Safelite AutoGlass

tl;dr

As the country’s leading provider of windshield repair and replacement — Safelite is very good at communicating its services, but hoping to better showcase the company as a brand innovator in customer experience and technology — its leadership turned to Geben.

the concept

Consumers today expect more than the service they pay for — they expect amazing customer service, technology that meets them where they are, and the latest safety technology available.

Knowing that customers only need their services out of necessity (instead of want), Safelite’s leadership has spent the last ten years building what they hope to be the most trusted brand in the service industry.

However, they struggled to communicate this value to consumers. As cars get increasingly high-tech, Safelite is concerned that there are no nationally standardized processes for how car safety sensors, known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), should be repaired – and many auto repair shops aren’t doing it correctly.

To emphasize the importance of working with knowledgeable ADAS repair experts like Safelite, Geben worked closely with the leadership team to develop a strategy that would both create awareness and educate Safelite’s target audience on Safelite’s mission.

The following execution aligns with a national media outreach campaign.

the execution

As part of an integrated strategy, Geben and Safelite developed a year-long media relations program to help position Safelite as the expert in ADAS recalibrations, while also educating consumers about the safety features in their vehicles and the associated risks. Our team also frequently monitored trends and timely news articles -- all while tracking conversations on social media sites like Twitter to identify and pitch relevant contacts for Safelite.

the result

Our efforts resulted in:

• An above-the-fold placement in the business section of The New York Times.

• An on-air segment and two online articles with Cheddar, with a combined total potential reach of 406,000.

• Additional placements in Reader’s Digest, Kelly Blue Book and FenderBender.

The New York Times article resulted in increased dialogue about the safety of ADAS features and windshield repair in the month following the article. The online article was shared and/or referenced in 12 additional outlets including, Inc., Jalopnik, SF Gate, Albany Business Journal, etc. with a combined total reach of 86,669,400. The article was also shared on social media 1,016 times.

Simultaneously, Geben began securing interviews with Safelite’s leadership showcasing the company’s commitment to both customer and associate experience including an interview with forbes.com, iHeart Radio, Inc and a second interview/story in The New York Times.