Event Planning
Case Study:
On the Road and Behind the Wheel, Car Clinics Focus on Personal Safety for Women
As part of a year-long community awareness program to encourage safe and smart driving, one automobile dealership sought the assistance of MJB Public Relations Group to manage a series of car-safety clinics tailored specifically to women. The dealer recognized that women make or heavily influence approximately 85 percent of all car-buying decisions and wanted a creative, “soft-sell” approach to reach this audience. The purpose was two-fold: to provide valuable safety information and resources to area drivers, and to position the dealership favorably to female consumers in its community.
To get the word out, our team at MJB worked with area churches, newspapers and civic groups to promote the event through flyers, handouts, calendar listings and announcements in bulletins. We also arranged a car maintenance show-and-tell segment on a local TV news program to help publicize the event. MJB’s associates knew creating a comfortable, non-intimidating environment for clinic participants was important, so the team coordinated with the local police department for an officer to speak on personal safety and arranged for the dealership’s head mechanic to speak on car maintenance. The free event included dinner for all attendees, and participants received safety-tip materials and give-away items branded with the dealer’s logo. During the event, MJB provided onsite management, including registration and check-in, media coverage coordination and event photography, as well as follow-up activities, which included conducting post-event surveys, and creating and disseminating an e-mail quarterly car-safety newsletter.
he women’s car safety clinics proved popular, attracting capacity crowds and leaving a waiting list for future car-clinic events. This success helped the dealership establish a more-favorable image among female members of the local community, as indicated in post-clinic survey responses.
