The automotive aftermarket industry's "Be Car Care Aware" consumer education campaign is clearly a branding success story, thanks in part to the many participating owners and managers of ASA service and repair facilities around the country. Millions of consumers have seen and heard messages about vehicle care, maintenance and repair as a result of ambitious public relations and marketing strategies by the Car Care Council on your behalf. In a short period of time, we have learned that consumers are genuinely interested in car care information, the media is hungry for car care news and tips, and our industry is eager to participate.

How do we know this? Take a look at some highlights from this year so far:

• Dramatic increases in media coverage with 20 television interviews in top 25 markets and five national television network interviews.
• 152 percent increase (8,800) in media downloads of newspaper articles.
• 6,000 newspaper articles reaching 135 million readers.
• 3,000 online kits downloaded by media in a single month.
• Tripled visits to www.carcare.org to more than 100,000 a month.

As you can see, "Be Car Care Aware" is highly visible among the media, consumers and the industry. We are moving the needle in tapping into the $62 billion in unperformed vehicle maintenance. Here are just a few of the exciting plans for the coming months:

• Pitch network television interviews.
• Produce new service interval/maintenance brochure.
• Identify and train Latino media spokesperson.
• Translate service interval schedule into Spanish.
• Create new video and radio news releases.
• Increase press releases to media.
• Obtain Congressional designation of National Car Care Month in April.
• Display new campaign exhibit at service provider trade shows and events.
• Launch "Be Car Care Aware" in Canada in both French and English.

We are excited about the new four-color consumer brochure, which will be a centerpiece of the campaign.

The "Be Car Care Aware" campaign is off to a strong start and momentum is building. Critical to its continued growth and success will be the ongoing involvement of the individual service providers both during National Car Care Month in April and year-round. Every month is car care month for the aftermarket industry.

Rich White is vice president of marketing and member relations for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association. White oversees marketing, public relations, media relations, publications, Web sites and, most recently, the Car Care Council and the "Be Car Care Aware" consumer education campaign.

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