This April will mark the fifth annual National Car Care Month (NCCM).  It is part of the Be Car Care Aware (BCCA) campaign.  BCCA can be viewed as the consumer communication arm of our industry.  The campaign has transitioned from simply being a publicity effort to creating content that can be used as professional marketing and promotion.

BCCA promotional content can be reviewed at www.carcare.org.  Every April (NCCM) and October (Fall Car Care Month) offers you and your business the opportunity to promote vehicle maintenance centered on a national event publicized in a variety of media across the country.

In previous years, shop owners and jobbers have sponsored and organized events, run newspaper supplement ad campaigns, and displayed banners and signage at their locations, all promoting vehicle maintenance--the majority reporting positive results.  All these promotional props and pieces are available for downloading at the Web site.  Download banner materials and event handout pieces and send them directly to the professional printer of your choice.  It's that easy.

Informing your local market and community about NCCM is increasingly important given the state of the economy and the financial duress with which most consumers are struggling.   Even a simple banner displayed to the street traffic passing by your shop or store will inform thousands daily.

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) recently sponsored a poll published by USA Today showing that although a certain percentage of the motoring public will reduce miles driven to offset rising fuel prices, a significant portion of motorists are also focusing on improved vehicle maintenance as a solution.  Increasing promotional efforts and awareness of National Car Care Month can only help improve top-of-the-mind awareness of the importance and value of vehicle maintenance.

Car Care Guide
The Car Care Guide was created almost two years ago for the purpose of providing consistent content that is consumer friendly, useful, and can serve as a tool to improve the BCCA effort at the point of sale or when in contact with the motoring public.  The guide's simple format addresses repairs and maintenance from two perspectives--maintenance occasions and in terms of parts and components.

Major program distribution players have distributed millions already with logo-customized back covers and wraps.  The Car Care Council, the marketing arm of the campaign, reports continued positive feedback from service providers about the guide and also reports a high level of reordering.  Participants make them available to customers for free or make the guide part of a promotion at the store or shop level.  The trade channels have integrated the dissemination and distribution of the guide into their existing marketing efforts. 

 
The goal is to create, through the Car Care Guide and other tools from the Car Care Council, credible, third-party information that the entire industry can use to open up stronger consumer dialogue and improve the customer experience with the parts and service industry.

Visit the BCCA Web site (www.carcare.org) or link to the site at www.partsandpeople.com.  The Car Care Guides are available through most parts distributors, professional associations, and through the Web sites noted above.