Rising Gas Prices Are a Marketing Problem, Too

If you’ve found yourself grimacing at the pump lately, the latest numbers from AAA back it up. American gas prices have surged 44% year-over-year to a national average price of $4.55 per gallon, as of May 7, 2026. The increase in cost affects small business owners and nonprofit operations especially hard, but that is only part of the problem. How you talk about the rising costs is a marketing decision, and many businesses get it wrong.

The Silence Tax

Smaller organizations quietly absorb the cost increases or raise prices without an explanation. Most customers notice price increases. Without transparent communication, that silence can lead to potential brand damage and loss of customer loyalty. Proactive public relations messaging that addresses the business’s rationale for price increases always wins out over reactive damage control once the crisis is over.

Communicate Price Changes Without Losing Trust

Be specific about which part of your price increase is due to the fuel surcharge, and communicate through all your available channels: social media, website, email campaigns, and press releases to reach both current and potential new customers. By being transparent, customers will realize that every other business must be facing the same challenges, and your competitor’s lack of transparency - or vague description of “price adjustments” - becomes more obvious. Build trust by framing this pricing approach as a response to fluctuating market conditions and as a way to be fair to consumers.

Strategic Opportunities

Organizations should also communicate what they are doing to offset rising fuel costs. Strategies could include redefining your service area, optimizing routes to reduce mileage, or investing in electric or more fuel-efficient vehicles. A study by the global consulting firm McKinsey found that a logistics company realized a 15% reduction in total travel time, which can translate into real fuel savings, by using AI-enabled daily route optimization. Everyone has access to Google Maps, a free route-planning tool. According to the AAA, the national average cost at a public electric vehicle charging station is currently 41 cents per kilowatt hour, which is dramatically cheaper per mile than $4.55/gallon gas.

Service-based businesses could offer scheduling incentives (e.g., small discounts or priority service) to customers in the same geographic area who book appointments on the same day. Both businesses and nonprofits could also establish strategic customer pick-up points to reduce total mileage or partner with neighboring businesses to combine delivery shipments. Nonprofit organizations may be eligible for fuel assistance grants from USDA Rural Development, community foundations, or some state energy offices.

Reap the Rewards

Brands that communicate openly during shared hardships have an opportunity to build customer loyalty that outlasts a temporary crisis–and differentiate themselves from their competitors who remain silent or rely solely on paid advertising. 

Summarized by Harvard Business Review, a long-term research study by the University of Warwick surveyed 900,000 citizens across 27 European countries between 1980 and 2011. The researchers concluded that higher national advertising spending was associated with lower life satisfaction. Earned media, on the other hand, is cost-effective marketing that can contribute to your audience’s satisfaction and build trust, which paid advertising cannot replicate. Customers reward honesty and perceived ethical conduct.

Operational problems require both operational and marketing solutions. How is your organization currently communicating cost changes to customers? Contact us today to build a communications strategy that builds customer trust during market disruptions.

---

Related Articles