the coming year is to continue investing in our brands, driving ourselves to be leaders in innovation, and building on our promise of delivering the best fueling experience for our customers,” Mauricio Angulo, Americas Fuels marketing communications manager for Irving, Texas-based ExxonMobil, told CSP Daily News.

More specifically ...

Elevating the fueling experience, “from pumping to paying,” Angulo said, is a focus. He cited adding mobile payment and reward functionality to ExxonMobil’s Speedpass+ app. ExxonMobil was the first major fuel retailer to introduce mobile payment at the pump, he said, and it's available across most of the company's U.S. network. In-car payment functionality debuted in 2017.

As the c-store industry works on upgrading fueling sites to EMV compliance ahead of the October 2020 liability shift, mobile payment can offer consumers a higher level of security, Angulo said.

“Mobile payment apps are a safer alternative because the transaction is between a user's smart device and a secure payment hub,” he said. “This gives consumers a more secure payment method, bypassing the card readers or terminals completely.”

The ExxonMobil Rewards+ loyalty program, which debuted in 2018, “is going very well,” Angulo said. “We have been able to attract new members because we designed the program to be as flexible and valuable as possible for consumers.” He pointed to customers’ ability to earn and redeem points on fuel, car washes and c-store purchases, which is relatively unique in the industry.

To drive sign-ups, ExxonMobil is offering a promotion through which, until April 30, new members can earn $3 worth of points for three fill-ups, or $6 in points for three fill-ups with its premium-grade Synergy Supreme+.

In 2016, ExxonMobil began rolling out the Synergy fuel and image program, which aims to provide a clean, modern aesthetic to Exxon and Mobil branded sites.

“There are more and more Exxon and Mobil sites that are implementing our new image every day,” Angulo said. “We are making great progress with our branded wholesaler partners in this implementation, and we are very satisfied with the volume uplift we are seeing.”

ExxonMobil has also been getting positive feedback from consumers on Synergy gasoline, which it claims offers improved gas mileage and engine protection.

In 2019, ExxonMobil will introduce a diesel product to the lineup: Synergy Diesel Efficient, “the first branded diesel fuel in the U.S. and Canada with a 2% fuel economy benefit in both Class 8 heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles,” Angulo said.

“We look forward to continuing our work as a leader in innovation," he said, "striving to deliver the performance and reliability that our consumers look to us for."