Got Brand?

Hey, a BIG UP to Exxon Mobil: its branding ROCKS!

It’s true, you know you can’t disagree. You see those unmistakable two red crossing “X’s” and you know who it is and what they are selling. Unlike Kleenex (it can be commonly agreed) who has lost all control over its branding, Exxon Mobil remains strong and true to its brand image.

Mrs. Smith: “Excuse me, Mr. Smith, would you mind giving me a Kleenex? I need to blow my nose.”
Mr. Smith: “Well of course darling. Here’s your Kleenex.”
All the while, he’s handing her a box that blatantly has “PUFFS” written on it.

I can hardly think of a better example…
But it reins definitively true that Exxon Mobil has branded its products and services to an unending degree and made sure no one (and I mean no one) will forget what Exxon Mobil sells and what it does.

The brand image of Exxon Mobil, in my opinion, coincides with BIG OIL. Please see this site for commentary from “environment-lovers:” http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/states_pension.php. The company can’t win everyone’s heart, that’s for darn sure. Exxon Mobil is a gigantic, powerful, oil/power hungry, money-making machine. The brand is so powerful and well known that people such as myself see Mobil gas stations and drive right by hoping for a Sunoco to pop up sooner rather than later as our gas gauge stoops to E. We associate that big, red writing with the powerful BIG OIL company that Exxon Mobil is.

What do the Exxon Mobil PR people do to enhance this image? If anything, I believe they try to neutralize or minimize it. The noble initiatives taken on by the company, stated in this blog’s previous entry, are ways the PR staff attempts to illustrate Exxon Mobil as being a caring, helpful, concerned public/national citizen. Please refer to the site’s “community” section: http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/community.aspx. Heck, who doesn’t love a company that educates little kids in 3rd world countries, or who rewards women for their educational accomplishments, and that there is a massive shortage of scientists in the world but Exxon cares and is trying to do something about this catastrophe (never mind that in the end they are helping themselves…okay, check the cynicism Chadwick). The PR people at Exxon Mobil work their behinds off so that their company does not get the BIG OIL image. Whether that power is completely in their hands is debatable (the issue concerning BIG OIL is so much bigger than just a single company no matter how huge), but man, do they try!

Another great brand image tactic the PR people have going at Exxon Mobil, is its “commitment to the future and technological breakthroughs.” I am a true believer in the fact that people LOVE new technology. They LOVE new ways of doing things. For example: diesel gas and ethanol is driving those hippie kids nuts. And people LOVE innovation. Sometimes I just get this image in my head of a middle aged bald man staring at the TV during an Exxon Mobil commercial (which, take note, there are very few of. Good job Exxon PR people…don’t allow your advertising team to over-expose you so that we don’t get sick of you. Your darn easily identifiable logo is everywhere anyways.) and drooling like a 3rd grader in awe of the innovation Exxon Mobil claims to have going on. “Oooohhh. AAhhhhhhh!”

Another great aspect for the corporation’s brand image (that the talented PR workers put together I’m sure) are the “who we are,” “what we do,” “where we work,” “integrity in our operations,” etc. sections on the company’s Web site which allow stakeholders, consumers, competitors, investors, etc. to learn about Exxon Mobil and ultimately like what they read. PR people don’t go into the business being horrible writers. These people get paid the big bucks to make the company look good in these “come get to know me, I’m awesome,” sections of the Web site.

Despite Exxon Mobil being possibly one of the most hated companies in the world, its PR people know what to say, to whom and where it should be posted to get a good message across. I have this theory, that like many old style Southern Belles, PR people could tell you “to go to Hell” and you’ll be thinking you’re heading on a trip to Aruba. That is how good they are at writing.

Please see: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0129-03.htm It’s a Web site for “Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community.” Essentially the article tears Exxon Mobil apart for it’s less than environmentally friendly practices: “Just one oil company has thrown three times as much carbon dioxide into the air as the current annual emissions from fossil fuels, a new study by Friends of the Earth claims.” – Sanjay Suri, CommonDreams.org. It’s a great read for a balanced view point.

But on the other hand, please see Exxon Mobil’s statement of commitment to preserving the environment: http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/energy_biodiversity.aspx and http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/energy_climate.aspx (There are many more areas to find such topics on the site. Feel free to browse.). These sections on the company’s Web site paint a much prettier picture of Exxon Mobil’s interaction with the Earth. Hmm…like I said, a trip to Aruba.
Think about it though…we are not headed to Aruba if this Global Warming stuff persists (http://www.squidoo.com/Greenhouse-Gas-Emissions/). We are eventually headed for nothing good at all.
And on an entirely unrelated, yet still important note, check out this site for the U.K. Guardian about how biofuels might actually end up hurting us: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2043724,00.html. Crazy I say. But, still very much worth reading!

