The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, Minnesota (AASP-MN) now has to best its own efforts. In the fall of 2009, the association launched a promotional campaign entitled, “Get to Know Your Neighborhood Auto Repair Pro™.”

More than 60 mechanical shops participated in the campaign, which promoted the benefits of doing business with independently-owned repair shops.

The campaign consisted of radio spots that aired in top markets over the course of 10 weeks in which participating shops were mentioned 45 times each, along with Web advertising, point-of-sale and print marketing.

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," says Anderson. "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 group reports that the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many participating shops reporting both current and new customers coming into their shops and mentioning the radio commercials.

"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," says Said Rada Popov, of Gorshe Auto Service in Minneapolis. "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 find a way to continue the effort,” says 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, call (612) 623-1110 or visit www.aaspmn.org.