CARSTAR

Background:
CARSTAR (www.carstar.com) is North America's largest collision repair network with more than 300 stores in the United States and Canada. The Overland Park, Kansas-based company is in the process of making the transition from a solid, but little known super-regional company, into a dominant national corporation with a ubiquitous brand. CARSTAR tapped INK in April 2003 to help fuel this transition by conducting a media relations campaigned aimed at:

• Establishing CARSTAR as the national authority in the collision repair industry
• Raising CARSTAR's profile in its home market, as well as in key regions served by existing franchises
• Attracting new franchisees

Strategy/Tactics:
INK's first step was to establish CARSTAR's preeminent position among its peers by targeting key trade publications within the collision repair industry. This would work toward positioning CARSTAR as an expert in the field, and would allow the company to reach independent collision repair stores that may be interested in becoming franchisees. INK's work has led to CARSTAR being featured in more than a dozen trade publication articles.

At the same time, INK started going after top-tier national media outlets that might run a business profile on CARSTAR, even though the company is privately held and is only super-regional in scope. To overcome these shortcomings, INK focused on the CARSTAR's strengths: (a) it is the leader in its industry, (b) it operates in a field that offers great visuals for television, and (c) the vast majority of the public has had direct experience in some form with a collision repair/auto body shop. INK creatively tied these characteristics to the hot news of the day. As a result, CARSTAR has been covered by some of the most influential business media, including Forbes and CNBC-both of which typically only cover public companies.

In addition, INK has helped CARSTAR dramatically raised its profile in Kansas City, Mo., where it is headquartered, as well as in key regional markets.

Results:

National Media
ABC World News Tonight
BusinessWeek
Car Clinic Nationally syndicated radio program
Car & Driver Radio
Christian Science Monitor
CNBC Squawk Box
Forbes
Wall Street Journal

Key CARSTAR Markets
Fort Pierce (FL) Tribune
Kansas City Business Journal
Kansas City Star (multiple times)
KCTV-TV (CBS) Kansas City, MO (twice)
KMBC-TV (ABC) Kansas City, MO
KMSB-TV (FOX) Tucson, AZ
KSDK-TV (NBC) St. Louis, MO
KTVI - TV (FOX) St. Louis, MO
KVOA-TV (NBC) Tucson, AZ
KOLD-TV (CBS) Tucson, AZ
Orlando Business Journal
Port St. Lucie (FL) News
South Florida Business Journal online
Tampa Bay Business Journal online
Tampa Tribune
WDAF-TV (FOX) Kansas City, MO
WIBW-TV (CBS) Topeka, KS
WGRZ-TV (NBC) Buffalo, NY
WKBW-TV (ABC) Buffalo, NY

Industry Trade Publications
Autobody Online (multiple times)
Collision Repair Industry Insight (multiple times)
CollisionWeek (multiple times)
Hammer & Dolly
Parts & People (multiple times)

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