As we all saw this past summer, drought continues to be a very real issue throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. As an industry, it is so important for us to be proactively sharing our environmental responsibility message.
In October I had the opportunity to share professional car washing’s role in water conservation and safe discharge with more than 900 regulators and utilities represented at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference. It was refreshing how many utilities sought out the International Carwash Association, took inforcmation for car washes in their area, and want to use the ICA’s new WashWithWaterSavers.com website as a resource for their communities.
WashWithWaterSavers.com is just a small piece of the large effort we’ve undertaken to help our members tell their environmental responsibility story with our WaterSavers program. WaterSavers remains the most effective, unified voice to do so.
It’s been a busy few months with the program. We launched a Facebook app in August and then complemented the app with a dedicated advertising campaign in September. The campaign generated more than 161 million impressions — a significant number in spreading the WaterSavers brand to consumers. The campaign also generated more than 20,000 click-throughs to WaterSavers member companies’ Facebook pages.
We also launched a nationwide “matte release” — a news article that is picked up in multiple community newspapers and outlets — focused on tips for winterizing your car and concentrated on professional car washing. The release was featured in both print and online media through additional blogger outreach and generated more than 20 million impressions.
WaterSavers members also received a surprise in the mail in October. Each participating company received the Swiss army knife of marketing kits that contained sample signage, an educational video for employees, customer facing postcards, employee buttons and a USB drive full of materials for operators to use. New members to the WaterSavers program will receive marketing kits upon enrollment as long as supplies last. If you’re not already a member, now is the time to make sure you’re included.
As we leave behind a busy fall, and move into an even busier winter, it’s more important than ever to keep an attentive eye on your business. In this issue of the magazine we’ve covered tips on getting the most out of your negotiating power, a look at the French car wash industry, keys to running a successful family business, and the power of community involvement for your company.
In this issue, you will also find a preview of our second Wash Count report. Launched in May at The Car Wash Show, the Wash Count program has now provided participating operators with six months of benchmarking data, allowing operators to understand how their business is performing against like businesses and within their region. We’ve shared with you the high-level, trending data on the industry, and encourage you to participate if you are not already.
Enjoy this issue of CAR WASH Magazine. As always, we’d love to know what you think.
Best wishes,
Chief Operating Officer
cdarmanin@carwash.org
+1 312.673.5749
