BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

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BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by jamcool »

https://www.bp.com/en_us/bp-us/media-ro ... twork.html

Maybe due to the fact the BP name has a bad image in the US due to the Gulf oil spill.
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by wnetmacman »

jamcool wrote: October 10th, 2017, 10:11 pm Maybe due to the fact the BP name has a bad image in the US due to the Gulf oil spill.
Part of the release says it's only 'in selected markets'. I'd bet Chicago and some of the Gulf Coast fit that bill. At least the ones who stuck it out on the Gulf Coast.....
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by Super S »

I honestly did not realize that Amoco had disappeared entirely from the U.S. market. I have to wonder if they would bring the name back in areas of Ohio where BP replaced the Sohio brand years ago.

I don't quite get the concept of offering multiple gas brands of the same company, such as Chevron and Texaco in one market. Especially when the brands are marketed as premium products at the same price point.

A lot of people aren't as loyal to brands of gas these days though, especially as supermarket gas stations have become commonplace.
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by mbz321 »

Super S wrote: October 11th, 2017, 9:58 am I honestly did not realize that Amoco had disappeared entirely from the U.S. market. I have to wonder if they would bring the name back in areas of Ohio where BP replaced the Sohio brand years ago.

I don't quite get the concept of offering multiple gas brands of the same company, such as Chevron and Texaco in one market. Especially when the brands are marketed as premium products at the same price point.

A lot of people aren't as loyal to brands of gas these days though, especially as supermarket gas stations have become commonplace.
Amoco really hasn't been used in any form in about 10 years (besides maybe on less than a handful of stations to keep the Trademark in use). For a while, the fuels were branded as 'Amoco Fuels', but that was replaced when BP introduced their 'Invigorate' branding.

I bet this is more like a last ditch effort to prop up failing BP stations more than anything. Here in the Northeast, Amoco was a pretty strong brand. Now, all I see are BP's closing or switching to other brands. The oil spill didn't help thing any, but BP stations are so noncompetitive, it isn't even funny, not to mention they are starting to look pretty tired.

And yeah, I don't think people are really brand loyal anymore. In my region, most gasoline stations are supplied from a Sunoco refinery/terminal, regardless of brand, with some supposedly unique additives dumped in for the name brand stations. In my market, we even have Conoco/76 branded stations now that have taken over several BP's, although a few of these have also switched from 76 to Conoco in a relatively short time frame for some unknown reason.
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by wnetmacman »

mbz321 wrote: October 11th, 2017, 10:10 am Amoco really hasn't been used in any form in about 10 years (besides maybe on less than a handful of stations to keep the Trademark in use).
That's all it takes to keep a trademark alive.
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by jamcool »

Which is why Chevron still operates a handful of "Standard" stations
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by Super S »

jamcool wrote: October 11th, 2017, 12:12 pm Which is why Chevron still operates a handful of "Standard" stations
BP apparently has a few which also have Standard branded Amoco signs present.
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by wnetmacman »

jamcool wrote: October 11th, 2017, 12:12 pm Which is why Chevron still operates a handful of "Standard" stations
It's also why Exxon still advertises Esso Diesel on some pumps in their Standard marketing areas.

BP holds Standard rights in a large share of the continental US, as do Chevron and ExxonMobil.
  • BP has most of the upper midwest, including Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Kansas and several others.
  • Chevron has California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
  • Exxon has New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee, among others.
It's a very confusing thing since they all three operate fairly nationwide (with gaps, of course). For example, only Exxon can sell anything Esso in Louisiana. Chevron operates here, but cannot put a Standard station, though it can on states on either side.

Also, even though Chevron has Kentucky, they pulled out a few years ago, so they could potentially lose the rights to the trademark there.
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by mbz321 »

I wonder what the motivation is in holding onto the 'Standard' brand. It's not like the name has any real meaning to anyone younger than 50 or 60. If they suddenly came back with an entire chain called 'Standard', it really doesn't change anything.
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Re: BP to bring back the Amoco gas brand.

Post by wnetmacman »

mbz321 wrote: October 15th, 2017, 6:28 pm I wonder what the motivation is in holding onto the 'Standard' brand. It's not like the name has any real meaning to anyone younger than 50 or 60. If they suddenly came back with an entire chain called 'Standard', it really doesn't change anything.
Even today, the Standard Oil case is required study in most American History for the early 20th century. For BP, Exxon Mobil and Chevron, it's a matter of pride. Judgements like that never expire. It was a landmark case for its time. Until AT&T in 1984, no other company had been broken up in such a fashion. Opponents of the case felt it was overreach from the government, while supporters felt Standard was stifling free enterprise by undercutting the competition. Essentially, you couldn't sell gas or oil and make a profit because a Standard station was undercutting you somewhere nearby. The breakup stopped that. After, the 32 companies that Standard Oil was broken up into leveled the playing field, and separated duties. Of the major names:

Oil Companies
  • Exxon/Standard NJ/Louisiana
  • Mobil/Standard Oil Company of New York (SOCONY)
  • Chevron/Standard Oil of California, and later Standard Oil of Kentucky
  • Amoco/BP/Standard Indiana
Oil Transport
  • Colonial Pipeline
Pump Manufacturing
  • Gilbert and Barker (Gilbarco Veeder Root)
All of these companies are still in business in some form 100+ years later, and are all still major players in their respective markets.
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