Creative Marketing Techniques $8000 budget

[InsomnicBrain]

Hey Guys,

What type of creative marketing would you guys do for automotive repair shops. Print Ads, Radio, TV?

Thanks...Robert

[deansutton]

Due to the nature of the industry and its competition, I feel that for an automotive repair shop to market, and connect with the local demographics - implementing an experiencial marketing plan would prove effective.
Experiential Marketing : is the art of creating an experience where the hoped-for result is an emotional connection to a person, brand, product or idea. It is a form or marketing or advertising based on the principle of marketing a product or brand through an experience rather than the placement of advertisements. Experiential marketing often involves events, contests, interactive campaigns to promote, however holistic experiential marketing considers the experience delivered to the customer through the purchase or use of the product or service.

Do you hear of it very often? No.
Does it work exponentially better than traditional marketing? I believe so.
Not to say that other traditional methods would not prove useful in combination with this, but by using traditional methods, as well as innovative ones is what will set you apart.
Create ads that evoke emotion in those that see them -
Become a face in local media events.
Create an identity to the masses, unforgettable in nature, as to assure your name engrained in the minds of people, as the "go-to" thought of a repair shop when you rear end your friend in your moms Taurus.
Open houses with attrations for hands on exposure, events, and sponsorships.

Your industry is a bit different from those that I am used to working with, but it is all relative.

Either that or I have had wayyy too much coffee this afternoon and my fingers are going for a run.

[Future of Edu]

Hey Insomniac,,, where do you live? City and state. I'll pull local demo info and give you a couple ideas based off what I see.

Enjoy Life,
Nick

[Just1More]

I am with Future of Edu and think that the demographics are very important to know to determine the correct marketing technique to use

[KingofTorts]

Robert,

I would consider spending the money on customer relations somehow. IMHO auto repair is a highly word of mouth industry. A friend recommends a shop to a friend because the shop does good work and charges fair prices.

[Gaulkin]

Use that money for something else, the best marketing in that business is word of mouth from happy customers.

[Scar Tissue]

Mobile Marketing? It's cost effective can be easily integrated in cross-media. You can targeted specific audience groups and huge potential for viral marketing as customers tend to foward messages in groups.

[omahacubfan]

How about a campaign that includes some incentive for referring a friend to your shop. In the requirements state that the referral must be a new customer. Offer a $25 bonus to the referrer and the referred. Therefore, new customers will learn about your company which helps you succeed, and both the referrer and referred get a bonus.

On a $8000 budget you can assume about $100-500 in miscellaneous costs associated with printing out fliers to hand out to your customers and maybe a banner on the outside of your building near the street if possible.

$8000-500 = $7500 / $50 (cost per referral) = 150 new customers who get a first hand taste of what your business has to offer + retained customers whom cashed in on the bonus.

Seems win-win. Of course the numbers & promotion details are loose but it is an idea you could play with.

[omahacubfan]

Hey Insomniac,,, where do you live? City and state. I'll pull local demo info and give you a couple ideas based off what I see.

Enjoy Life,
Nick

Could you pull the demographics for the Omaha, NE area for me & send them to me? It would be MUCH appreciated.