Text and photo by Kap Maceda Aguila
THE offer comes once in a lifetime — for four lucky individuals.
Seaoil on Aug. 14 kicked off a promotion that will culminate with raffle draws on Sept. 15, Oct. 16 and Nov. 18. Four winners of the grand prize will get P5,000 worth of Seaoil fuel/lubricant every month — for the rest of their lives.
Based on Department of Energy data, Seaoil has been the fastest-growing fuel company in the Philippines. At the launch of the promotion, Mark L. Yu, the company’s president for retail business, reported that Seaoil registered a 47% uptick over the last three years, and has made it to 53rd place in BusinessWorld’s Top 1,000 Corporations list. Presently, the firm has more than 400 stations and 12 depots, of which eight are import terminals.
Not just surviving but actually thriving in an industry widely considered to be cornered by the so-called “Big Three” international players speaks of smarts, determination and agility. And Seaoil Marketing Communications senior manager Rey Jimenez declared that despite being a smaller firm, its goods are “at par with, or even better than, the best.”
This is certainly the main message in an ongoing product quality campaign that Seaoil commenced this year. Shared Mr. Jimenez, “Our base fuels are imported from the advanced refineries in Asia [specifically Singapore, Japan, and Korea]. Second, they’re tested at least three times daily at the station. Thirdly, they have STP fuel additives for improved engine performance.”
After opening its first gas station in Tutuban in 1998, Seaoil assumed a consistent arc of growth. In an exclusive interview with this writer, Mr. Yu said: “It’s really important that we innovate, so we can’t be the same as traditional players… We import. That standpoint also allows us to be more efficient in our distribution. In the country, we do a multi-import-terminal strategy, which saves on double handling.”
Being a smaller player affords Seaoil the luxury of being nimble. “In terms of decision making, we just have to be faster… and we have to take calculated risks.” One of those, he revealed, was to establish a Mindanao import terminal which other people saw as a foolhardy move.
“After that, competition has also followed suit,” Mr. Yu reported, adding, “The refineries that we’re getting our products from are at a higher complexity index.” This, he asserted, means Seaoil produces better-quality fuels.
The company is at the cusp of a five-year plan, in which by 2022 its number of stations would have doubled. “Obviously, even if you have great products but you aren’t accessible, then you can’t reach people. For us it’s important to expand our network,” Mr. Yu stressed.
The company is also building bigger, full-service stations which feature quick-service restaurants and convenience stores. The company recently launched its biggest station to date, the Seaoil-CityMall SCTEx mega station. The two-hectare facility represents a P600-million investment of the two companies.
Aside from the four grand-prize winners, more than 30,000 other promo awards may be had — including 30 gift cards worth P10,000, and instant discounts valued at P10, P20, P100 and P500.
To obtain a raffle entry, which includes an instant prize card, a customer must submit receipts totaling P500 worth of Extreme 97, Extreme 95, Extreme U, Extreme Diesel fuels and/or Seaoil lubricants at any of the company’s stations nationwide. Participants must be at least 18 years of age. The grand prizes will be paid off in gift certificates, which are transferable.
