It is with much excitement that I write my first Prep Work column as Editor of Professional Carwashing & Detailing magazine. After a two-year stint as Managing Editor of this magazine followed by 14 months of covering the janitorial and sanitation market, I’m happy to be back in the car care arena.
Though the job title is new, the responsibilities and duties are familiar. This magazine and carwash.com will report on the growing, evolving and improving carwash and detail market. Speaking for the updated editorial team — made up of me and new Managing Editor Robyn Tucker — we are ready to provide even more coverage of the industry’s most important issues. Thankfully for us, there’s no shortage of relevant topics to cover.
Based on reader feedback, our industry surveys and website traffic, we have highlighted a handful of topics that we will concentrate on in the remainder of 2014 and working through 2015. These topics cover a wide of array of information: Everything from frequently-cited labor and employee relations issues to new online media and proven wash marketing.
In this month’s issue, we definitely concentrate on carwash and detail shop marketing. For the cover feature (page 50), we count down a list of 50 marketing tips. Listed by marketing target — and gathered from this industry and others — this list of tips includes ideas that can help any carwash beat sagging numbers and draw new customers on-site.
Further, the From the Trenches profile (page 62) showcases a detailer who pushes the marketing envelope almost every day. Joe Kennedy in Buffalo, N.Y., uses “shock” advertising pieces, unique mailers and frequent follow-up contact to promote his detailing business early and often. Here, we highlight some of his biggest marketing successes and learn how he takes “shock” marketing responses and develops a steady stream of return customers.
And remember, we also provide daily coverage of the carwash and detailing markets on our website, carwash.com. One of the new editorial team’s most important assignments is to continue developing this electronic resource for both existing carwash owners and operators and potential owners and detailers who want to join this thriving industry. Online, the editorial team will work to post more exclusive content. This will include new blogs, long-read online exclusive articles, podcasts, photo galleries and much more.
As an Editor, I operate with an open-door communication policy. I welcome your comments or questions at any time. You can contact me at [email protected] or at 205-408-3744.
Thank you for reading,
Phillip Lawless Editor
