AASP-MN Shops Celebrate Campaign Success, Plan Ahead  

The campaign consisted of the following elements:

Radio:  900, 60-second radio commercials aired over 10 weeks, September 14 - November 22, 2009, on 5 of the Twin Cities top radio stations.  Participating shops were mentioned 45 times each.

Internet:  Dedicated search web site for participating members at www.autorepairpro.net.  Additionally, a banner ad on StarTribune.com, the Twin Cities most-visited website, provided over 400,000 page views and click-through opportunities to the www.autorepairpro.net site.

Point of Sale and Print:  Each participating shop received materials to identify their shop as a Neighborhood Auto Repair Pro™ and print ad templates to use in their local newspaper.

Judell Anderson, AASP-MN Executive Director, says that the campaign message focused on the two primary benefits of the independent automotive repair shop, namely capabilities and relationships.  “So when we said ‘ Get to Know Your Neighborhood Auto Repair Pro’, we wanted people to know independent shops can perform just about any repair or service the dealer can, plus give them more options to save money.  And local, independent shops are scaled to really know and serve the customer.”  A recent survey by a leading independent consumer publication confirms that people who take their vehicles to an independent auto repair shop report much higher satisfaction for both domestic and import vehicle owners than those who had maintenance done at a dealership.

Upon conclusion of the initial campaign, AASP-MN held feedback sessions with participating members to gather their input on how the campaign went.  The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many participating shops reporting both current and new customers coming into their shops and mentioning the radio commercials.  Said Rada Popov of Gorshe Auto Service in Minneapolis, "I was pleasantly surprised one day when a customer walked in and said he heard our name on the radio and said it was time he got to know us."  All who participated agreed that the campaign projected a positive image, was professionally executed and was a good value for the money. 

AASP-MN is currently working on plans to sustain and expand the campaign during 2010.  “It was an awesome start, and we’d like to continue the effort,” said Tom Aldridge, AASP MN Mechanical Division Director and owner of Dale Feste Automotive in Hopkins. “Surveys consistently say people are more satisfied with repairs and service from independent shops than dealers.  Now we're finally working together to tell that story.”

 For more information, contact AASP-MN at 612-623-1110 or visit www.aaspmn.org.