Activation Tactic of the Week: $0.99 Gas
Are you looking for new ways to leverage official auto, c-store, and oil partners? Are you looking for new ways to create a promotion that directly impacts residents in the local community?
Over the past (4) years, CARFAX has supported its title sponsorship of the CARFAX 400 at Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 15-16) by offering discounted gas to Michigan residents. A few weeks prior to the race, CARFAX chooses a c-store location to host an event where local motorists can purchase gas at a discounted price. The promotion has proven to be a huge success for CARFAX, an online site designed to help consumers research used autos before purchasing them.
On July 30, 2009, CARFAX held the promotion at a Mobile station located the intersection of Eight Mile and the Middle Belt in Lavonia, MI. From 7-9am, CARFAX offered consumers the chance to purchase up to 20 gallons of gas (normally priced at $2.45) for just $0.99.
The result? Drivers started lining up at the pumps at 1:40am - a trend that eventually led to a line that stretched two (2) miles long, causing CARFAX officials to decide to start the promotion 60 minutes early. In just 3 hours, CARFAX representatives and MIS officials pumped 6,800 gallons of gas (a pace of 37 gallons per minute).
For a $10,000 donation (6,800 gallons at $1.50 incurred fees per), CARFAX was able to truly impact the lives of local MI residents and derive a significant amount of media publicity on television and online.
Check out a news clip of the promotion below:
Brian Gainor is a passionate sports marketer with agency experience as well as an extensive background working in the NFL, NFL Europe, and collegiate athletics. Brian completed his MBA/MSA graduate work at Ohio University (Athens, OH) and currently resides in Charlotte, NC. As a Sports Partnership Activation Consultant, Brian created Partnership Activation, Inc. to provide sports business professionals with "industry best practices" - creative ideas that provide opportunities to generate incremental revenue. Be sure to check out all of Brian's past posts, too.
