From a brand and marketing perspective.

Gary Bertwistle, a three-time TEC Speaker of the Year as voted by Australian CEOs, tackled the crucial role of branding within the fiercely competitive car wash industry. Moving past the simple expectation of clean cars, Gary discussed how strategic branding significantly bolsters customer loyalty and profitability. His talk underlined the need to distinguish one’s business from the competition and smartly position a car wash for success in an ever-evolving market. Gary’s session was rich with insights and practical advice on nurturing customer loyalty and enhancing a car wash’s market standing.

Some key points that resonated with us included:

1. Mapping the Battlefield: Know what your competitors are doing, then aim to do it better and differently, cutting through the market noise.

2. Understanding Your Key Customers: Engage directly with your customers to grasp what truly matters to them, using conversations and feedback to deepen your understanding.

3. Building Your Messaging Framework:
     • Identify the unacceptable status quo and the customer’s problems.
     • Review what customers have tried and their past options.
     • Outline your approach and process.
     • Detail your offer.
     • Describe the envisioned new life, benefits, and payoff for the customer.

4. Leveraging Internal Communications: Align internal communications with external messages to enhance how your customers perceive and connect with your business. By openly sharing your values, ethics, and goals—the very principles your staff embody daily—you reinforce the significance of your business to both employees and customers, fostering a deeper sense of connection and loyalty.

5. Emphasising the Point of Cause (POC): Shift focus from just differentiating your business to why it fundamentally matters. This was illustrated by the inspirational story of President Kennedy's 1962 visit to NASA, which highlighted a janitor’s sense of purpose in contributing to the moon landing.

By Sally Male, CWSA Marketing Manager
21/08/24

This year's Car Wash Show Australia information sessions highlighted branding and marketing, resonating deeply given my background in these areas. Brand extends beyond a catchy name or a sleek logo—it embodies the people, customer experience, and site presentation. We’re excited to delve deeper into this in our upcoming article, but for now, here are the main takeaways from the event.

Gary Bertwistle, a three-time TEC Speaker of the Year as voted by Australian CEOs, tackled the crucial role of branding within the fiercely competitive car wash industry. Moving past the simple expectation of clean cars, Gary discussed how strategic branding significantly bolsters customer loyalty and profitability. His talk underlined the need to distinguish one’s business from the competition and smartly position a car wash for success in an ever-evolving market. Gary’s session was rich with insights and practical advice on nurturing customer loyalty and enhancing a car wash’s market standing.

Some key points that resonated with us included:

1. Mapping the Battlefield: Know what your competitors are doing, then aim to do it better and differently, cutting through the market noise.

2. Understanding Your Key Customers: Engage directly with your customers to grasp what truly matters to them, using conversations and feedback to deepen your understanding.

3. Building Your Messaging Framework:
     • Identify the unacceptable status quo and the customer’s problems.
     • Review what customers have tried and their past options.
     • Outline your approach and process.
     • Detail your offer.
     • Describe the envisioned new life, benefits, and payoff for the customer.

4. Leveraging Internal Communications: Align internal communications with external messages to enhance how your customers perceive and connect with your business. By openly sharing your values, ethics, and goals—the very principles your staff embody daily—you reinforce the significance of your business to both employees and customers, fostering a deeper sense of connection and loyalty.

5. Emphasising the Point of Cause (POC): Shift focus from just differentiating your business to why it fundamentally matters. This was illustrated by the inspirational story of President Kennedy's 1962 visit to NASA, which highlighted a janitor’s sense of purpose in contributing to the moon landing.

Ed Wright, a digital marketing expert, shared insights from his six-month stint with a Gold Coast car wash, demonstrating how digital strategies bolster our sector. His presentations covered everything from establishing a digital footprint with websites and social channels to launching effective ad campaigns on Facebook and Google.

Key takeaways:

Platform Suitability: Understand which digital platform fits various types of messaging; Google captures actively engaged users, while social media is better suited for raising brand awareness.

Geographic Targeting: For physical businesses like car washes, focusing advertising efforts within a 10km radius maximises effectiveness, avoiding the inefficiencies of broader geographical targeting.

Ed’s walkthrough of ad platform backends showed the simplicity of setting up campaigns, advocating for either in-house management of these efforts or working with an agency to build and then transfer skills to staff.

Marcus Kittrell, from his beginnings as a teenage driveway attendant to becoming a leader in the US car wash market, shared his entrepreneurial journey. Now overseeing 135 locations with Mammoth Holdings and aiming for 500 by 2025, Marcus’s story is a testament to resilience and innovation.

Key insights:

Brand Management During Transitions: Marcus suggests maintaining an acquired car wash’s existing brand during initial management transitions to capitalise on the existing customer loyalty, unless a significant overhaul is required.

Customer Experience and Staff Engagement: The real differentiator in the car wash industry is the people who bring the business to life daily. Investing in staff is crucial for elevating both customer service and overall business performance.

Rory Hilton from Car Wash Sales and Advisory delivered an insightful session on the intricacies of identifying and financing the ideal car wash site. Catering to both buyers seeking market intelligence and sellers aiming to optimize their property's value, Rory was joined by guest presenter Tom Rockliff from Commercialpoint Finance. Together, they covered the critical aspects of the financing process.

The session highlighted the importance of maintaining accurate and detailed data, which not only enhances a seller’s market position but also enables buyers to secure competitive financing, thereby streamlining the purchase process.