Digital Ranking Profile: ExxonMobil (July 2018)

HOUSTON -- ExxonMobil’s move to end the Plenti loyalty program in favor of Exxon Mobil Rewards+ has pushed the chain to the top of Stuzo’s digital c-store ranking.

The brand holds an overall score of 3.09 as of July 20, up from a score of 2.81 before the program switch.

“We applaud ExxonMobil for its smooth transition from the Plenti consortium rewards program to its own," said Sandra Sydlik, marketing specialist for Stuzo. "With the Exxon Mobil Rewards+ program and Speedpass+ mobile app integration, Exxon creates more value for mobile consumers while making use of the rewards program simpler and easier. ExxonMobil continues to demonstrate innovation and leadership within the industry.”

Click here to see Stuzo’s complete online ranking. Stuzo is a digital-product-innovation company focused on the convenience-store and fuel-retail industry.

The ranking covers 100 c-store chains, measuring each chain’s digital presence, including mobile commerce, mobile employee activation, connected car, website and social media. Each company is ranked on a points-based system with a score of zero to 5 for each metric. Each metric is calculated using four more specific metrics. While this article examines the details behind the ExxonMobil ranking, it is meant more as a profile than an attempt to compare it to competitors.

Click through for details on where ExxonMobil stands in Stuzo’s c-store digital ranking and information on the brand’s digital capabilities …
 

ExxonMobil’s overall score for mobile commerce is 3.34. Here’s how it breaks down:

App Performance: 3.36
Mobile Payment: 2.5
Loyalty Program: 4.5
UX/UI: 3.0

The Speedpass+ app has an easy-to-use interface that enables consumers to manage and redeem their rewards points, find stations and pay for fuel at the pump. The newly added Exxon Mobil Rewards+ program enables users to accumulate points from any type of transaction at Exxon or Mobil stations including at the pump, in store, or at a car wash. Rewards can be redeemed for discounts on gas or items in-store.

ExxonMobil’s rewards program is personalized, which should help with mobile app and rewards program adoption; however, Sydlik and the team at Stuzo feel ExxonMobil needs to improve other facets of the app, such as pay-at-the-pump functionality. Consumers have publicly complained via Apple and Google App store reviews that they are unable to complete a transaction or that valid transactions were flagged as fraudulent. Eliminating these payment issues would improve mobile app performance and should also improve app ratings in the app stores.

Photo courtesy of Stuzo

ExxonMobil’s overall score for its website is 3.96. Here’s how it breaks down:

UX/UI: 5.0
Loyalty Program Promotion: 4.33
Personalization: 1.5
App Promotion: 5.0

ExxonMobil’s website provides ample information about its fuel quality, gas cards, mobile app and newly added Exxon Mobil Rewards+ program. The mobile app and rewards program are both promoted heavily on their site. Consumers can log in to their rewards account and track the number of points they’ve accumulated. To improve adoption of their loyalty program, Sydlik suggests ExxonMobil add Facebook and Google logins, making rewards program sign-up and log-in faster and easier.

Photo courtesy of Stuzo 

ExxonMobil’s overall score for social media is 3.06. Here’s how it breaks down:

Brand Responsiveness: 0
Frequency of Posts: 5.0
Creativity of Content: 2.25
Level of Engagement: 5.0

ExxonMobil posts articles and videos several times per week highlighting its work in research, technological innovation and energy efficiency. The images and videos are impactful and of high quality, according to Sydlik; however, she said ExxonMobil does little to engage with its consumers and does not provide any information about the Exxon Mobil Rewards+ loyalty program or the Speedpass+ mobile app.

Photo courtesy of Stuzo

ExxonMobil’s overall score for connected car is 2.0. Here’s how it breaks down:

Car Platforms: 1.0
Notifications: 0
Payment: 4.0
Ease of Use: 3.0

Connected car measures the chain’s use of a car’s “infotainment” system on the dashboard. Most brands do not score in the connected car metric, but ExxonMobil is an exception.

Ford has integrated ExxonMobil’s Speedpass+ app, enabling consumers to pay for gas and earn Exxon Mobil Rewards+ loyalty points using the in-car touchscreen or voice commands. Consumers are also able to search for participating Mobil and Exxon gas stations.

ExxonMobil, Houston, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products and chemicals in the world. More than 11,100 gas stations and convenience stores in the United States sell Exxon- and Mobil-branded fuels.

Philadelphia-based Stuzo helps businesses humanize technology by designing, defining and delivering digital products that drive strategic outcomes.

Photo courtesy of Stuzo