Ontario Auto Recyclers Seeing Green in “Green Parts” Marketing

North of the border, members of the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA) are reaping the benefits of an innovative marketing campaign that has consumers viewing the recycled parts industry in an entirely new light. Using the tag line “Good for the earth, good for your wallet, good for your vehicle” OARA has re-branded recycled used parts as “Green Parts”.

OARA Managing Director Steve Fletcher explained the genesis of the campaign. “We saw an opportunity to take advantage of the societal shift toward environmental concerns, but our research showed that those concerns don’t always translate into buying decisions. If consumers think that the greener option is somehow inferior or more expensive than what they’re doing now, they’re less likely to change their buying habits.” he said. “This program communicates the real environmental and cost savings benefits of using recycled parts. We know that recycled parts aren’t for everyone or for every repair, but if we can increase the consumer’s acceptance of Green Parts as a viable option, everybody involved in the industry will win.”

Now in its third year, the program has evolved using a top-down, bottom up strategy that capitalizes on the marketing strengths of both the association and its local members. “As an association, we’re driving the Green Parts brand message to a mass audience through things like our web site, our video production and a national advertising campaign in CAA magazine (the Canadian equivalent of AAA). But we’ve also developed a number of marketing tools that make it easy for our members to grab on to the brand and execute it at the local level” said Fletcher.

OARA’s arsenal of local marketing tools includes brochures, posters, ad mats, trade show display units, a radio jingle and fully produced radio ads. Most of the resources are available for members to download from a password protected section of the OARA web site and can be easily customized for their own use. Last year, participating members were able to order large quantities of a newspaper tabloid insert at a very low price so they could distribute them in their own markets. “The Green Parts marketing initiative has given our members a very real return on their membership investment.

With all of these items at their disposal, it’s easy for OARA Members to go to market locally and elevate their whole brand profile. They’re no longer just the local scrap yard; they’ve become the go-to guys in town for this new environmentally conscious, cost-saving face of the industry.”

OARA has licenced the logo to the Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) association and its Members, and they have recently signed an agreement for ARA to amend and adopt the logo for the US market.