BP attempts to improve image with points offer
Oil giant seeks to repair fallout from US drilling disaster
BP is offering double Nectar points to UK customers who use its petrol stations as it seeks to repair the huge damage to its image from the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
In an e-mail to customers, BP said: “This exclusive offer is to say ‘thank you’ for being a BP customer and is available on BP fuel.”
Nectar is the UK’s largest loyalty card scheme with a 18.6 million members. In addition to BP, participating retailers and organisations, include Sainsbury’s, the AA, Homebase, EDF Energy and the AA.
Members get two points worth 0.5p each for every £1 they spend at Sainsbury’s or one point for every litre of fuel bought at BP service stations.
Points can also be collected at 450 online retailers including Amazon and eBay.
The move comes as the Gulf situation appears to be improving. Underwater robots have removed a leaking cap on the leaking oil well and, if all goes well will, fit a tighter cap.
BP says that the new cap “creates the potential to increase oil and gas containment capacity to greater than 50,000 barrels per day and should improve containment efficiency during hurricane season by allowing shorter disconnect and reconnect times”.
The Gulf oil spill has so far cost BP £2.3bn and its share price has plummeted since the leak started three months ago. Under pressure from the US government the company has also agreed to establish a £13.5bn fund to handle compensation claims and clean-up costs.
Last month Nectar launched a newspaper advertising timed to coincide with Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s emergency budget playing on the famous “Keep calm and carry on” wartime poster calling for British resolve.
The original poster, which was produced by the Ministry of Information in 1939, aimed to instil a positive attitude if the war turned for the worst.
Nectar is seeking to position itself as helping belt-tightening consumers get good deals in the new climate of austerity.