Indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: IndianOil, in an endeavour to enhance the customer service levels and leverage the brand further launched the 'Platinum Circle,' its top of the line, exclusive club for high selling retail outlet dealers. Director(Marketing) N.G.Kannan, congratulating the elite IndianOil Dealers said, "The Platinum Dealers will be our vanguard in the battle for customer mindshare. Their high levels of commitment and customer focus is a role model that all our dealers could aspire for and this recognition will help project them as Customer Ambassadors of IndianOil."

"We believe that our dealers are equal partners in all business ventures. IndianOil has constantly provided support to the reseller network, through its various initiatives like sales promotions, branding campaigns and dealer incentive scheme. Our flagship ROs with multifarious offerings, under the brand name 'Swagat', new retail visual identity, third party certification of Q&Q, additional facilities and non-fuel alliances at ROs like Convenios, fast food kiosks, sale of spare parts, health clinics for AIDS etc., have led to value addition and thereby greater customer satisfaction," added Kannan.

Stressing that enhancing dealer's non fuel revenue stream being a priority for IndianOil, they have tied up with Tata Motors for Tata Authorised Service Stations (TASS) in select IndianOil retail outlets. Also, auto spare parts at IndianOil Retail Outlets Select IndianOil retail outlets are also part of the real time truck tracking facility for fleet owners which have in collaboration with BSNL and Chennai based eLogistics. The Fleet owners who are members of XtraPower, IndianOil's leading fleet card programme are being offered the tracking facility at special rates or hire purchase options. The marketing of the equipment and SIM cards would be through the IndianOil Dealer network and through alliance partners.

Elaborating on further tie-ups in the non-fuel segment Kannan said that IndianOil had also signed an MoU with Coffee Day Xpress, part of the Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company(ABCTC), for setting up coffee bars and take away kiosks at IndianOil petrol stations. Coffee Day Xpress kiosks have already been set up in select IndianOil retail outlets at the four metros as well as Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. By next year, about 100 such kiosks are expected to be set up at potential retail spaces at select IndianOil retail outlets throughout the country.

IndianOil's marketing division, within a short period has managed a record sales growth of 875 TMTs (1.9%) in 2003-04 marking a watershed. A stupendous growth of 1500 TMTs achieved in the last six months of the financial year driving the surge of performance. This growth was positive for the first time since 1999-2000 says the official release.

While an all time high of 1122 retail outlets commissioned during the year ,the target for this year seems equally ambitious. For the first time IndianOil took the Title Sponsorship of a major Cricket Event of Global proportions - IndianOil Asia Cricket Cup at Colombo. The sponsorship was the single, largest investment made in brand visibility in the history of IndianOil. During the period, the oil major also launched an immensely successful customer ambassadors' programme which is an umbrella customer outreach programme launched. Under this concept, the retail outlet with the field sales officer was the 'hub' of activity while the volunteering officers the 'spokes'. The volunteers acted as mentors of the retail outlet assisting the field sales officer in enhancing the customer service levels. The principle was, plain advertising alone cannot build brands.

IndianOil's 'Aish in Malaysia' was named to the Limca Book of World Records as the largest consumer sales promotion campaign ever: Over 43 Million customers participated in the 'Aish in Malaysia' contest. More than 3000 prizes given away. 465 outlets covered in the campaign. Another record campaign was the 'Ao Roz Ek Truck Pao' - Over Rs 120 million worth prizes were declared - 31 trucks in 31 days - designed to address the greatest aspiration of a driver i.e. to own his own truck. While 111 Xtra Retail Outlets were rolled out in short period, the pioneering Star LPG Distributor concept has made major impact and has been launched in Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow and Kanpur cities states the release.