Written on: June 19, 2023
If you own a gas station here in the Finger Lakes Region, you know firsthand what a competitive industry you are in.
Gasoline stations are a business where the product is sold exclusively in stations and is largely a homogenous product. Building a customer base and customer loyalty is essential. This is why many gas station owners choose to brand their station.
Choosing whether or not to brand your gas station is not an easy one. This decision regarding branding for your business is critical. Your brand identity and customer experience are distinct.
Hometowne Energy is here to help with our gas station branding services. We partner with Sinclair, a major nationwide gasoline business, to help our clients become Sinclair stations.
We help you every step of the way, from planning your station makeover to installing equipment to setting up Sinclair’s credit card processing system.
Branded fuel in the fuel industry refers to gas sold under well-known brands like Sinclair. It comes from terminals that deal exclusively with that brand. Although the basic product is the same as the one that received by unbranded gasoline retailers, there is one significant difference – an additional “additive” package.
Branded fuels have additive packages added to the basic gas. For example, Sinclair offers DINOCARE®, a TOP TIER™ gasoline blend that reduces harmful engine and fuel system deposits. This helps to optimize vehicles’ fuel economy, as well as reduce maintenance and repair costs. Additives like DINOCARE are added in small amounts to the gas delivered to a retailer.
If you choose to sell branded gas as a retailer, you will pay a higher price compared with unbranded fuel.
When you partner with Hometowne Energy to become a Sinclair station, you elevate your position among your competitors. That’s because branding generates recognition of your business. You also benefit from the nationwide print, digital, and television advertising done by Sinclair that also adds to brand recognition.
Your gas station will undergo a renovation that involves updating the pumps and canopies with the Sinclair colors and logo. Your attractive, new station will catch the eye of customers and help bring them into your station.
Since tourism is a major industry here in the Finger Lakes Region, many potential customers are from out of town. Sinclair is a brand they know, and that brand recognition is likely to help bring them into your station as opposed to an independent station with unbranded fuel.
Depending on the location and nearby stations, you may have limitations on the brand you can choose for your site.
Being unbranded can be a disadvantage during a shortage because a guaranteed gas supply is not assured. Branded stations have an advantage because of their contracts that prioritize their gasoline supply.
Want to learn more about Hometowne Energy’s gasoline station branding services? Get in touch with us today for a consultation!