Ultimately, Exxon Mobil’s PR staff does a knock up job projecting its brand to the entire world if one simply peruses the company’s Web site: www.exxonmobil.com. They work hard for everyone to know who/what Exxon Mobil is, that the company is there, and hey, they are lookin’ good (on the site)!

On the other hand, Exxon Mobil’s customer relations are a little less extensive. I know for a fact, that my father will buy gasoline from nowhere other than Mobil. Why? Sadly, I forget, but if anything, this means…say it with me: customer loyalty! Yay! This is any corporations’ bread and butter. Those people, such as Chadwick Medleson Jr., are coming back to their place of service time and time again without fail. My father would drive past four other gas stations to get to a Mobil! And might I add those four others stations were not only closer (save some gas dad…), but they were CHEAPER!!! Gahh, I’m getting frustrated.

Please see this link to the Exxon Mobil Web site: http://www.exxonmobil.com/corporate/about_operations_sbc_customer.aspx
Here you will find a very (repeat, very) short guideline for consumer relations. Hey, while we are considering Exxon Mobil gas stations as the company’s customer (they are included in the above guidelines), word on the street is that Exxon forcibly controls each station franchise to the point of strangulation. Remember from one of my first posts, I said often times people simply find Exxon Mobil’s business practices immoral? This is exactly where my point comes in. It has been reported by differing sources (yet I’m sure unreliably liberal sources…ok, ok, it was my best friend Keith. But he reads the newspaper a lot! Ok, I’m embarrassing myself.), that Exxon Mobil will not allow the sale of eco-friendly ethanol or bio-diesel to occur beyond a small amount per month (these fuels are much more difficult and expensive to attain and not as profitable as fossil fuels as the majority of drivers in the U.S. still do not have vehicles adapted to such new fuel technologies). After scouring the Internet, I found no evidence of this claim. Yet, if those Exxon Mobil PR people are getting paid as much as I think they are, then there wouldn’t be any evidence. That means they are doing their job, and doing it well!

This I can say: Exxon Mobil might not have extensive or impressive consumer relations goals (they definitely are not reaching for the stars here…) but they do have loyal customers. My best assumption for this, would be brand loyalty (Ahh! Brand image and customer relations come together in one perfect circle.); brand loyalty to a massive corporation with a well-known name and a powerful business sense (whether people agree with it/like it, or not). This brand image and company reputation the PR staff at Exxon Mobil has established over years and years shows stability and distinguished practices to customers. And those customers, Chadwick Medleson Jr. for sure, will keep coming back to Mobil stations like stink to poop.

My pretend version of the PR people at Exxon...wow, those are nice suits.

Put your money where your...

So, despite my previous cynicism, Exxon Mobil makes me crack a smile with at least one or two company initiatives they’ve got going.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am a male. Chadwick Mendelson III, thank you. But I am all for equality, so-REAL MEN AREN’T AFRAID OF EQUALITY BETWEEN THE SEXES. (wink, wink.)

Anyhow. Like I stated earlier, Exxon Mobil is often criticized for less-than-ethical/flawless business practices. But if you were that company’s public relations person, you’d know you’d go into the office everyday, coffee in hand, trembling about how to make people not hate you and the company you diligently work for. Heck, I would!

Well, I will say it here, loud and proud. Exxon Mobil Public Affairs/Relations has a lot of great things going on. Whether the “average Joe” knows about all of the Exxon Mobil initiatives, we cannot be certain. I know I don’t spend my day pondering “Hmm..how is Exxon Mobil going to save the world one Alaskan seal at a time? Or what poundage does Exxon Mobil say I should inflate my tires to in order to get more miles out of every gas fill-up? (Please see the Web site homepage for a banner explaining this do-good initiative: http://www.exxonmobil.com/.) Or maybe, when I have kids, I’m going to make my daughter study science and math so she can get an engineering job with Exxon Mobil!” By the way, all of the above initiatives can be found on the company Web site (in more or less…definitely more, detail).

This brings me to my point: Exxon Mobil’s PR people have been working hard. I am thoroughly impressed by the “feel-good” programs and campaigns the gigantic corporation has going on, specifically in educating the public about positive actions, responsible energy use and the education of young women both in the United States and abroad (I will speak for my sister…she panics at the sheer thought of science and got a D in her basic college algebra class. She unfortunately fits the (often exaggerated) statistic that females across the world are either failing miserably in science and mathematics or just don’t acknowledge the subjects at all: take a peek at this University of Rhode Island Web press release http://www.uri.edu/news/releases/?id=2972. It has some very interesting and relevant points on female education and continuance of math and science.)

