Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Promotion Ideas / Auto Body Shop Re-grand Opening

Posted by Anonymous on 3/2/2009 at 12:37 PM ET 375 Points
We own an Auto Body Repair Shop and have been in business since 1994. We are expanding our current Auto Body Repair Shop from 2500 sq ft to 5000 sq ft and adding on new services, such as detailing, oil changes, buy and selling used cars etc..in Riverdale, Georgia which is close to Atlanta with the anticipated re-opening date of April 1st, 2009. We are updating our website and plan to do some small low cost radio advertising. I'm looking for some relevant and exciting ways to celebrate the our grand opening and new services with the objective of (1) create more awareness and traffic for the auto body shop and (2) generate business by attracting customers to the shop for auto body repair and the new services we offer, including minor auto repair work, no engine overhauls or anything like that (3) say thanks to our old customers who have been with us for years. I am trying to do this without spending to much, as my budget is very limited. Also one other note, we are located off a main Hwy, but we are not on a main strip and our shop sits behind another set of buildings, so even if we put up banners, you won't see them until you turn into the complex. We do have a sign on the main street along with several other businesses that have their signs on their as well. Any and all ideas will be greatly appreciated.
To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by michael on 3/2/2009 at 12:41 PM Member
    Check with your local hobby shop. Often there are slot car racers looking for a large place to race. Let them set up and stay there for the whole day

    Michael
  • Posted on 3/2/2009 at 8:01 PM Moderator
    Randall's suggestion is very clever. I like that. I like it especially because of the PR value you can get from it. Here's a story every newspaper and local television station will find interesting. First you raise money by letting people wreck a car. Then you fix it up like new. Then you donate or raffle the car off and help another (or the same) charity.

    If you want to put icing on the cake, see if you can get a local celebrity to participate (for his/her favorite charity?). Someone like Hank Aaron (who owns a BMW dealership AND has a foundation that I'll bet he'd like to promote) would be perfect, but I'm sure there are others.

    Good luck. The key is to use publicity/PR to get way more media exposure than you'd get any other way.

  • Posted by J Geibel on 3/3/2009 at 11:35 AM Accepted
    I did a lot of marketing and public relations for a high-end foreign car repair shop in the Northeast for many years.

    The key to that business (meaning an automotive body shop) is referrals from the trade - much more so than typical automotive repair and maintenance work. So the people in the trades will be far more useful to you than the walk-ins from a few publicity gimmicks. Remember that referrals continue year-in and year-out. Also - you want repeat business - for body work - that will not necessarily come from car owners (unless they are really bad drivers.) It will come from those in the trades that the car owners turn to for recommendations.

    I definitely wouldn't recommend smashing a car as a gimmick - sends the wrong message. And do not tie your people up with non-productive or non-revenue work.

    Perhaps hold a Friday afternoon open house - burgers and beer barbecue, but only for the other repair shop owners in the area. (That way you can talk shop.) Show them what you have (some body repairs on display - with "before" photos) and let them meet you. Make sure they understand that you specialize in body shop service - major repairs you would send to them (you mentioned you don't do engine jobs), and if they send you a body shop repair job, you won't try to cross-sell that referral any other repair services. If you try to do too many types of repairs - you may wind up cutting yourself off from referrals from other shops.

    A big factor to success in that business is customer relations. Make sure your people have uniforms (even shop logo t-shirts in the summer) and know how to conduct themselves around customers. Make sure your service advisers know what they are doing (a lot don't) and you have the appropriate systems in place for billing and repair job status reports.

    If you want a low-cost promotion device - print up a small flier or brochure (make it look good - no photocopy stuff - maybe before-and-after photos) and go around and put it under the windshield wipers on cars that need some body work That way - you can pick the type of car and nature of repair you solicit. Hit the office parks during the day - maybe the malls in the evening. Visit the local (non-competing) shops and introduce yourself and leave a few brochures if they agree to display them. Definitely introduce yourself to all the towing companies in the area (for major jobs.)

    Remember to thank the others in the trade who send you referrals - a thank you goes a long, long way these days.

    Good luck - it's a tough business.
  • Posted on 3/3/2009 at 2:34 PM Member
    Maybe you could do a "pimp my car" or "extreme makeover" contest. Those before and after photos are impressive.
  • Posted on 3/9/2009 at 10:36 PM Author
    Thank you all for your wonderful ideas and I will let you know how it goes.
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Advertising/PR)