Marketing Big Oil: Brand Lessons from the World’s Largest Companies

Mark Robinson spent many years in the trenches of the oil industry, first with Mobil Oil, then Exxon Mobil, and finally in the Global Oil & Gas practice of Deloitte & Touche. In addition to his expertise in oil and gas, Dr. Robinson teaches MBA classes in marketing and advertising at several universities in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. He is also a noted contributor to several industry publications including Oilfield Technology. Dr. Robinson is also the Founder and CEO of Capitol Hill Communications, a communications consultancy, helping companies to navigate the complexities of Washington, DC politics.

"With Robinson's background in oil, and his extensive travels around the world, this book offers a balanced view of an industry which has traditionally focused on engineering obstacles and price gyrations rather than endearing themselves to the consumer. Some recent catastrophic events have shown the importance of a strong corporate brand and good PR, and Robinson's analysis connects decades of events into a common thread. I wonder why no one thought of such an interesting subject before?" - Christopher G. Nicholson, Founder, Deloitte Global Energy and Resources "This book is exhaustively researched and a wonderful account of the history of the so called Big Oil companies and their public image problems. Dr. Robinson carefully crafts how these companies shape what they say about themselves and create a public image in marketing campaigns. With choice languages and symbols, they frame a message to be received by consumers that may or may not reflect what these big oil companies actually do. The breadth and depth of this penetrating work shows the disconnect between what these oil companies say and their corresponding actions. As an African that has lived the contradictions of perceptions and experiences from these oil companies, I salute Dr. Robinson for his insight and courage in helping us understand how these oil companies operate in emerging markets. This is a gripping and a compelling work that takes you inside the making and operations of the big oil companies." - Stephen Onu, Chair, African Integrity Group "Robinson's engaging and timely book on a complex marketing arena brings forth some 'crude' home truths, backed up by historical context and lessons from the corporate world, all weaved into a balanced industry perspective on the state of affairs in a digitally savvy world. Budding marketing professionals as well as industry veterans, and those interested in how some of world's biggest oil and gas companies succeed (or fail) in etching their global brand equity would find this book to be a thoroughly good read." - Oilholics Synonymous

• PART I: FROM STANDARD OIL TO BIG OIL 1. Big Oil and the Love-Hate Relationship 2. The Oil Refining Era: 1863 – 1869 3. The Standard Oil Empire Reigns Supreme: 1870 – 1900 4. The End of One Oil Empire and the Beginning of Another:1905 – 1911 5. The Arrogant and Aloof Oil Company PART II: MANAGING THE BRAND CRISIS 6. How BP Destroyed a Corporate Brand 7. The Exxon Valdez: A Failure in Brand Crisis Leadership 8. Shell versus Greenpeace and Brent Spar 9. The Tarnished BP Brand: From Texas City to Price Fixing 10. Chevron vs. Ecuador: How a Strong Brand Defends Itself 11. A 'Shell' Game for Investors PART III: MARKETING STRATEGIES AND BRAND BUILDING 12. Marketing and Advertising Innovation at Mobil Oil 13. The Brand Disconnect Between BP and 'Beyond Petroleum' 14. Chevron and the Evolution of Human Energy 15. Brand Building at Shell Oil PART IV: BIG OIL AND THE ERA OF CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT 16. Building Loyalty: Improving the Retail Fueling Experience 17. Communicating With the Masses: Big Oil and Social Media PART V: CONCLUDING REMARKS