NRMA, Driving Vehicle Inspection Rates Forward

Objectives

Vehicle Inspections have been a long standing product offered by from NRMA Motoring and Road Services, providing NSW motorists an independent, expert examination of their motor vehicle and a written reports of the findings.

In the past five years NRMA has experienced a steady decline, which can be attributed to a number of factors including the increase in new car sales, improvement in the reliability of cars, extended manufacturer and second hand car dealer warranties.

However, there is considerable opportunity to grow the sales of vehicle inspections, given the low penetration of NRMA Vehicle Inspections into the used car buyers market (estimated to be around eight per cent).

Lighthouse Communications Group was appointed to: generate immediate sales for Vehicle Inspections and build consumer awareness of NRMA Vehicle Inspections; highlight the financial and safety risks associated with buying second hand vehicles and how an NRMA vehicle inspection pre-purchase can avoid these risks; and, Position NRMA Vehicle inspections as a trusted source that will identify mechanical and safety issues associated with vehicles - either second-hand or new cars coming out of warranty.

Strategy

To help generate consumer awareness of the NRMA Vehicle Inspection service Lighthouse Communications Group developed and executed a program that:

Key to the program was the preparation of a report - Used Car Repairs; The Hidden epidemic” - which investigated the cost of repair bills motorists faced when buying second hand cars privately and the safety risks such cars posed.

The report was pitched exclusively to the Daily Telegraph and then rolled on to capture radio news, morning television, talkback radio and television news that day.  Furthermore the report findings were tailored into individual releases for suburban and regional media, using local data and the report findings.

In addition to this Lighthouse Communications pitched a story to leading current affairs program - Today Tonight - which focused on the issue of re-birthed “cut and shut” vehicles and then expanded to the broader issue of used vehicles.

Results

Lighthouse Communications was able to significantly increase awareness of the issue among its customers and the wider community.

The communications program, which focused on privately sold used vehicles and the safety issues of these vehicles, generated significant media coverage including:

Major segments on Network Seven’s Today Tonight program and Network Ten’s National News program;

A high profile, lead story in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper;