| President's Message |
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The summer's first trip to the beach, your kid's first day of class, your first cold of the winter, trekking out to view the July 4th fireworks. It's like baseball's opening day (and the hangover the following day) - the annual jaunt out to Las Vegas, Nev. for Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW).
AAIW is viewed by many of us several ways. From the delayed, oversold flights to the long taxi lines at the airport to a week of being on your feet putting your company's best foot forward. Yes, some of us think of it that way, but it doesn't have to be like that.
In fact, AAIW should be viewed as the most important sales event of the year. It's a chance to launch new products and programs, begin next year's sales season (and for some lucky ones, generate increased sales for the fourth quarter) and to create brand differentiation. Basically, it is what you make of it and definitely what you put into it.
True, your marketing budget for AAIW looks far different than the one you had penciled in the budget at the start of the year, but this gives you the opportunity to take risks, try new initiatives and step out of the box.
I invite you to attend our first ever ACC Industry Teleconversation. Tom Marx, The Marx Group, will lead an interactive discussion on what your peers are expecting from this year's show, share tips on how your marketing and communications strategies can make a difference and much more.
So pencil in 2 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and watch for upcoming e-mails with more information.
Neal Zipser, NZ Marketing & Communications
President, Automotive Communication Council |
| Join Your ACC Colleagues for the First in a Series of TELECONVERSATIONS! |
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ACC is pleased to announce a series of Teleconversations, launching its first on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The topic of the Aug. 26 call will be trade show marketing, specifically AAPEX and SEMA. We believe there are many hidden marketing opportunities for these events, and in this budget-challenged time, innovation is demanded the need to demonstrate the ROI of these events to upper management. This call will be moderated by Tom Marx, president/CEO of The Marx Group and Marx Group Advisors.
ACC Teleconversations are planned for every other month, with a different topic and moderator for each call. Topics for each Teleconversation will be designed to support you with the marketing challenges you face, and an opportunity to share your insights with others engaged in aftermarket marketing. Each call will run no longer than 60-75 minutes. The ACC Teleconversations are FREE for current ACC members. Non-members are welcome to participate in no more than two of these calls.
The format for each call will be to introduce the topic and some speaking points, and then the floor will be turned over to all participants to foster a lively and informative conversation. Some topics to be covered include pre- and post-show marketing tactics, how to best train the at-show sales team, and to introduce some of the new features available at the 2009 AAPEX event. Our goal is to leave you with insights and knowledge that you might not have had before this call.
Please RSVP by Tuesday, Aug. 25 to Beatrice Livioco at 240-333-1089, or e-mail beatrice.livioco@aftermarket.org.
The ACC Board is open to ideas for future ACC Teleconversations, so email your suggestions to ACC 2nd Vice President Tony Molla at tmolla@ase.com.
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| Join ACC on Facebook! |
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ACC is now has a Facebook page! Join as a "fan" and get the most up-to-date information on ACC news, presentations and topics. To stay in touch with the latest in aftermarket marketing and communications, click here to join. |
| Membership Renewals - Don't Forget! |
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Attention ACC members! Your continued membership allows ACC to provide a valuable networking forum for the exchange of ideas, information and resources about issues, challenges and trends impacting companies and organizations throughout the aftermarket industry and is greatly appreciated.
Current members, please fax or mail the annual membership dues along with your renewal invoice, as soon as possible to continue your involvement in our dynamic group.
Also, please let us know if there are any discrepancies in your contact information so that we may update your file in our database. For more information, call 240-333-1089 or e-mail acc@aftermarket.org. |
| 2009 Automotive Communications Awards (ACA)- Call for Entries |
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Consumers are becoming more interested than ever about their cars. Proper vehicle maintenance is a proven way for consumers to save money, time and energy. The Car Care Council Women's Board and the Automotive Communication Council applaud those companies and agencies that provide automotive information to consumers and the trade professionals who interact with them on a daily basis. Whether it be through outstanding advertising, marketing, merchandising and/or effective PR, these two organizations would like to recognize their efforts through the Automotive Communications Awards (ACA) competition.
Don't miss out on the two best-in-show (Business-to-Consumer and Business-to-Business) awards that will be announced and presented at the WB Reception at AAPEX, Tuesday, Nov. 3!
Entries for the 2009 Automotive Communications Awards are due by Friday, Sept. 4. Click here for the entry form. For more information on the 2009 ACA awards or to become a judge, contact Beatrice Livioco at 301-654-6664 or e-mail beatrice.livioco@aftermarket.org.
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| Did You Know? |
According to eMarketer.com, $13.5 billion was spent on search engine marketing in 2008 alone. The majority of this spending was on paid search (88%) and engine optimization (11%).
For the full article, click here.
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