Grass vs. Cash

The history of British Petroleum dates back to a search for oil in Iran that began in 1901. After numerous changes in ownership due to religion, politics and of course money, the company is now the world's third largest global energy company.

As they look to diversify and appear progressive during the days of $4 a gallon gas, they've adopted the tag Beyond Petroleum. While the latest BP ads talk about the need for alternative energy, the recent spots of their competitor Shell focus on a cash back incentive offered to patrons in the form of a scratch card. In many ways the two very different strategies mirror a debate we saw earlier this year when the presidential candidates batted around the idea of a the gas tax holiday. More recently, this debate is taking shape over the notion off-shore driling. With many Americans struggling to make ends meet, we've seen Barack Obama change his rederic and entertain the idea that off-shore drilling may be part of the solution. Given the economic environment we're living in today, short term financial incentives will probably win out. I'm guessing more people are heading over to Shell in search of cash back, rather than choosing BP because they are talking about the environment.