Industry overview
What is shaping petroleum, oil & gas
Oil marketing companies, lubricant brands and city gas distributors compete on forecourt experience, product trust and mechanic recommendations.
- Forecourt experience shapes fuel brand loyalty
- Mechanics drive lubricant brand choice
- City gas adoption depends on safety confidence and convenience
Client background
A listed oil and gas company, working in Investors in the UK, Switzerland, USA & Japan. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A listed oil and gas company
- Sector
- Petroleum, oil & gas
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Research consultancy, Qualitative research, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
The company published a transition strategy, but investor questions suggested low confidence in its targets. Analysts had questioned the credibility of long-term targets without clear near-term actions.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: investor views on an energy company’s transition strategy.
- Uncover the motivations and barriers people do not state in a survey.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 26 interviews.
Audiences we typically reach in petroleum, oil & gas
Fuel customersForecourt staff and dealersMechanics and workshopsFleet ownersCity gas customers
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Investors in the UK, Switzerland, USA & Japan. Markets: United Kingdom, Switzerland, United States and Japan.
- United Kingdom
- Switzerland
- United States
- Japan
Research methodology
A qualitative design, built to uncover motivations, decision processes and the language people actually use.
- 1Brief
- 2Investor and analyst interviews
- 3Insight
We interviewed portfolio managers and analysts confidentially about their assessment of the strategy and the information they needed. Interviews were confidential, and findings were grouped by investor type so the company could see differences between long-only funds, hedge funds and sustainability specialists. We also benchmarked how peers presented their transition plans to identify practices investors found credible.
Research consultancyQualitative researchReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- interviews
- 26
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Investors wanted capital allocation details and interim milestones.
- Investor feedback on the subsequent update was noticeably more positive.
- Analysts referenced the new milestones in their research notes.
Specific milestones built more confidence than long-term ambitions.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: specific milestones built more confidence than long-term ambitions.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: investors wanted capital allocation details and interim milestones.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The company added them to its next investor update.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: which lubricant brands do mechanics push?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.