Introduction

This event planner has just about everything you need to plan a Car Care Clinic event at your location. There are many sample items, such as newspaper advertisements, press releases, radio spots and on-hold messages, to help promote your event. Ladies Day clinics are always a highly recommended activity for Certified Female Friendly retailers, and we recommend you make a whole day of it.  Reach out to local businesses like bakeries, spas, and salons and get them involved.  Put together a “Girls Night Out” event with cupcakes from a hip local eatery, mini-mani-pedis or hand massages from a local spa or salon, and / or give everyone a goodie bag for attending.  Top it all off with a car care clinic covering all the basics. Using this guide, we hope you’ll be able to put together a Clinic event of your own worry-free!

Organizing an Event

Event 

Marketing is the main tool you will be getting when it comes to organizing a Ladies Car Care Clinic. Why a ladies’ clinic in particular? Because this is a way for women to empower themselves by learning more about their cars – and it is a way for you to engender trust with women, something that is sadly lacking in the car care world.

What your event entails depends on resources that are local to you. Consider the other businesses in your area – local bakeries, trendy nail spas, or mainstay salons are all great places to try to bring on board to make the clinic a success. Treats provided by a local bakery is great for the community, provides yummy snacks for your attendees, and broadens your own outreach efforts. Sample products or services from a local salon can turn a car care clinic into a girls night out – with a twist, since it’s capped off by changing a flat tire!

Consider a name for your event that will set it apart. Women and Wheels, Heels and Wheels, Lipstick and Dipsticks, Women on the Move, Car Care Ladies Night – choose a name that resonates with you and your business. AskPattyMarketing has many sample logo designs already available , but if you choose something we don’t have a design for, let us know and we’ll put one together for you.

Setting a Date and Time

Once you decide the size of your event, important consideration should be given to the time and date. April and October are key months during which car care events usually take place (these are CarCare.org Car Care Months), but there’s no reason you can’t do a clinic anytime! Car care events usually run from four to eight hours. When setting a time and date, keep the following in mind:

  • Any event – small, medium or large – takes time to plan. Allow plenty of time to prepare.

  • If you are having an in-house event, remember this will be a time to show off your facility and staff. Make sure your facility will be in tip-top shape for your event.

  • Technicians and volunteers are key to making your event a success. Consult with those who you plan to involve about their schedules, and determine a date based on when most are available. If there is a shortage of technicians available, consider bringing in students from your local automotive training facility.

  • Most communities have an online “Calendar of Events” that should be checked for any potential conflicts or opportunities. Your event could benefit from increased traffic due to a community event, or the reverse could happen and turnout could be low. A lot depends on the nature of the community event.

Planning and Personnel

A car care clinic event requires at least one person to act as instructor, technicians to do the demonstrations, at least one model vehicle to be used for demonstration, and potentially additional volunteers to welcome motorists, answer their questions, and assist them as they work on the model cars. Prior to the event, consider the following:

  • Determine the equipment that will be needed and assign operators for the equipment.

    • Typically loaner cars, the shop shuttle, or staff vehicles (particularly the technicians’ own) make good model vehicles.

    • Around 10 people per car allows everyone to have hands-on time easily, as a rule of thumb.

  • Designate someone to identify and implement co-promotional opportunities with other local businesses (bakeries, etc.) – perhaps even sponsorships, if you’re making clinics a regular occurrence.

  • Decide the attire for volunteers (i.e., same color shirts, hats, etc.).

  • Coordinate food and drink.

  • Coordinate displays and demonstrations.

Cause-Related Marketing

Cause-related marketing is an effective way to generate additional interest in your event. The way it works is that you partner with a non-profit charitable organization. It’s recommended that you select an organization that is firmly established in your community with active grassroots support from its members. The organization would become a beneficiary, in some manner, of your event. It may have a booth at the event or you may decide to accept donations on behalf of the organization. Your event benefits by the added publicity provided by your partner. Motorists appreciate the event as a great service to the community’s driving public and most of them will be willing to give a donation to the charitable organization you’ve chosen. With a beneficiary, everybody wins:

  • The charitable cause or group makes money or gets added donations.

  • The motorists get a no-cost inspection.

  • The industry has a good public relations event that builds community relations.

  • It’s easier to get free publicity if a charity is involved.

Creating a Buzz About Your Event

A large part of your event’s success will be based on how many people come and get their vehicles checked. There are various ways to let people know about your event. Some are free and some involve costs. The public relations tools provided below or through links can help create the buzz that has people talking before, during and after your event.

Newspapers

There are many ways to promote your event through newspapers. You can use press releases, display advertising, classified advertising, piggyback ads, inserts, car care supplements and community calendars.

Press Releases

Press releases are brief articles (usually one page in length) that you send to a newspaper and that the newspaper runs on your behalf at no cost. However, just writing and sending a press release doesn’t guarantee it will be published. It must be sent to the right person and it must have news compelling enough to interest the editor. Some editors prefer to receive press releases by e-mail, while there are some that prefer releases by traditional mail. Press releases should include the date, time and location of the event, as well as who is sponsoring it and who to contact for more information. It would be appropriate to use press releases to announce your event or a new sponsor, to announce featured activities or special demonstrations and to announce the results of your event when it’s over.

See the end of this document for a sample Car Care Clinic press release.

