automotive

National Pep Boys Effort Taps Mixed Media

Pepboys

The Pep Boys automotive aftermarket chain is touting its in-store automotive service as well as its retail aftermarket parts business for do-it-yourselfers in its largest campaign to date and first national campaign in years.

The campaign, via Zimmerman Advertising, features founders Manny, Moe & Jack as miniature bobble toys who nod in unison when car owners extol the virtues of buying auto parts and doing it yourself or bringing their cars in to one of the Pep Boys stores for service. The effort, comprising television, radio, print and Internet and grassroots elements, includes ad buys on networks like CNN, Spike TV and ESPN and a new interactive website. Tag: "Does Everything. For Less."

Scott Stoughton, director of marketing and advertising at the Philadelphia-based company -- says the campaign, really the first in a long time for the Pep Boys -- reflects the company's big management change in 2008. "Most of it had been promotionally driven," he says, "not consumer driven. We got a whole new team here, after rough times, and there needed to be a change."

advertisement

advertisement

Shifting advertising media mix and improving customer service have been two areas of focus, per Stoughton, who says the company had done mostly print ads touting promotions. "We came in with more mixed media this time, broadcast and print and tested it in 2009 in four markets and tried a different mix, and rolled it into 2010," he says. The company tapped Zimmerman as AOR at the end of 2008.

The change in marketing strategy also shifted the focus to consumer research. "We felt business would grow if we could answer what [consumers] were looking for," says Stoughton, who adds that Pep Boys did quantitative and qualitative research last year in many markets, "even down to the tagline which was introduced second half of 2009."

"We found out that consumers love Pep Boys -- the brand and the history -- but, for instance, we had 'do-it-for-me' folks coming in for years who had no idea we have service bays. And even those who did get service done at Pep Boys didn't know the depth of service we offer; they didn't realize we can remove engines and fix transmissions."

Linked to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels, the new Web site touts Pep Boys as a place to get vehicle service, not just buy your next oil filter. In addition to interactive games, there is a "My Glovebox" feature where people can maintain vehicle records, and a program called E-Serve for scheduling service at Pep Boys centers.

Stoughton says the new campaign also reflects the fact that half of Pep Boys' customers fix their own vehicles and half have someone else do the work, "So it's important to us to promote each side of the business equally."

The company says that 61% of Americans who own a vehicle hope to keep it for four or more years, but that while consumers are driving their vehicles longer, 37% wait more than 24 hours before bringing their vehicle to a mechanic or service station once the "check oil" light comes on.

1 comment about "National Pep Boys Effort Taps Mixed Media ".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. John Williams from Govt, July 7, 2010 at 3:52 p.m.

    Yes, Pep Boys has having a lot of success in Social Media as well. Last week they were spoken about a lot on digg.com and twitter.com regarding this story:

    http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/drive-she-said/2010/06/cicero-pep-boys-takes-local-man-on-long-strange-ride.html

Next story loading loading..