E15 Finds Its Identity
Growth Energy takes the lead
to create a unified brand
Engine Smart.
Earth Kind.
For vehicles
2001 & newer
Higher
octane
Burns
cleaner
What’s in a name? According to
research conducted by Growth
Energy, the answer is … a lot! the lead in determining how to
unify the naming convention and
promote this product.”
Every year, Growth Energy market
development representatives
meet with E15 retailers. At their
meeting last August, they found
there were a variety of names
used in marketing this product.
There were also varying levels
of success associated with those
names. For example, here are the
E15 sales from several retailers,
as a percentage of their total
gasoline sales, and how they vary
depending on the product label: Growth Energy undertook the
challenge, utilizing a branding
process employed by the likes of
Johnson & Johnson and General
Motors. Conducting a series of
workshops with stakeholders—
corn growers, ethanol
producers, retailers—a
general direction was
determined. Three
months of intense
consumer research
followed, during which
1,000 potential names
were narrowed down
to a short list. These
names were then tested
in focus groups.
• E15 – 3-4%
• Unleaded 15 – 12-13%
• Unleaded Plus – 33%
The consensus—not surprisingly—
is that consumers are very
sensitive to the product name. “As
a group, Growth Energy realized
they needed to work together
to unify E15 branding,” said Mike
O’Brien, vice president of market
development for Growth Energy.
“The retailers determined that
Prime the Pump* would take
And the winner is …
eBlend, which stood
out head and shoulders
above the rest. Growth
Energy has just finished
field testing eBlend
with Minnoco and is
currently testing it at four Florida
retail sites. Later this summer,
* Prime the Pump is an ethanol industry initiative created to help the early retail adopters of
high-level ethanol blends by awarding grants to reduce their initial investment in infrastructure.
SUMMER 2017
testing continues with Kum & Go®
in all of their Colorado Springs
locations, where sales and
consumer reaction will be tracked
and assessed. After analyzing
findings this fall, Growth Energy
will determine a more unified
promotional approach.
Watch for eBlend at your
local retailer.
It is projected that E15 will be available at
1,100 locations by the end of 2017.
New to Prime the Pump this year:
RaceTrac – 600+ retail sites from TX to FL
QuikTrip – 600-700 retail sites
Kwik Trip – 130 retail sites
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