Dover Fueling Solutions is a global provider of technologies, services, and solutions in the fuel and convenience retail industries. Through its portfolio of solutions, including fuel dispensers, fuel management, and retail automation, DFS is evolving consumer experiences at fuel stations and convenience stores.
Challenge
In North America, DFS was focused on establishing itself as an innovative technology leader. As part of its business objectives, the company strived to be a go-to source of expert thought leadership on consumer experience topics and trends, helping its retail audience stay competitive.
For DFS, nurturing its connections with fueling and convenience trade media was a critical component of its regional communication strategy. These outlets would often cover DFS news, but they only wanted to spotlight thought leadership from retailers, not suppliers like DFS.
More than any other agency I’ve worked with, INK is proactive, informed, goes the extra mile, and acts as a true partner.
Amy Cearley
Director of Global Marketing Communications, Dover Fueling Solutions
Solution
The company had a long legacy in the industry and a bench of expert spokespeople with valuable insight. Now, it needed a way to make its thought leadership “newsworthy” in the eyes of trade journalists. DFS and INK identified the National Association of Convenience Stores Show (NACS) as a perfect opportunity to get the company’s thought leadership in front of media and build its credibility among its target audience of fueling and convenience retailers.
The strategy? Publishing an annual consumer research report DFS would release at the industry conference. With the report, DFS could deliver a trusted source of consumer data paired with expert insight to engage media and educate retailers on the benefits of enhanced consumer fueling experiences.
In its inaugural year, DFS’s Future of Fueling report was a major success, cementing it as an annual initiative. For the second report, INK and DFS dived deeper into customer experience at fuel stations with a data study gauging consumer preference around themes such as convenience, service, technology, amenities and customization.
INK leveraged the survey results to develop an interactive report, Future of Fueling: Innovation at the Pump, which served as the hero asset in DFS’ integrated communications campaign launching at the NACS Show.
INK helped DFS amplify its thought leadership through media relations, social media, website content and sales enablement materials. From a single report, the INK team delivered a press release and contributed byline supported by trade media outreach, social media infographics and promotional posts, a teaser blog article driving traffic to the report, and sales assets connecting the research findings to DFS’ solutions.
Results
With its second annual Future of Fueling report, DFS broke through to high-priority trade media at the NACS Show, a key industry event, driving awareness and credibility among journalists and the company’s retail audience. One month after the report went live, INK’s media outreach had garnered 50% more news features than the year prior, including coverage in Payments Journal and C-Store Dive. To date, 13 priority trades have covered the report’s content, reaching nearly 400,000 readers in DFS’ target audiences.
At the NACS Show, DFS conducted five on-site media briefings and secured seven media attendees at the company’s customer appreciation event. Additionally, INK’s supporting social amplification of DFS’ research report resulted in over 3,700 organic impressions and 500 clicks to the report.
Above all, DFS established itself as a consistent, reliable thought leader among fueling and convenience retailers on topics related to customer experience, innovation, and technology.
