Document KRO7GxkYDmqM1vGN1ZZDn1d2K

ROMERO'S SERVICE & SUPPLY PRESENTS NAPA CAR CARE DAYS NEW MEXICO STYLE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG! One of the primary objectives of NAPA's Car Care Days is to increase motorists' awareness of the importance of seasonal vehicle maintenance. The more that motor ists understand about the cost and time saving benefits of such seasonal preven tive maintenance checks, the more likely they are to take advantage of the product/ service specials offered by both yourself and your dealer customers during NAPA's Car Care Days. It only makes sense, then, that the more a NAPA Jobber promotes this vehicle maintenance concept, the more successful his Car Care promotions will be. This, at least, is the philosophy that was used by Romero's Service & Supply of San ta Fe, New Mexico, to expand its Spring Car Care promotion into a statewide event. (Romero's Service & Supply is one of four stores in and around the Santa Fe/ Raton area owned by NAPA Jobber Dick Romero; all four stores are serviced by the NAPA Albuquerque Distribution Center.) The concept of an expanded car care in formation campaign was the brainchild of Jeannie Eliff, outside sales representative for Romero's Service & Supply's Santa Fe store. A few weeks before NAPA's Car Care Days spring promotion was scheduled to begin, Eliff stopped by a local clothing store to pick up a few items. While in the shop, Eliff was approached by a customer who was curious about the NAPA logo on her jacket, so Eliff obligingly began to explain about NAPA, Romero's Service & Supply and the upcoming Car Care promotion. She was surprised, however, when other customers, overhearing the conversation, began strolling over to better hear what she was saying. Within a short time Eliff was addressing a group of people, each ex pressing a sincere interest in learning more about their automobiles and Romero's Ser vice & Supply's upcoming car care promotion. Eliff related the experience to Bob Horo witz, store manager for Romero's Service & Supply. He agreed that, as there ap peared to be a keen interest in learning more about vehicle maintenance, perhaps Romero's Service & Supply could do some thing to address this need. At this point, plans began for incorporating a special vehicle awareness clinic into Romero's Ser vice & Supply's car care promotion. Eliff, however, decided to take Romero's car care information campaign a step fur ther. After all, she figured, if a casual con versation in a local shop had uncovered such a keen interest, then it stood to reason that there were a lot of other motorists who would be just as interested in learning more about their vehicles and the upcoming Car Care event. Having investigated a few pos sibilities, Eliff decided to contact the Gover nor's office. After listening to Eliff explain the benefits of preventive and seasonal maintenance and the reasoning behind Romero's Ser vice & Supply's upcoming Car Care promo tion, the contact suggested that Eliff put her thoughts in writing for the Governor to review. So Eliff immediately set about writing a proclamation and promptly sub mitted it, along with an explanatory cover letter from Romero's Service & Supply, to Governor Toney Anaya. Two weeks later, Eliff received confirma tion from the Governor's office: as a result of the concerns expressed by the people of Romero's Service & Supply, Governor Anaya had signed the proclamation and had officially declared May, 1984, as "Vehi cle Awareness Month in New Mexico." To capitalize on the promotional and publicity opportunities surrounding the Governor's announcement, Romero's Ser vice & Supply immediately sent out press releases. The releases, highlighting Ro mero's Service & Supply's involvement in creating the motorist information campaign, also promoted the special activites that the store was planning, including its NAPA Car Care Days promotion and vehicle awareness clinic. To even further establish Romero's Service & Supply's position of leadership in the statewide event, the releases also issued a challenge to other businesses to sponsor similar activities to benefit New Mexico's motorists during the newly proclaimed Vehicle Awareness Month. By turning its Car Care Days promotion into such a major event, Romero's Service & Supply certainly succeeded in attaining its primary, immediate objective: the de claration of a statewide "Vehicle Awareness Month" and the surrounding publicity has definitely spread the word of the importance of vehicle maintenance. But Romero's Ser vice & Supply will also receive long term benefits from its efforts: by taking a leader ship role in the creation of this statewide event, Romero's Service & Supply has surely established a strong identity and positive reputation within the community it serves. 19