CLA launches coin laundry promotion
For the last decade, the Coin
Laundry Association has
researched tried-and-true methods for coordinating national
advertising campaigns in order to come up with the best plan
possible to help promote the services of its own members.
In that time, CLA determined that
traditional programs which have worked in other industries may
not be viable for the coin laundry industry. The cost of
fund-raising made such campaigns financially prohibitive, and,
coupled with the fact that many individual coin laundries do
not aggressively advertise their stores, CLA opted to follow a
more unconventional approach.
At Clean ‘03 in Las Vegas, the
association announced its Five Star Laundry program. Already,
consumers recognize the Five Star theme through similar
programs that rate the finest hotels and restaurants. Now, CLA
is hoping to do the same for the coin laundry industry.
In the first phase of the plan, CLA will
work with advertising professionals to develop a turn-key kit
of first-class advertising and promotional materials to spread
the word on the program.
The second phase will include designating
a participating store’s commitment to quality with a
ranking between one-to-five stars.
Each turn-key package will be customizable
to suit the specific needs of every participating laundry.
Advertisements announcing the program will carry universal
messages that promote the use of coin laundries in general, but
space will be left for tags identifying the particular store
being advertised.
Five Star Laundry program logos will also
be available for use in a variety of advertisements, such as
Yellow Page ads, and on business cards and letterheads for
store owners.
Other elements at the core of the program
that CLA will make available to participating members include:
• A network-quality professionally
produced 30-second television spot.
• A network-quality professionally
produced 60-second radio spot.
• Two sleek newspaper advertisements.
All of the above will be
customizable to promote an individual laundry store.
Other elements of the program include:
• A two-sided 8” x 10”
color window sticker to show customers that the store is
qualified to be in the program.
• A full-service web site,
www.fivestarlaundry.org, where potential customers may locate
Five Star laundries in their hometown and read do-it-yourself
laundry tips.
• A pre-written press release ready
for submission to local newspapers that announces a
store’s inclusion into the program.
Artwork will be made available for a large
window banner that proclaims a store’s membership in the
Five-Star Laundry program, as well as two Val-Pak coupons that
can be tailored to include special offers and individual store
information.
Store owners may also take advantage of a
customizable postcard mailer that promotes self-service
laundries and a how to flyer that teaches them the most
effective way in using all of the promotional items available
from CLA.
The beauty of this program is that CLA has
created the materials for its members at a fraction of what it
would cost for laundry owners to do it themselves, said Brian
Wallace, CLA executive director.
When members receive the materials, they
can use as many or as few of the tools as they need, he added.
They decide what their advertising budget will be, not CLA. As
more and more stores participate, each one forwarding a
consistent message, more households will discover that
self-service laundry is the best option.
The program will only be available to CLA
members who purchase it and qualify as a Five Star laundry. It
will run through the end of 2004. At that time, members will
have a chance to renew their Five Star Laundry program status
and receive a new set of advertising materials for 2005.
The cost to enroll is $249 for
single-store owners, plus $29 per additional store for
multiple-store owners.
For more information, contact the
organization at (877) CLA-IDEA.
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