Shell unveils Year-Long Drive to Help Singapore Motorists Get The Most Out Of Every Drop

Singapore, 1 April 2009: Shell today unveiled its year-long drive to help Singapore motorists Get the Most out of Every Drop of fuel. This is an initiative that will cover all its retail activities and promotions for 2009, and comes on the back of Shell’s latest findings from a global market research* on what drivers are thinking, feeling and doing about fuel efficiency.

The research, which drew indicative comparisons with a 2007 investigation into drivers’ attitudes and behaviour towards fuel efficiency, revealed that motorists in Singapore are now more willing to modify their driving habits to save fuel in view of the current economic climate.

According to the 2009 findings, thrice as many Singapore drivers are now thinking about fuel economy, compared to two years ago, with a dramatic increase in the level of consciousness about fuel efficiency rising from 24% in 2007 to 74% in 2009. In addition, the number of people in Singapore who have ever checked their fuel efficiency has risen from 59% in 2007 to 77% in 2009.

The survey also revealed that 83% of Singapore respondents are willing to change their driving habits to save more fuel.  This is higher than the global average of 78%, and the drivers are also seeking more information and advice on how to achieve this. Ignorance about what to do and a lack of information were cited as the top reasons preventing Singapore drivers from becoming more fuel-efficient. Nine in 10 Singapore drivers welcome further advice on how to save fuel.

Mr. Eric Holthusen, Shell’s Fuel Technology Manager for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said: “We are encouraged to see a new generation of Singapore motorists who are beginning to be more conscious of fuel economy and are willing to change their driving behaviours to achieve that.  We hear requests for more information and advice, and will be addressing their needs.  By empowering them with the right knowledge, we believe we can help them translate such attitude into positive action.”

Recognising Singapore motorists’ concerns and demand for greater savings amidst the current economic climate, Shell is responding with a year-long focus to educate and help customers Get The Most Out of Every Drop.

The programme will consist of three elements. Firstly, with a focus on fuel economy, Shell aims to help customers save 10% or more fuel** while driving, through the use of Shell fuels (with its Fuel Economy formula) together with Shell FuelSave tips. This will be reinforced with a line-up of Fuel Economy initiatives throughout the year. Secondly, Shell aims to enable drivers looking for power and performance to get more out of every drop of V-Power, which is designed to improve engine performance, giving more power and acceleration. Lastly, Shell aims to pass on the benefits of its alliances and collaborations (e.g. with 7-Eleven and UOB) to customers, helping them get more savings with Shell every day.

To kick off its ‘Get the Most out of Every Drop’ vision for valued customers this year, Shell launched the following initiative for customers to get more savings at Shell today:

a) A weekly lucky draw with:

• A grand prize of $10,000 worth of fuels (in loyalty points) for one lucky customer every week;
• $100 worth of fuel (in loyalty points) for 100 customers every week;   

b) 10% bonus Escape points with any Shell fuel pumped; and

c) 100 Escape point special offers from 7-Eleven@Shell.   

The promotion is valid from 1 April to 4 July 2009.

Mr. Henry Chu, General Manager, Retail Sales & Operations, Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd, said: “We continue to offer our customers quality fuels every day, and this year, we go the extra mile with a focused approach to educate and help our customers Get the Most Out of Every Drop of Shell fuel, especially during this economic downturn. Through this year-long programme, we believe our customers will see that quality and value can go hand-in-hand.”

 - END -

* A market research study titled ‘An investigation into what drivers in 6 countries are thinking, feeling and doing about fuel efficiency’  carried out by international research firm, StrategyOne, the research division of Edelman, communications consultancy for Shell Retail, based on 301 interviews conducted among Singapore drivers in January 2009 (other participating countries are the Netherlands, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines). 

** Results are compared to standard fuel and may vary by car.

Note to Editors:

The research was commissioned by Shell.  Research fieldwork was managed - and analysis conducted - by StrategyOne Limited. Some details:

Fieldwork conducted in January 2009
Sample group of approximately 300 motorists in each of the 6 countries
Interviews conducted online
Total sample size of 1,816
20+ questions
Estimated margin of error on 300 sample size: +/- 5.6%, with 95% accuracy. +/- 2.3% for the full sample size
A balance of motorists that represent the driving population, and both diesel and petrol
 

N.B. Comparison of findings between 2007 and 2009 are indicative. The 2007 Fuel Economy study was conducted using a combination of face-to-face and telephone interviews. The 2009 study was conducted using an online survey.

ENQUIRIES:

EDELMAN
Julia Wei/ Amanda Koh
Tel: 6347 2327 / 6347 2333
E-mail: julia.wei@edelman.com / amanda.koh@edelman.com 

SHELL SINGAPORE
Oh Yam Chew
Tel: 6384 8943
E-mail: yam-chew.oh@shell.com

About Shell

Shell is the world’s largest fuels retailer with about 45,000 retail stations in over 90 countries. Shell has over 100 years of experience developing the technology and services that make it a leading provider of innovative new fuels today. In the 1920s Shell introduced Shell Dynamin, a fuel that offered some of the most advanced engine efficiency of its time. In the 1950s Shell fuel included a proven mileage ingredient.

In 2006, Shell launched Shell Unleaded with Fuel Economy formula and set a Guinness World Record for fuel economy by helping a couple from Australia, John and Helen Taylor, to circumnavigate the globe using only 24 tanks of Shell Unleaded with Fuel Economy formula. In 2007, Shell added to its fuel economy product offerings with the launch of New and Improved Shell Diesel with Fuel Economy formula. 2007 also saw the release of the Shell Global Fuel Economy Report, which revealed the thoughts of 3,300 people across 11 countries, showing people’s awareness of fuel economy. This research lead to the development of the Shell FuelSave Challenge, through which Shell trained over 2,000 drivers around the world in fuel efficiency, with 2 in 3 of them eventually saving fuel; the best performers saved 24% in fuel consumption.

Rounding out its rich heritage in fuel economy is the Shell Eco-marathon. Back in 1939, Shell started the predecessor of today’s popular Shell Eco-marathon, an annual competition in Europe and America for students to build and drive a vehicle that will go the longest distance using a fixed volume of fuel. This initiative links to the responsibility Shell has as an energy company, to work to reduce the impact of its business on the environment. The 2008 Shell Eco-marathon attracted over 250 teams of young students from 20 countries. The winning team achieved a fuel consumption equivalent to 3,382 km on a single litre of fuel. This year, the Shell Eco-marathon celebrates its 25th anniversary in Germany on 7-9 May 2009.