After more than a decade in the market, the Chevron Havoline xpress lube® (HXL) brand has an exciting new retail image. This represents a tremendous opportunity to stimulate new interest with fast lube prospects that need or are contemplating re-imaging their facilities. The announcement of a new retail image presents an opportunity for Chevron employee brand ambassadorship – to create buzz with prospects and our Chevron Marketers.
Refreshing a retail image is a normal part of managing a brand asset to keep pace with ever changing design trends, demographic shifts and to stand out from competitors. The branded xpress lube network provides critical street-level brand visibility, strengthens the consumer experience with the brand, and typically has higher premium product sales.
The current image dates back to 2010, when Chevron invested in a program to strategically re-image the old Texaco HXL sites to a new HXL image endorsed by the Chevron master brand. Since then, Havoline® became ‘Chevron Havoline,’ locked up with the hallmark and, going forward, the new HXL image will better reflect this brand relationship.
After introducing the new Chevron xpress lube® (CXL) brand in late 2020, we also planned to refresh the HXL image to generate news and leads in order to help achieve business goals. Our dual-brand strategy provided the opportunity to deliver synergies and efficiencies such as taking advantage of design work that could benefit both CXL and HXL brands. The project gave us the chance to pursue a more contemporary, crisp, high-impact HXL image design.
The new HXL image locks up Chevron Havoline while deepening the familiar Havoline gold brand name color. The new facia sign design has letters routed out of aluminum with push-through acrylic, which not only looks more modern, but also does a better job of integrating Chevron, Havoline, and xpress lube. A new paint scheme uses a deeper red color with white and a touch of gray on the body for a cleaner and crisper looking, professional representation of the brand. The new “Super X” design element is disruptive, eye catching, and will appeal to a younger design sense. We are also integrating “oil change” onto the facia where possible to drive more immediate recognition of the core business.
The new HXL image will be rolled out to new U.S. sites as they open. The HXL image standards file (Section 1), intended for sales and customers, is a general overview of the image. Your customers can download it from the Marketing Hub. At this time, there are no plans to re-image existing HXL sites. With xpress lubes, Chevron’s approach is to lead with direct-served accounts and follow with pre-qualifying LM-served accounts.
Coinciding with the re-image, Chevron has also strengthened the xpress lube value proposition. In the coming weeks, we will announce the new xpress lube® shopper program™ – a mystery shop and image audit program intended to enhance and improve customer satisfaction and how the brand is represented across the xpress lube network. New licensees are required to stock and sell Havoline, Techron® and Delo®. The stronger value proposition is reflected in new direct and indirect HXL and CXL Sales and License Agreements and companion Letters of Intent. Any HXL/CXL prospects should be run through Bill Beyerle’s A.I. BDSs and BCs for operator and site pre-qualification, and to steward the re-image process through Chevron.
If you have questions about pre-qualifying fast lube prospects or the re-image process, contact your local Chevron A.I. BDS, BC, Bill Beyerle, Auto Installed Sales Manager, or Dave Schletewitz, Auto Installed Marketing Manager.
