Innovation will lead the way.
That was the message that resonated throughout our Phillips 66 Power Ahead Marketing Conference in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. And that is the message we took with us after connecting with you, learning from industry experts and sharing a spectacular four days with everyone. More than 1,200 of us gathered in Las Vegas, among them Phillips 66 Chairman and CEO Greg Garland and President and COO Mark Lashier who urged customers to embrace innovation. “The future is bright if we’re willing to try new things,” Lashier said.
So, with vigorous enthusiasm, “We’re encouraging innovation and trying new things like never before,” said Vice President of Global Marketing Pam McGinnis.
And signs of change are everywhere with Phillips 66—from a branded electric-vehicle charging station to sessions on digital strategies for Gen Z consumers to a “c-store of the future” concept with the latest technology. No matter what discipline we are tackling, we are making you the masters of your future, with innovations, tools and technology to keep your site(s) miles ahead of the competition, wherever the road may lead us.
EVs were an especially hot topic throughout the event, since Phillips 66 announced plans with FreeWire Technologies to explore opportunities to deploy battery-integrated charging technology within its U.S. network of fueling stations and other locations. Lashier said that EVs will constitute about 10% of the U.S. vehicle fleet by 2030, which means there will be both increased demand for charging infrastructure and continued demand for liquid fuels for years to come.
“It’s going to be a long, gradual change,” Lashier said during a fireside chat that also touched on the company’s efforts around renewable fuels.
Although changes in the industry landscape may seem daunting, we at Phillips 66 are here to support you from your site-level operations to greater business strategy—with our work with FreeWire exemplifying this commitment to you. To learn more about the seamless implementation of FreeWire at your site(s) and direct effects for your daily operations, check out this download from Weekly Fill-Up.
In another large session, Brand Manager Sunny Lopez introduced a term that picked up steam in the conference vernacular: “phygital,” a mashup of physical and digital. “Phygital means that consumers want you to offer a seamless experience across your brick and mortar and your online presence,” Lopez said.
At the expo, we also got a glimpse at the c-store of the future. Featuring digital price and advertising displays, this is an innovative way to use existing security cameras to produce customer flow data and a self-checkout machine that uses 3D imaging to identify products without the use of barcodes. Some businesses have already adopted similar models, like Amazon and various kiosks at the Denver Broncos’ Stadium, Empower Field—allowing their employees to focus on connecting with consumers on a deeper level, while consumers complete their purchases with peak efficiency and ease.
Lashier, who will become CEO on July 1, said that future success hinges on working hand in hand with customers on technology and innovation, guiding them as these new processes are big shifts from their current purchasing habits.
“We have to trust each other on this journey,” Lashier said. “If we do that, we’re going to be unstoppable.”
To recap the event, we are sharing images, speeches and presentations from the conference on BizLink. Be sure to check out anything you may have missed or anything you want to relive and absorb so you and your employees can begin these big conversations at the site level and move together as a team.
