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Marathon Petroleum Marketing

To deliver energy that enables modern life by leading the energy transition as America's premier integrated energy company

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To deliver energy that enables modern life by leading the energy transition as America's premier integrated energy company

Strengths

  • NETWORK: Extensive retail network with 7,800+ Speedway locations
  • REFINING: Leading U.S. refining capacity at 3.1M barrels per day
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: 13,000+ mile pipeline system with strategic access
  • DIVERSIFICATION: Balanced portfolio across refining and marketing
  • FINANCIAL: Strong cash flow with $5.8B operating cash in Q4 2024

Weaknesses

  • PERCEPTION: Traditional fossil fuel image limiting brand appeal
  • DIGITAL: Underdeveloped omnichannel marketing capabilities
  • RENEWABLES: Limited visible commitment to renewable energy assets
  • SEGMENTATION: Insufficient targeting of sustainability-focused demos
  • MESSAGING: Inconsistent sustainability communication across channels

Opportunities

  • TRANSITION: Growing demand for cleaner energy transition solutions
  • ESG: Increasing investor focus on environmental commitments
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Strategic alliances with renewable energy innovators
  • GEN-Z: Capturing environmentally conscious younger consumers
  • HYDROGEN: Emerging hydrogen economy creating new revenue streams

Threats

  • REGULATION: Stricter carbon emissions policies increasing costs
  • COMPETITION: Oil majors advancing faster in energy transition
  • ELECTRIFICATION: Accelerating EV adoption reducing fuel demand
  • PERCEPTION: Growing consumer stigma against fossil fuel brands
  • INVESTMENT: Clean energy startups attracting talent and capital

Key Priorities

  • REBRAND: Reposition as energy transition leader with bold campaign
  • DIGITAL: Develop integrated sustainability storytelling platform
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Form strategic alliances with clean tech innovators
  • SEGMENTATION: Target Gen Z with dedicated sustainability messaging
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To deliver energy that enables modern life by leading the energy transition as America's premier integrated energy company

TRANSFORM PERCEPTION

Reposition brand as an energy transition leader

  • CAMPAIGN: Launch comprehensive 'Powering Tomorrow' energy transition brand campaign in 15 markets by Q3 end
  • AWARENESS: Increase sustainability attribute association from 32% to 50% among prime demo by quarter end
  • SENTIMENT: Improve social media sentiment for sustainability terms from -5 to +20 net score
  • ENGAGEMENT: Generate 5M engagements with transition-focused content across platforms by Q3
AMPLIFY DIGITAL

Build category-leading sustainability storytelling platforms

  • PLATFORM: Launch centralized 'Energy Forward' digital hub with comprehensive transition roadmap by month 2
  • DASHBOARD: Implement real-time sustainability marketing metrics system visible to all stakeholders
  • CONTENT: Develop and deploy AI content engine generating 50+ sustainability assets weekly by month 3
  • TRAFFIC: Increase organic traffic to sustainability content by 300% through SEO optimization
FORGE ALLIANCES

Create strategic partnerships with climate innovators

  • PARTNERSHIPS: Secure and announce 3 high-profile clean tech co-marketing partnerships by Q3
  • EVENTS: Execute 5 joint sustainability-focused events with technology partners reaching 250K attendees
  • INFLUENCE: Onboard 25 sustainability thought leaders as brand advocates generating 10M impressions
  • INNOVATION: Create joint marketing fund with partners, securing $5M in co-investment for campaigns
TARGET FUTURE

