Brand recognition - funny story

[briteauto]

I was at one of my washes the other day. Whenever I am there, I mingle with the customers, ask them how they like the wash - ask if there is anything they would like to see improved etc.

I was chatting with one guy and he saw me toting along a few empty Simoniz 5 gallon pails. He said "Smoniz, I thought a car wash would use some sort of professional soap." I explained how the Simoniz products he sees in stores are a consumer line and that the commercial car washes use a professional line of products made by Simoniz.

I do not market my brand at all - no signs, banners, traffic cones - customers will only know what I use if they see a pail getting moved in or out - like this guy did.

I thought it was funny that brand recognition in this case meant this customer thought I was going cheap on my supplies, because it was the same thing he could get at the local discount store. I suppose if he saw Warsaw or JBS, he would have thought I must be using something "professional."

 

[mjwalsh]

Brite Auto,

We used to have a large Simoniz Wax Banner up at one time & I agree. It seems overall customers can be more sophisticated nowadays than they used to be when it comes to noticing the actual performance & results vs the hype &/or perception.

I always noticed one of our local gas stations when they have 10 cents off per gallon of gas coupons for non credit card payment on Sundays how they would actually be much busier than the other gas stations. They also have an automatic car wash. I am sure that some big city areas trying to do that could have quite a bit different results ... to be fair.

I gave up trying to predict the public too much ... they can be fickle & actually turn 180 degrees for or against a specific brand or franchise. I guess there can be triggers that can make things happen pretty fast ... for example the "Chick fill A" phenomena!

mike

 

[Ric]

I was at one of my washes the other day. Whenever I am there, I mingle with the customers, ask them how they like the wash - ask if there is anything they would like to see improved etc.

I was chatting with one guy and he saw me toting along a few empty Simoniz 5 gallon pails. He said "Smoniz, I thought a car wash would use some sort of professional soap." I explained how the Simoniz products he sees in stores are a consumer line and that the commercial car washes use a professional line of products made by Simoniz.

I do not market my brand at all - no signs, banners, traffic cones - customers will only know what I use if they see a pail getting moved in or out - like this guy did.

I thought it was funny that brand recognition in this case meant this customer thought I was going cheap on my supplies, because it was the same thing he could get at the local discount store. I suppose if he saw Warsaw or JBS, he would have thought I must be using something "professional."

hmmm....that's interesting....should we give/create a "brand" they can't get elsewhere...just thinking...are those brand names losing their appeal since you can get the stuff in WalMart, etc.?

 

[briteauto]

hmmm....that's interesting....should we give/create a "brand" they can't get elsewhere...just thinking...are those brand names losing their appeal since you can get the stuff in WalMart, etc.?

I'm not sure how widespread this is, but his comment did make me think about it. I'm, guessing the brands have plenty of appeal in the stores, but some customers might be expecting something else from a professional establishment - I don't know. Probably depends on how discriminating/conscious the customer is. That may not account for many of the people we deal with on a day-to-day basis. This guy could be the exception, or maybe not - hard to tell.

I know of a wash that uses Diamond Shine chemicals, and has their banners, signs, etc. That is a cool name, and you can't find it in stores. I hope my customer doesn't leave me for them!

 

[smokun]

Create Your Own Brand & Enjoy Protective Ownership

I was glad to see the previous posts. I used my own brands for years when marketing my carwash & detail operations... simply because it offered sensible controls for pricing and marketing of things that were only available at my locations. Still recommend the practice to clients. It's easy and profitable!

The products had to provide top quality performance. I used a diversified bunch of products ranging from top brands to regional suppliers. But I renamed them and supplied merchandising (menus, flyers & signage) for customers. Most were packaged in private label drums or containers, and I often modified color & fragrance on premium names. Ex: Crystal-Glaze Foam Polish, Rust Arrester Underwash, Hot-Shield Protectant, Ultra-Wash Body Shampoo, etc. I had free reign in pricing and promotions. Profits were awesome.

Why promote other brands when yours us under your complete control. I remember when Turtle Wax foam polish was popular, so many operators bought a drum (some stole empties) of it and refilled it with cheap stuff... while they said it was the Turtle brand. It gave them a competitive edge on pricing with others offering the same brand. That's nuts!

Create your own brands and enjoy the freedom and exclusivity!

 

[rph9168]

I agree with Steve. The only exception would be if you found a brand name product that outperformed the others at a competitive price but that rarely happens. The key is really to develop your own brand starting with the wash itself. You want people not to think of your wash as just a car wash but "Joe's" Car Wash.

 

[briteauto]

I was glad to see the previous posts. I used my own brands for years when marketing my carwash & detail operations... simply because it offered sensible controls for pricing and marketing of things that were only available at my locations. Still recommend the practice to clients. It's easy and profitable!

The products had to provide top quality performance. I used a diversified bunch of products ranging from top brands to regional suppliers. But I renamed them and supplied merchandising (menus, flyers & signage) for customers. Most were packaged in private label drums or containers, and I often modified color & fragrance on premium names. Ex: Crystal-Glaze Foam Polish, Rust Arrester Underwash, Hot-Shield Protectant, Ultra-Wash Body Shampoo, etc. I had free reign in pricing and promotions. Profits were awesome.

Why promote other brands when yours us under your complete control. I remember when Turtle Wax foam polish was popular, so many operators bought a drum (some stole empties) of it and refilled it with cheap stuff... while they said it was the Turtle brand. It gave them a competitive edge on pricing with others offering the same brand. That's nuts!




Create your own brands and enjoy the freedom and exclusivity!

I like some of your names, Steve. I know a guy who uses just a regular colored foam polish product and calls it "Magic Foam Wax Treatment."



Mike

 

[smokun]

Branding Requires A comprehensive Packaging Strategy

Thanks, Mike. Over the years, we've developed well over a hundred brands along with "packaging" for each one. It absolutely works great.

Done properly, the packaging (color, fragrance, marketing story, merchandising signage, etc.) is amazing when you launch the product or service. It's a hoot to watch and see the customer reaction and monitor the experience. It's truly theater.

I've had people in the trade comment about a newly branded product we created, and how it performs so much better than a comparable national brand. I quietly grin inside because in that particular case, the products were identical... but the branding package we did changed the entire perception of what the product was and how the benefits and advantages outshine the competition. In fact, the brand name, story, signage and color subliminally motivated customers to "see" a dramatic difference in performance. And, while our price was higher, the perceived value justified acceptance. Unfortunately not enough attention is placed on the little thing; all the pieces of the "package" working in concert to provide a well presented story supported by the accompanying sensory motivation. Watching a well planned strategy play out is extremely rewarding... and great fun! It has served me well... and I highly recommend it.

I sincerely love doing it!