As delighted as I would be to discuss all of Exxon Mobil’s energy-saving, Earth preserving tendencies, the math and science education/women’s education advocacy hits a nerve with me. So I will focus this entry on those topics.

Education and Girls Initiative: http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/community_ed_women.aspx
Exxon Mobil has taken the initiative to invest money in educational programs in poverty-laden, women-hating, or disease-stricken, developing countries such as Angola, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria as well as in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia in order to educate young girls and women.

“Research confirms that programs directed toward educating women and girls yield higher rates of return than any other community investment available in the developing world. Educated women are healthier and are less likely to die in childbirth than women with little or no schooling. The children of educated mothers are more likely to survive, to go to school and to be healthier because of better nutrition and immunization rates.” – Exxon Mobil (see link above.)

Exxon Mobil recognizes a current movement in our societal values today and has pounced on the opportunity to make a positive name for itself both in America (“Yay! Education is key! Girls rule!”) and across the globe (“Exxon Mobil? Gasoline? Ah…yes. We like them. They are powerful!”).

The Educating Women and Girls Initiative was launched in 2005 and as of 2006, the company invested $2.8 million into the program. Nothing talks like money! Ok…check the cynicism…they are actually helping people. Exxon Mobil has funded projects to construct and rehabilitate schools, provide teacher training, literacy training, entrepreneurial training…and the list goes on. Let me applaud Exxon Mobil for taking on such a noble initiative. And let me applaud the Exxon Mobil PR people for getting the word out through the Web site’s news releases/newsroom postings.
http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/news_features_20070901_womenandgirls.aspx
http://www.exxonmobil.co.uk/Corporate/news_speeches_20070118_RAL.aspx
http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Files/Corporate/Oped_passport_to_progress.pdf

Science and Math Education Initiative:
Secondly, Exxon Mobil gets extra bonus points for supporting a good cause while helping themselves out at the same time. The company’s support for math and science education is a great cause as it seems this world is lacking talented people in those fields: "we and our nation face a critical shortage of highly skilled professionals in math and science to fill current needs." – states InfoWorld (http://weblog.infoworld.com/realitycheck/archives/2007/09/12_governors_ca.html).

The company’s main focus is technology and proficiency in math and science is imperative in the energy business. “We believe it is fundamentally important to encourage new generations to pursue studies and careers in fields involving math and science.” - http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/community_ed.aspx (Please see for additional information.) Not only has Exxon Mobil taken a stand to promote education, it has created and promoted numerous, specific initiatives under the education umbrella: the need to improve math and science education, the National Math and Science Initiative, the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps (Oh my gosh, sign me up! I loved science camp.), and my favorite, the Society of Women Engineers which directs outreach programs to attract young women to the fields of engineering. It’s a wonder how they do all of this and someone is still there to give me my credit card receipt when I fill my tank up! Just kidding, I don’t get gas at Exxon stations.

Oh, and have you missed New Media lately? Here you go: http://www.exxonmobil.co.uk/Corporate/news_downloads_video_math.aspx. Just a little flash video on the Web site about math and science education. It’s fantastic.

So why all of this pro-women, pro-education ranting? Well, in my opinion, Exxon Mobil did a terrific job in the PR department finding worthy causes across the U.S. and around the world, and capitalized on them to give the company positive community relations and ultimately positive government relations. “Hey, President Bush! I gave kids in Africa $2.8 million to study how to be the next leaders of the world. Wanna raise the gas tax again? Huh!?” I’m totally kidding. I’m aware that it doesn’t work that way. But hey, in Exxon Mobil’s case, any positive light can only be good.

Any BIG OIL corporation could sit on their pot of millions and just chuckle at the lowly and forsaken, but (I’m hoping) some smart man or woman in the PR department said “Hey! We need to take some of the money we make and do good with it!” And then hopefully he or she negated the ever-important “it will make us look good.”

So until next time, take a little look at Exxon Mobil’s noble initiatives on the Web site as listed above, and enjoy.

Until next time…

Event? What event?

After what I believe was at least an hour of next-to-hopeless searching on the Internet for any story having to do with Exxon Mobil that didn’t have the words "shares," "stock," "Dow Jones," "hydrogen," and "drilling," I found a cute but brief story of Exxon Mobil’s heart-warming community involvement (I’m giggling sarcastically sitting in front of my computer screen).

But seriously, nothing gets people’s hearts racing or reaching for the tissue box faster than some good old donations of gratuitous amounts.

