University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest

Faculty of Entrepreneurship, Business Engineering and

Management
Master: Management of Digital Enterprises

Communication strategies

Student,

Eduard George MILITARU

Bucharest

2018
 Leaders of the domestic petroleum industry rely on different promotion strategies, but aim
the same goal: improving the image of the corporation in the eyes of the public. By 2010, Petrom
has among its strategic objectives the achievement of a three million-liter fuel sales per station, a
market share of 35% and the construction of 250 petrol stations in the new series, PetromV. The
fact that Petrom has ambitious plans is demonstrated.

The fact that Petrom has ambitious plans is also demonstrated by the recent change of
partners responsible for the commercial promotion of the company. Earlier this year, following
an auction, the company chose Optimedia, strategy, media planning and buying, and Leo Burnett
Romania, for the communication strategy and ATL (above the line) campaigns, as well as for the
campaigns image and product. Most likely, the results of these moves will be visible from April
when a new image campaign is about to be launched. In addition to promoting corporation and
products, Petrom last year developed a social responsibility platform, "Respect for the Future,"
which has built two projects: "Future Parks" and "Resources for the Future," for which it
provided, in 2007-2008, a budget of 10 million euros. Thus, the company spent over 4.2 million
euros in CSR projects and 3.1 million euros in donations and sponsorships for areas such as
education, culture, sports and health. "Resources for the Future," a project developed by the
Ogilvy Group, included an internal communication campaign addressed to employees, and an
external one aimed at raising public awareness of the need to use resources responsibly. The
message is transmitted through an advertising clip called "Andrei", built simply as a parallel
between the present and the future. The creators of the spot have tried to keep the surprise until
the end, so nothing can make the impression that the action takes place over 40 years. "It was a
challenge, because we wanted to be credible and not to distract from the message and from the
story," says Cristi Diţă, art director at Ogilvy. According to the company, the project has
prompted positive reactions among both corporate and consumer partners. "We receive messages
from people who tell us that it is the first time a spot has thought of it and that they have begun to
see with other eyes gestures that have gone unnoticed so far: an open tap for too long, a forgotten
light bulb. These spontaneous and sincere reactions show that people are already thinking about
changing their attitude, "says Mona Nicolici, CSR communications manager at Petrom. It was
important for the company to change the attitude from inside. That's why the awareness
campaign first debuted internally and included a number of communication tools that encourage
employees' commitment to resources.

Petrol-smelling brands are no longer in vogue.

The direct competitor, Rompetrol, had a different communication strategy, appealing to

corporate promotion campaigns since the second half of last year, with the objective to strengthen
the perception of "strong Romanian company , internationally successful ". The central message
of the campaign was "Rompetrol - the shortest way from idea to success", transposed creatively
into a series of three episodes. The cinematic documentary style was used in clips. These have
resulted in three success stories: how Petromidia became the most modern refinery in Southeast
Europe; how Romanians' expectations for Rompetrol products and services increased; how
Rompetrol became a strong European company. The image campaign was present with all three
episodes in print and TV, and was also communicated to more than 8,000 employees in the
company. "This campaign has had a major impact on the development of Rompetrol brand,
achieving the best score of the brand momentum indicator in its category, the best score for the
indicators of awareness, as well as a significant change in the perception of the consumers
regarding attributes like" successful "," strong "," innovative "(source: IRSOP, September 2007).
And this trend is still preserved, as the results of the studies at the beginning of 2008 show, "says
Teodora Juravle, account manager at Odyssey, the agency responsible for promoting the
company and Rompetrol products. Briefly, if in 2003 Rompetrol was a name associated with fuel
products and started off with a new graphic identity, meanwhile, this brand has reached a certain
maturity, says Alexandra Crăsnaru, brand building manager at Rompetrol. Against the
background of an increasingly fierce competition, Rompetrol's strategy aims, this year, to
strengthen the company brand, but also the products and services. All these steps will follow the
Group's business objectives, mainly the increase in market shares in Romania and other markets.

Petrom

For image and product communication, the company has been working with Leo Burnett
(advertising) and Optimedia (media) agencies this year. Social Responsibility Campaigns (CSR
Platform) that are part of the Respect for the Future project are being carried out by the Ogilvy
Romania Advertising Group.

