After a car wreck, most drivers would probably believe that an auto body shop would be run by a man. Cindy Kleis wants to defy this stereotype by running her own dent and body repair operation. Her company is set to open in 3 months. It will offer serv'ices ranging from touch-up painting to minor and major repairs from crashes.
Cindy learned the trade from her father, who worked as an employee for a repair company for more than 30 years. He recently retired, and his former employer closed his shop. This left an opening for a new firm. After purchasing a highly "Sible location on a major street in the city, Cindy contacted a local advertising and marketing agency. She set aside $15,000 for the marketing of her launch.
The agency specializes in small business advertising and promotion. The question becomes how to reach the highest number of potential customers and the message that should be sent when making contact with them. Cindy believed that her primary advantage would be a set of skilled and experienced repair experts. with a combined 40 years of previous work. All three individuals were friends of her father and had been taught by him.
One question which would need to be resolved centered on whether the advertising should emphasize or de-emphasize the fact that the shop was owned and run by a woman. Cindy believed it was a true advantage. She noted that many women take charge when a family car is damaged, and that they might enjoy dealing With a female manager.
Media selection constitutes another major decision. Cindy knows she needs to entice people to make the first visit. which could be months or even years down the road She needs to place her company's name in their minds so that when the time comes they will visit her location.
The city in which the company is located has about 150,000 residents. When combined with the county, about 300,000 potential customers are present. The new company will have 3 major competitors in the city.
Question: Create an effective media mix and describe the campaign you would create for the grand opening and subsequent months for Cindys Auto Body Repair Shop.