The small town of Alice, Texas (population 19,010. Please see http://www.city-data.com/city/Texas.html), was granted “a gift of additional lighting at the Alice International Airport” by whom other than Exxon Mobil. "Between November and February, we have a large influx of hunters with high dollar planes, and there's not enough lighting currently to observe all the planes for security purposes," Airport Manager Charles Brazzell said. Exxon Mobil donated electrical distribution poles and electrical power systems to the airport, “so that local law enforcement, who serves as security for the planes as a side job, will be able to keep a better watch over the parked aircrafts." Please see the article at this site:
http://www.aliceechonews.com/articles/2007/10/05/local_news/news71.txt

All is lovely and wonderful. The only stipulation? The City of Alice and Jim Wells County Commissioners' Court will share in the cost of electrical usage. Hmm...I wonder where that energy is coming from. Did Exxon find a way to profit from this generous gift? The company totally pulled an Oprah on the small Texas town. (Remember when she bought her whole audience brand new cars one episode? Oh wait! Reports say she just paid for the down payment and left these unsuspecting, excitedly panicked people to unknowingly have to pay for their brand new cars’ insurance, any maintenance bills and the rest of the car payment. Really Oprah? Such a tease!) I guess it could have been worse. Exxon Mobil actually gave the airport something it could use. It didn’t just send them a fat check…that’s not very personal or thoughtful, now is it?

Okay, okay. I digress. I know you are probably sitting there thinking: “Wow Chadwick…you are lame and overly cynical!” Well, that’s okay to be thinking so, because it’s true. You would have stopped reading by now if you weren’t mildly entertained, right?

Now, recall my first entry. I said that I would be writing about Exxon Mobil’s public relations practices. So here’s my two cents on this one:

Like I previously stated, Exxon Mobil is often seethed at for its “immoral” business practices. Well, here is an example of good will and who wrote about it? The Alice-Echo News (I’m going to guess circulation 10,000). Searching through Google News, Yahoo, Exxon Mobil’s newsroom, I found nothing as of tonight about this kind act (the post date of the article was October 5th).

You know when Mom told you never to brag? …well, negate that advice in this context! Yes, Exxon Mobil is a gigantic corporation and stock prices and where it drills (the only thing I could find as far as news when searching the Internet) is imperative information to the company and its stakeholders. But if I were the PR person at Exxon, I would take a step back, look at the big picture of how hated we often are and take an hour or three out of my day to write a nice press release about this event to show how giving Exxon Mobil is or can be…let’s not stretch it.

Do I think this generous gift to an airport in Alice, Texas is nationally newsworthy? To be harsh, no. It is only to the town of Alice. But the story warrants a link on Exxon Mobil’s Web site newsroom simply for bonus positive image points.

Were I the PR person for Exxon Mobil at this time, I would be wise about the company time and money I’d spend on this event. Obviously money does not need to be tossed around on company executives flying down to Texas for a major press conference in Alice, nor does a major production with bells and whistles need to ensue. It is a rather small event. But the five sentence story in the Alice-Echo newspaper leaves me wanting something more. Was there no unveiling or local news formal announcement at all? It seems like not… I would have done something of reasonable cost to make sure the residents in and around Alice knew who the lighting was from. I think a small, “down-home” style press availability with a local representative from Alice, the Airport Manager, and a Texas-based Exxon Mobil manager announcing the donation, would do the trick.

The story of Exxon Mobil’s gift can get out to the public with a press release on the Web site’s newsroom (http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/news.aspx) to be sure it reaches a national audience (I checked. There was no release.). If anything, Exxon Mobil comes out looking good with a small donation (considering its other gigantic endeavors), in a small town…nothing ostentatious. Were Exxon to distribute the release world wide via a wire service, then the good will would just look forced.

Get the word out Exxon! People need to know you aren’t just blood sucking, money hungry, BIG OIL, bone crushers. You gave light capability to an airport that may have otherwise remained in the “semi-dark.”

But don’t push it!

If you would like a great PR “go-to” or extra reading, here is an article by Sharon Haley Linhart, APR, President, Linhart McClain Finlon Public Relations: http://www.ad-mkt-review.com/public_html/docs/fs082.html. Titled “Ten Consumer Public Relations Tactics That Always Work,” the article hits the nail on the head with what I would try to achieve with this event were I the PR person at Exxon Mobil. A few straight from the site to get your interest going:

> Be visible – use the news media to spread your story. “I only know what I read in the newspaper,” is not a cliché. Americans accept what they read in newspapers and see on television…
> Do well by doing good – sometimes called corporate social responsibility, community relations means doing something for the community because it is the right thing to do.
> Wear your heart on your sleeve – giant, world-wide corporations and small businesses must connect with customers. By providing a human touch, finding ways to personalize transactions and using technology only as a way to give better service, you can win the hearts and the dollars of consumers who are overwhelmed and looking for ways to feel better about their lives. (This one is my favorite…a little sappy and anti-corporate…but it reigns true.)

Until next time…be good Exxon Mobil. Be good.