Rompetrol

Communication and media campaigns are conducted by Odyssey. The agency is headed
by Diana Flutur, a minority shareholder, while the majority shareholder is Rompetrol Group.

16 million euros

Both have invested Petrom in social responsibility programs over the past three years. The
last campaign, promoted through the "Andrei" spot, is part of the "Respect for the Future" project
and was developed by Ogilvy Advertising Agency

12,000

This is the approximate number of advertisements for the promotion of Rompetrol TV in

2007. According to Alfacont's monitoring company, Rompetrol is the largest advertising client in
its category.
 MIHAELA UNGAR, THE BEST MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION
MANAGER FROM ROMANIA IN 2015

Capital Business Magazine awarded the 1st prize of Mihaela Ungar - KMG International,
for the best marketing and communication manager, within the "Excellence in Management"
Award, thanks to the results achieved in 2015 by marketing and communication campaigns in
promoting Rompetrol and Efix, but also the Fill & Go service in Romania.

Thus, the development of integrated marketing and communication campaigns ensured an

increase in average fuel consumption (+ 14%) and Efix brand awareness (+ 7%) in 2015, a
doubling of Fill & Go customer popularity, an increase in spontaneous awareness of Rompetrol
brand recognition as a successful brand (+ 15%).

According to recent studies, more than 73% of Romanian drivers are familiar with the
Efix brand and the benefits they offer, helping to raise awareness and strengthen the range as a
leader in fuel brands. Thus, over 40% of drivers mentioned at least 2 of the main features of Efix
fuels: it protects and increases engine power, reduces fuel consumption, clean injectors and
valves, prolongs the life of the machine.

The appreciation of fuel is also supported by the Rompetrol customer's product

recommendation, which amounts to more than 80%.

The Efix fuel range is produced within the Petromidia Năvodari refinery, the largest unit
in Romania and one of the most modern in the Black Sea region. Fuel quality is constantly
checked by the KMG International Group's laboratories, certified by specialized institutes in
Germany.

In order to ensure the quality of the fuels, the Group achieved during the period 2007-
2015 significant investments in the modernization of the systems and equipment at Rompetrol
stations, as well as in the implementation of a system for monitoring the traceability of fuels on
the refinery-store-gas station route and, implicitly, .

The marketing campaigns run by KMG International in 2015 highlighted the innovation
and uniqueness offered by the Fill & Go service, a direct payment system to the fuel pump and
which ensures to Rompetrol customers - individuals who can feed or pay through a single
monthly payment. By promoting its attributes (monthly invoice payment, easy to use, reduced
feed time, safety and control), Fill & Go has doubled popularity among customers.

With over 40 years of experience in promoting the Romanian oil industry internationally,
the Rompetrol brand has expanded its presence in various areas of the Romanian profile industry
from activities and operations in the upstream refining and distribution of fuels both in Romania
and in the Black Sea region. Thus, this development, supported by the major investments made
by the Group, allowed a significant increase in the spontaneous public recognition of Rompetrol
as a successful brand.
 At present, the Group owns and operates domestically more than 700 fuel distribution
points (own stations, Rompetrol Partner, Rompetrol Express, internal bases of 9 and 20 cubic
meters), 6 warehouses, 210 LPG car stations, over 8,000 bottle distribution points and 3 bottling
stations in Constanta, Arad and Bacau. These include Petromidia Năvodari refineries - the largest
unit in Romania and one of the most modern in the Black Sea region, Vega Ploieşti - the oldest
processing plant in operation in Romania (1905) and the only producer of bitumen and other
niche products, but also the petrochemical division - the only producer of polymers in Romania.

KazMunayGas, KMG International is a major oil producer and supplier of fuels in the
Black Sea region, with over 1,000 fuel distribution points in six countries (Romania, Moldova,
Bulgaria, France, Spain) and Georgia), whosale business through its Ukrainian and Turkish
representations and through the trading division - KazMunayGas Trading Switzerland.

Bibliography

1. https://www.capital.ro/petrolix15ftii-icircx15fi-rafineazx103-imaginea-
108024.html?&page=2

2. https://www.rompetrol.ro/companie/presa/articol/mihaela-ungar-cel-mai-
bun-manager-de-marketing-si-comunicare-din-romania-in-2015-id-116-
cmsid-108