New group brand manager at Engen

Lesley McDonough

In the same year, its convenience shops took first and third in the Sunday Times/Sowetan Retail Awards (Quickshop and Woolworths at Engen). Finally, the company was recently voted the youth's top petrol station brand in the Sunday Times Generation NeXt 2010 survey.

"Our 1-Plus sites are becoming the name in convenience," she reflects. "I've heard young adults call the 1-Plus in Gardens [Oranje near Gardens in Cape Town] 'Club Engen'. They stop by before and after clubbing. It gets really busy in the small hours."

The brand's renewed energy and newfound youthful appeal will help sustain its service-centric brand focus, she says. "To engage the youth market meaningfully we're seriously investigating social media, among other outlets."

Engen is also starting what it hopes will be the world's largest digital Mexican wave online at www.african-welcome.co.za/home/server/WwwWave.aspx. In addition to these tactics, there is much to gain from integrating messaging and standards, to increase brand recognition and unlock savings, McDonough reflects.

"For instance, though the company is involved in CSI and the strategy settled, we could do more with messaging - tying existing interventions in with the overall brand promise, 'With Engen you are Number One'. That translates into our support for communities and causes, and I'd like to see that come through more strongly."