TrueNorth Energy

Setting a New Course for Higher Profitability

When BP and Amoco announced their merger back in 1998, no one was affected more profoundly than the Lyden Company. For 78 years, as Amoco’s oldest and largest dealer, Lyden not only distributed Amoco fuel, but also sold fuel under Fast Check, Amoco’s retail umbrella brand.

Despite the sudden departure of one of their biggest suppliers, Lyden never once considered abandoning the fuel/convenience store market. Instead, their management decided to hire Shell Oil as their new fuel provider.

Shortly thereafter, Lyden hired Total Image to help reposition their Fast Check brand. Based upon our research that revealed the Fast Check brand was irrelevant to the consumer, our team strongly recommended that they create an entirely new image for themselves: TrueNorth Energy.

Under this new flagship brand were TrueNorth Markets for all their large retail shops, and TrueNorth Stores for their smaller locations. We designed and built a new brand identity, consisting of everything from logo, graphics, and new colors to store front design and retail interior design, which were implemented consistently across the marketplace. Despite a warm welcome by consumers across all markets, we knew our job was just beginning. Shortly after the launch of the TrueNorth retail store design, we turned our attention to market assessment. Sales were good, but by our standards, not good enough. Therefore, we recommended revisions to our original installation plans to ensure even greater financial returns.