Meineke Car Care Centers has launched a new, multi-million dollar advertising campaign to drive sales growth at its more than 900 car care centers nationwide. The company’s integrated marketing approach also will include a new rewards program and improvements to its online and in-store customer experience that are designed to build customer loyalty.
Meineke’s “On With Life” advertising campaign kicks off with television spots in September. The TV ads employ humor and empathy to show how car care can interfere with life’s everyday moments and how Meineke can help. Other elements of the new marketing campaign will launch in the latter half of 2015, including print advertising, heightened social media engagement and in-store marketing.
“We know car care has historically been a pain point for consumers. So we asked customers to tell us what they want most in a car care partner,” said Artemio Garza, Meineke’s chief marketing officer. “Not surprisingly, we discovered that consumers want a trusted, one-stop shop for car repair and maintenance – a partner that is reliable, transparent and convenient. Our new advertising campaign communicates that Meineke can be that partner and deliver the car care experience customers desire.”
The campaign’s 15-second TV spots show people in a variety of everyday situations, such as getting kids ready for school, grilling out or planning a family outing on a Saturday. People’s activities are then interrupted by the hassle and inconvenience of an oil change, brake repair or flat tire. The voice over – “Taking care of your car shouldn’t take over your life” – communicates how Meineke can make the car repair and maintenance process easy and convenient. The campaign also gives reasons why customers should choose Meineke over local, independent shops, dealerships and other national brands for maintenance and repairs.
In addition to the new advertising campaign, Meineke says it will introduce improvements to its online and in-store customer experience starting this fall, including launching a more user-friendly website and testing a new look and feel in its stores. Meineke added that it is studying its end-to-end processes to ensure they align with the company’s desired customer experience and updated brand.
“Our approach goes beyond a simple advertising campaign,” Garza said. “We want to provide an integrated customer experience built around our new brand, which means Meineke will be convenient, reliable and transparent for customers in every interaction. In a fragmented market like today’s car care industry, where there is not one dominant national brand, we believe Meineke has the opportunity to stand out from the crowd by providing the best possible car care experience.”
Meineke also will introduce a new rewards program in fall 2015 designed to build customer loyalty. The company commented that most first-time customers come in to Meineke for regular maintenance, such as an oil change or new tires. The new customer loyalty program will reward customers for repeat visits and encourage them to try Meineke for repair service.
“The new rewards program will let us build a deeper relationship with our customers over time,” Garza said. “As customers experience Meineke’s expert service, we believe they will bring their car to Meineke for both regular maintenance including oil changes, as well as repairs such as transmission and engine work.”
Details of the new rewards program will be available in late 2015.
