Brief:

• GasBuddy, the app that helps drivers find lowest-cost gas at nearby stations, added a "deal alerts" feature to help drivers find below-advertised gas prices based on location, retailer- and partner-funded discounts, and app-use frequency, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer.
• App users can personalize their deal alerts through the app's network of relationships with fuel, consumer and lifestyle brands that can attract customers by providing discounts to make them more competitive. App-use frequency covers activities like sharing gas prices in the app, using its Pay with GasBuddy payments service and participating in its GasBack loyalty program.​
• GasBuddy on Feb. 19 offered $5 in GasBack credits to the first 10,000 people who signed up for Pay with GasBuddy, per its announcement.

Insight:

GasBuddy's deal alerts feature aims to increase app usage with deals that are based on personalized information including location and various discount programs. Notification marketing can be a powerful way to create a sense of urgency with customers, especially among people who opt in to receive alerts from trusted brands. The average open rate for text messages is 82%, making it much higher than the 18% rate for emails, separate studies of consumers indicate. However, marketers need to be mindful not to overwhelm their customers with intrusive ads.

Last year, burger chain Wendy's became the first brand to partner with GasBuddy when the app introduced its new "Badges" feature. Badges alert drivers to nearby amenities including Wendy's locations that are attached to or near gas stations. Wendy's aimed to stand out among service stations putting a greater emphasis on food service, which make up about 23% of convenience store sales, according to GasBuddy.

Gas rewards are by far the most popular form of rewards among loyalty programs. The percentage of consumers who belong to loyalty programs with fuel savings grew to 66% last year from 64% in 2017 and 54% in 2015, a study by PDI Software found. Almost three quarters (74%) of consumers said fuel savings are important when gas prices rise, while 70% wanted those savings when prices declined, the study found. It recommended that businesses consider partnering with major gas loyalty programs to provide a meaningful reward to loyal customers.