Country Music

TWO MUSIC FESTIVALS BRING BIG-NAME ENTERTAINERS — AND THE CENEX BRAND — TO THE MAIN STAGE.

Country singer Blake Shelton’s chart-topping “God Gave Me You” has become a gigantic hit on today’s wedding scene. The romantic lyrics that tout heartache and the ups and downs of life and relationships hit a nerve with brides and grooms across the U.S.

It’s so popular, in fact, that John Toda and Jessica Ray from Topeka, Kan., plan to have it sung at their wedding. The couple won free tickets to the summer’s Kicker Country Stampede in Manhattan, Kan., sponsored in part by the Cenex(R) brand, where they also won backstage passes to meet Blake Shelton.

“I was really excited to win the tickets and really crazy because I got to meet Blake Shelton. It was truly amazing,” says Ray, a self-declared die-hard country fan.

But the excitement didn’t end there. During the Blake Shelton performance, long-time boyfriend Toda got down on one knee and proposed. “I looked up and she thought I’d dropped something until I showed her the ring. That’s when the waterworks started,” he says.

“I didn’t have a clue this was Your CHS Connection 21 going to happen, but all our friends knew and kept it a secret,” Ray says. “What a perfect day.”

Loyal country music fans show up in droves to hear big and budding stars alike at music festivals across the U.S. There’s no better testament to that than in the heart of rural America with Kicker Country Stampede in Manhattan, Kan., and Country Jam in Eau Claire, Wis., where more than 160,000 people packed the grounds to listen to stars belt out their hits and experience some genuine Cenex hospitality.

CHS partnered with major radio stations to promote the Cenex brand at the two events and awarded concert tickets to listeners and to Cenex retailers, distributors and consumers. In addition to VIP passes and meet-and-greet opportunities with performers, Cenex brand awareness was increased through logos that appeared on admission wristbands, souvenirs, on-stage signage and announcements.

Another ticket winner at the Kicker Country Stampede, Tina Gannaway, says, “I was pretty excited because I’d never been to the Stampede before. To be able to go and be treated like that was awesome. I’ll fill up with Cenex gasoline now.”

Sponsoring this event made sense for the brand, since CHS services more than 125 Cenex retailers and distributors within 100 miles of the Kansas festival, which drew fans from surrounding states.

“The Cenex brand is an active part of communities across America’s heartland,” says Akhtar Hussain, CHS Refined Fuels marketing manager. “This year we combined that brand energy with the high energy of these country festivals. We wanted to increase awareness and preference for the Cenex brand and deepen our relationship with the retailers and distributors who market Cenex products. We also wanted to drive store traffic to retailers and distributors around the music festivals.”

From Cenex cowboy hats to Cenex TV spots on large video screens, the trusted red logo was a popular sight at the Kansas and Wisconsin festivals. Broadcast and social media coverage about the music festivals also helped build brand awareness.

Bill Andert, with Genesis Co-op at Le Sueur, Minn., attended Country Jam in Wisconsin and says the minute he hit the Cenex hospitality tent, he got a cowboy hat and a bag full of gifts. “Then I won a pass to the party pit right in front of the stage to watch Blake Shelton. Cenex is a great brand, and I wouldn’t have been there if CHS hadn’t invited me.”

Within a 100-mile sweep of Eau Claire, Cenex services about 180 retailers and distributors.

“The successful sponsorships proved once again that when it comes to growing customers’ businesses and having fun in the community, we’re with you,” says Hussain.

Cenex is proud to be part of the communities it serves, and its Tanks of Thanks program rewards free fuel to those who go the extra mile.

Each month, 100 names are drawn from Tanks of Thanks nominations to receive Cenex gift cards. More than 17,000 nominations have been received since the program began.

So far, CHS and Cenex retailers have awarded more than $500,000 in free fuel to people who do good deeds in their communities. Go to cenex.com and nominate someone who goes above and beyond.