When people talk about mixing oil brands it brings to mind the annual
amalgamation of oil brands at SEMA. Every year it seems there is one less
display from a given oil company and a slightly larger one for the company
that has bought that brand in the interim. You may think there is bitter
competition between brands but more and more often they are owned by the
same corporation.
I'd have to do some searching to name specifics but there are fewer
companies with fewer employees and more limited budgets for racing
advertising every year. It used to be rather easy to get thirty or more
cases of oil to give to participants at a meet. Today you can't even get
ten strands of pennant without having some VERY good connections. The belt
tightening will continue I'm sure. Bad for racers but good for oil company
profits and that bottom line is increasingly the only thing. If they have
two or three major brands under their corporate umbrella ... so what?
Obviously there are some "independents" but I'm assuming they will be bought
up as the years go along.
My guess is that the R & D for oil brands will increasingly lead to less and
less separation in the actual additive packages. The money spent on
advertising will stay at a level point. Things like high vehicle mileage
oils, oils marketed to SUV owners and similar advertising will take the
place of the brand competition. Only the consumers who don't realize who
owns what will be the ones to identify with specific brands and have brand
loyalty.
And I'm glad I had Mobil 1, 5 - 30 in the Jeep Grand Cherokee when my
daughter was driving it in Jackson Hole for six weeks this winter. Those
minus seventeen degree mornings have to be hard on any engine without a
block heater.
Wes
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