Creating and maintaining a strong automotive repair shop brand starts with trust and continues with consistency. Our industry continues to suffer with a lack of trust and a bad reputation. Earned or not, it’s a major issue faced by many shops and the industry as a whole. Having strong brands in the industry is a starting point for helping build the trust to overcome this challenge. Strong brands come with one commonality, trust. Without trust in our automotive repair shops, we cannot properly tend to our customers’ needs and requirements.
Scott’s Automotive & Tire Centers is a family-owned and operated brand with ten stores across Colorado and Arizona. Established in 1993, it’s been a trusted automotive repair brand for over 30 years. But that trust has been built over time, with a strong value system of service to the community, honesty, transparency, and quality work. Over the past year the shop has been through some brand consolidation, unifying small aspects of the brand identity to reflect equally at all ten locations.
“As I think about our brand, my mind goes right to the question that I'd asked myself, ‘what do we want our brand identity to say about our business?’ For Scott’s Auto it was clean, quality, trust, attention to detail, consistency, and community,” says Julie Larson, Chief Marketing Officer at Scott's Automotive & Tire Centers, Inc. Maintaining consistency across a multi-store operation is one the aspects that qualifies successful brands. This consistency has several different branches, and one of them is the visual aspect of the multi-store shop. Scott’s Auto decided on gold and black, with gold representing the gold standard in auto repair. “We had slightly different logos for each of the locations and we were lacking that visual continuity,” says Larson. Of course, the logo is just one step into building a strong brand identity. “In all of my marketing pieces, and in store, this has to be, again, consistent in look and feel,” states Larson.
A Deep Dive into Understanding your Customer
Successful shops always understand who their customers are, they understand what their needs and concerns are, and how to effectively communicate with them. “You can do all the brand recognition and marketing you want, but if the owner isn't invested in his/her people, it's a waste of money. After all, we're in the people business.” Shop staff are the visible face of a brand, and how they interact with customers, suppliers, and the community as a whole, is what can make that brand relatable.
“Two things I believe strongly in. One, your employees are your best advertisers (if treated properly), and second, find ways to make people want to represent your brand! We've done a lot with apparel, which is an awesome way to be seen by clients and prospective clients,” says Larson.
Brands speak to people, and catering to today’s multigenerational customers has obligated auto repair shops to adapt to different forms of communicating with these customers, opening new channels, and creating 24 hour and seven day per week convenience.
“Everything in and around your shop says something about your brand,” says Larson. Adapting to newer ways of customer interaction also speaks to the value of an auto repair brand.
What Stage is your Shop in?
Whether your shop was started from scratch, you took over an existing shop, or the brand has handed down to you, you already have multiple stores, when it comes to building a strong automotive repair brand, it’s important to know what stage your branding is at. Sometimes your brand may not match the time of operation of your shop. Many newer shops are in the process of establishing a brand in their community and their area. Other brands are in the process of expanding, and all too often, shops are fighting a lack of trust or a bad reputation.
Brands require trust and consistency, especially when it comes to a multi-store shop, where customers will expect the same level of service, the same convenience, and the same pricing for the service offering. Understanding the stage at which your brand is at takes time, and effort, and a deep delve into how you are perceived in your area of operation.
Most shops start with humble beginnings, it’s rare to see shops open with large capital backing, and this means that limited resources available to owner are not spent on marketing efforts and building up a reputable brand. Building a brand takes time, and while there are parts of the process that can be designed, such as building a website, and a logo, ultimately, the brand values and daily values for interacting with the customer base are what establishes the brand.
“Some shops just have a name, not a brand,” says Larson. Many older shops in the industry have relied on word of mouth as their main source for new customer growth. At the expense of investing time and money into building a brand.
The Digital Footprint
According to experts, if you are not on the first page of a google search, your visibility drops from 75% to 25%. Google has become one of the most important search tools for consumers looking for auto repair shops, and reviews are a fundamental part of maintaining a positive brand presence. Whether it’s Google, Yelp, Facebook, or any other online platform, understanding and responding to potentially negative reviews shows active engagement on behalf of shops. Not all reviews are always going to be positive, and everyone will have an unsatisfied customer from time to time. Addressing these reviews in a constructive and positive explanatory manner can help other consumers see how your shop addresses issues.
According to the Ratchet+Wrench Industry Survey, 79% of shops use Facebook as their main social media tool. And yet, this platform is not the preferred channel for gen z customers. Only 39% of shops use Instagram, and even less, only 7% use Tiktok (*information provided prior to de jure nationwide ban in the United States on January 19, 2025). There’s a clear disconnect regarding the channels used to communicate with younger generations. According to a recent column by Ratchet+Wrench columnist, Mike Bennett, a nationally certified executive trainer, and former shop owner, “younger generations—millennials, Gen Z, and even “digital-adopter” Gen Xers, have entirely reshaped purchasing decisions.” According to Statista, 62% of Gen Z and Millennials made a purchase due to branded social media or influencer content.
Scott’s Auto has taken a proactive approach to social media. Their presence can be seen across social media platforms showcasing staff at a very personal level. This strategy appeals both to the younger generation as well as serving a brand recognition platform. Utilizing social media should be seen as an opportunity to showcase a shop and strengthen the brand it represents. According to Captiv8, 85% of gen Z shoppers say that social media influences their purchases. Shops need to be present in these channels if they want a strong brand and further reach.
