ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota has launched a campaign called, “Get to Know Your Neighborhood Auto Repair Pro” to promote the benefits of doing business with independent auto repair shops. 
More than 60 member shops in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area are participating in the initial campaign.
“The independent, locally owned automotive shop is a part of every neighborhood’s landscape,” said Tom Aldridge, AASP-MN Mechanical Division director and owner of Dale Feste Automotive in Hopkins, Minn. “And we know both from industry and customer surveys that people are more satisfied with work at independent shops than at auto dealerships. We finally decided to work together through our association to invite more people to get to know us.”
The campaign launched via radio the week of Sept. 14 and will run 10 weeks, ending just prior to Thanksgiving. During that time, the association will air 900 radio commercials on five of the top radio stations in the area.
In addition, the campaign features a Web display ad on StarTribune.com, the Twin Cities’ most visited Web site, with almost 79 million page views each month. The campaign also has a dedicated site – www.autorepairpro.net – to help consumers find participating shops in their area.
AASP-MN Executive Director Judell Anderson said the campaign has already generated very positive feedback from Minnesota members and even interest from affiliated automotive associations in other states. “Working with members who are independent businesses, the key is getting a critical number of courageous members to move forward. I think we’ve really surprised a lot of people with the influence an association can generate when the members decide they’re serious about their association,” said Anderson.
