Print advertising
 

We will start to advertise in Panorama and ESSES magazine, maybe Excellence too and I'm also looking at Ferrari magazines. Full page ads. What makes a good ad that will prompt you to google Tru6 or go to our web site? Our site is being redone now by a friend if anyone needs web work done, she's really great.

White space, this means don't fill it full of crap that nobody is going to read. Don't make it busy.
Ads that catch the eye and hold it there are best. Keep it simple and to the point.

I always stop at ads that have a "middle of restoration" picture.

Beautiful, concours cars pictures are a dime a dozen for ads, but the ones that make me wonder "why is the rear 1/4 panel off the car and the suspension torn apart?" pique my attention. Something with a line like "Thought of something else while I had the brake pads out"

Some "before and after" photos would catch my attention. Then a little technical info on your process, which helps me buy into using your services.

Maybe a couple testimonials as well.

I'm not marketing guy so take those suggestions for what they are worth.

^+1
Before and After pics!

I like the before and after pics but have to have a way to get them to the web site to see the real transformation. Only so much real estate on a page. There should be literally 20+ more for this transformation of a European delivery special 914-6.

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Some of the ads in those mags looke like they are from the back of a comic book and others look like very traditional car magazine ads. Somewhere in between is probably just fine.

Having a need makes me google. I can't remember a time I googled something out of a magazine without an explicit need for a part or service.

Perhaps a single transition graphic from old to new.

Does your service include CV joint replacement, wheel cylinder rebuild, and wheel bearing replacement? The before and after photos kind of imply that your parts are ready to re-install. That last photo with everything in pieces represents what I think you are offering.

Especially for parts with some symmetry - perhaps a 1/2 old paired up to a 1/2 redone would make your point in a little less space.

Gazooks! That's some beautiful work, Shaun!

I know you were referring to the visuals of a page ad, but I think there are a couple things that set you/Tru6 apart, and I think they're worth a marketing angle.

First, you offer expertise in a very niche market: hardware finishes. A lot of places will sell go fast parts or doo dads. You're selling a restoration skill (and almost archival knowledge base) that a lot of people overlook (or only think of later on in a build). And you're also selling a service that may not be so easily replicated by peoples' local shops. You think it's easy starting up an anodization business in Los Angeles with all the EPA regs? I have customers (companies) that make aerospace bolts that farm out their finishing because it's prohibitive for them to set it up in-house.

The second is your obsessive attention to detail. You're a bit OCD. Remember the original Lexus tag line? "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection" You're a bit like that in this field. I think that sets you apart. You don't just clean and repaint parts, or source hard-to-find hardware--you make an effort to make stuff perfect, and that's valuable from a marketing perspective, as well.

You should compose your ad 'draft' copy, then post here - we would be your focus group.

Repetition and simple.
People will blow by your ad the first couple of times.

I agree but opens up, what do I use. We focus on plating, anodizing, Cerakote and chrome. But do a lot more including rebuilding entire systems so they are plug and play.

That and I've found everyone loves cars being restored, parts not as much. And certainly understand why.

Turbo caliper or decklid grille transformations are interesting especially as a step by step thread but I'm not sure two or three pics in an ad does much for anyone.

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It’s targeted for sure, but why print?

Are there any print ads that you like? Anything that draws you in Shaun?

Yes. Here's what we do. Plating. Anodizing. Cerakote. Chrome. Polishing. And in doing any of those things, we can rebuild any part so that it's plug and play. From black phosphate studs in polished front hubs with new bearings and a grey phosphate bearing cap to polished rear trailing arms with new bearings... we take it apart, we can put it all back together instead of just sending you restored parts. It's really what the customer wants. But yes, in terms of plating, we get orders from a few clamps to entire car's hardware set.

We have also rebuilt a few transmissions and put in Guard LSDs as well as just tumbling the cases but I try to stay away from 915 rebuilds these days.

The challenge is we have 3 standalone companies under one roof: Anodizing door frames and other pieces, plating and Cerakote. We've been getting enough Ferrari plating and BMW anodizing and this and that, that I feel like we need to branch out to get more makes coming in. But I want to grow on our strength within the Porsche community first. All of our new business is word of mouth and FB and IG posts. Advertising in Hagerty's magazine will be as soon as August 2021. Honestly, I had planned on hitting every Porsche event I could this year and that would have netted us at least $100K of new business I think. Hershey alone is typically $20K+.

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You need better pictures.
Not trying to be rude, but stage that stuff so it pops. A plastic tub isn’t showing anything at it’s best.

You have captured exactly what we are all about. Just a little OCD, yeah. :)

I thought of a tag line: We're the only ones who care about your car more than you. Not sure if that's too arrogant or just off-putting but we live it. One thing I'd also like to put in an ad but know that we can't is that door frame anodizing restoration is the best in the country and may be the world. But I don't think you can say that.

We have a lot of Porsche and a few Ferrari independent shops using us because they've used local vendors and they just aren't up to the job needed most of the time. In five years I don't think I've had an unhappy customer.