Display Advertising

Display advertising usually comes at a price, unless you can get a newspaper sponsor that will run an advertisement about your event at no cost. We’ve included sample newspaper ads and logos to get you started. Newspapers often have advertising departments to help create an ad. Don’t forget about smaller neighborhood papers.

Classified Advertising

Classified advertising usually comes with a fee similar to display advertising, though it’s much less expensive. Many readers skim this section daily. Also consider contacting a “neighborhood shopper” for classified advertising.

Piggyback Ads

If you have sponsors or partners, they may be willing to include your event information in their ads. Inserts Many tire and parts dealers have regular inserts in newspapers. Ask these companies if they would include an event flier in their inserts as an in-kind contribution.

Community Calendars

Many newspapers feature community event calendars. It’s usually just a matter of contacting the person in charge of the calendar to get listed. Often, an event calendar is also online.

Newsletters

Your business and your sponsors may have newsletters that could include news about your event. There may also be other community or business newsletters that could help spread the word.

Radio

Radio is a good way to help get the word out either through public service announcements or advertisements. Radio stations may also be willing to interview you or do a remote broadcast from your event. Remember that an overwhelming number of motorists attend car care events on the spur of the moment. They sometimes make their decision to attend while in their cars, making radio a great medium for this type of event.

On-Hold Messages

On-hold messages can be used to promote your event. Sample on-hold messages are included in this guide and can be easily modified for your use.

Flyers

AskPatty has many flyers available – if you’re doing a Car Care Clinic and would like us to design a flyer for your event! If you’re a do-it-yourself type, designing a flyer can be easy and simple. Make sure your flyer has all the pertinent information (date, location, time, sponsors, contact information, etc.). Place flyers in prominent locations within your business. Other local businesses may be willing to distribute your flyers, and don’t forget to bring them to any meeting where there’s an audience likely to attend your event.

Jazzing it Up

A car care clinic event provides women drivers with a free opportunity to empower themselves with automotive knowledge and build trust with your professional technicians. But it shouldn’t be all work and no play. There are fun, entertaining and educational activities that can be easily added to any clinic. Here are a few favorite activities:

  • Display Tables with Bad Parts – Nothing makes a greater impression about the importance of proper vehicle maintenance than being able to see and touch a faulty or worn car part. Consider displaying a dirty air filter, clogged PCV valves, a bald tire or worn out wiper blades. Time permitting, label these items so motorists will know what they are looking at and the negative effect this bad part could have on a car.

  • Serve Food and Beverages – Ladies will appreciate snacks, coffee, or even a signature (virgin) cocktail. This is where making a few friends with local eateries can help, too!

  • Giveaways – Discounts and promotional items from your business or sponsors make great giveaway items.

  • The Odd Couple – Display a badly neglected, average age (nine-year-old) car alongside another in “mint” condition. The local bank’s information could show the significantly higher retail value of the well-maintained vehicle.

  • Child Safety Seat Checks – Ask a local safety prevention organization or group to be available to check the proper installation of child safety seats for your attendees. Eighty percent of kids riding in safety seats are at risk because they are not buckled in correctly, therefore, a safety seat check-up can be a big draw. To find an inspector near you, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Web site at www.nhtsa.gov.

  • Car Wash – Everyone likes a clean car. A local group may want to participate by washing cars to help raise funds for their cause.

  • Literature – Local trade or community associations may have literature for distribution. Many automotive companies are happy to send literature to be given away. Consider making up a flyer, brochure, or rack card showcasing your AskPatty Certification!

Topics to Cover at Your Clinic:

  • How to safely change a tire – with demo

  • How to check fluids & add if necessary – with demo

  • Basic understanding of how an engine works

  • Basic knowledge of the braking system, i.e. rotors/pads, shoes/drums and calipers – demo is helpful if available.

  • Battery maintenance – how to jumpstart a car, with demo.

  • How to create a vehicle emergency kit

  • How to locate and replace fuses

  • How to replace wiper blades

Sample Press Release:

Date:

For Release:

Contact:
Name
Title
Organization
Address
Telephone
E-mail/Web site Address

BUSINESS NAME to Offer Free Ladies Car Care Clinic

CITY, STATE, DATE – Women drivers can learn more about the workings of their vehicle and the benefits of performing scheduled vehicle maintenance and needed repair on DAY OF EVENT. As a part of their AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly designation, BUSINESS NAME is inviting local ladies to a free Car Care Clinic.

“These free clinics can help empower the women of our community to feel more confident about common car care issues, like jumpstarting a battery, changing a flat tire, checking or even changing fluids like engine oil. We’ll also educate about potential safety and operational problems because of deficiencies such as low brake fluid or under-inflated tires,” said NAME/TITLE. “Nine out of ten vehicles going through check-up lanes today show consumer neglect. The top problem areas are motor oil, windshield wipers, air filters, belts and hoses, and lights.”

Beyond the effect that vehicle neglect can have on safety, dependability and performance, tips learned at a car care clinic can help prevent a breakdown at a busy intersection or on a heavily traveled highway, or even worse, on a deserted road far from home.

“Auto Repair Shops aren’t known as the most ‘female friendly’ environment, historically. This is also an opportunity for us to bridge that gap, and show the ladies of our community that our staff and expert technicians will treat them with respect and honesty,” continues NAME. “We’re a shop that anyone can feel completely comfortable in, and we want to share that hospitality at our clinics.”

Those wishing to attend the free clinic can RSVP by contacting CONTACT INFORMATION.

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