Capture next generation of sustainability-conscious consumers

  • SEGMENTATION: Implement AI-powered targeting system identifying 5 sustainability microsegments by month 2
  • PERSONALIZATION: Deploy dynamic content engine delivering personalized sustainability messages to 10M users
  • CHANNELS: Establish presence on 3 new platforms favored by Gen Z with sustainability-focused content
  • LOYALTY: Launch 'Green Rewards' program gaining 500K members tracking personal environmental impact
METRICS
  • Brand Sustainability Recognition: 55% by EOY (75% by 2026)
  • Net Promoter Score among sustainability-conscious segments: 45
  • Qualified Marketing Leads for renewable energy offerings: 25,000 monthly
VALUES
  • Safety & Environmental Stewardship
  • Integrity
  • Respect
  • Inclusion
  • Innovation
Marathon Petroleum logo
Align the learnings

Marathon Petroleum Marketing Retrospective

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To deliver energy that enables modern life by leading the energy transition as America's premier integrated energy company

What Went Well

  • FINANCIAL: Q4 adjusted EBITDA of $5.2B exceeded analyst expectations
  • EFFICIENCY: Refining operating costs reduced by 7.5% year-over-year
  • RETAIL: Convenience store merchandise sales up 12% in last quarter
  • RENEWABLE: Renewable diesel production capacity increased by 18%
  • SHAREHOLDER: Returned $5.5B to shareholders through dividends/buybacks

Not So Well

  • PERCEPTION: Brand sustainability ratings lagged sector by 15 points
  • DIGITAL: Digital engagement metrics 22% below industry benchmarks
  • PROJECTS: Two renewable energy marketing campaigns delayed by quarters
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Failed to secure key climate tech marketing partnership
  • ACQUISITION: Lower than targeted new customer acquisition in premium

Learnings

  • INTEGRATION: Marketing sustainability message needs operational proof
  • STORYTELLING: Data shows consumers skeptical of transition messaging
  • PLATFORMS: TikTok outperformed traditional channels for Gen Z reach
  • ADVOCACY: Employee sustainability ambassadors drove 3x engagement
  • TRANSPARENCY: Specific emissions goals resonated better than general

Action Items

  • DASHBOARD: Create centralized sustainability marketing metrics system
  • CAMPAIGN: Launch comprehensive energy transition brand campaign by Q3
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Secure minimum two clean tech co-marketing deals by Q4
  • TALENT: Hire specialized sustainability marketing director by month 2
  • CONTENT: Develop AI-driven personalized sustainability content engine
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To deliver energy that enables modern life by leading the energy transition as America's premier integrated energy company

Strengths

  • DATA: Massive consumer transaction data from retail operations
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Advanced monitoring systems across pipeline network
  • ANALYTICS: Established predictive maintenance capabilities
  • INVESTMENT: Significant IT budget allocation for digital initiatives
  • TALENT: Growing data science team with energy sector expertise

Weaknesses

  • INTEGRATION: Siloed AI implementations across business units
  • PERSONALIZATION: Limited AI-driven consumer personalization
  • CONTENT: Insufficient AI-optimized marketing content generation
  • ATTRIBUTION: Inadequate AI measurement of sustainability messaging
  • ADOPTION: Conservative culture slowing AI marketing implementation

Opportunities

  • FORECASTING: AI-powered demand prediction for marketing optimization
  • PERSONALIZATION: Hyper-personalized sustainability communications
  • SENTIMENT: Real-time brand perception monitoring and adjustment
  • OPTIMIZATION: AI-driven media mix modeling for maximum impact
  • GENERATION: AI content creation for multichannel sustainability story

Threats

  • COMPETITORS: Energy rivals deploying sophisticated AI marketing
  • STARTUPS: Agile clean energy brands with AI-native capabilities
  • PRIVACY: Increasing regulations on consumer data utilization
  • EXPERTISE: Talent competition for AI marketing specialists
  • GOVERNANCE: Potential AI ethics concerns in energy transition claims

Key Priorities

  • PLATFORM: Deploy integrated AI-driven marketing intelligence system
  • PERSONALIZATION: Implement dynamic sustainability messaging engine
  • ATTRIBUTION: Build AI-powered sustainability impact measurement
  • GENERATION: Launch AI content factory for transition storytelling