Parts Supplier Driven Awareness Campaign Moving Ahead

Automotive aftermarket supplier members of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) have committed to the next steps in the association’s industry awareness and education campaign, “Know Your Parts.”

At the third annual AASA Vision Conference, the association’s membership meeting, was attended by more than 200 participants. The event also included a meeting of the AASA Board of Governors and meetings of association councils, including: the AASA Fuel Pump Manufacturers Council, the AASA Marketing Executives Council, the Filter Manufacturers Council and the MEMA Technology Council (formerly the MEMA Information Services Council).

Launched at AAPEX 2009, the AASA “Know Your Parts” campaign seeks to stem the proliferation of low quality parts throughout the aftermarket supply chain. According to the AASA, these components not only threaten the good reputations of aftermarket businesses from the supplier to the distributor to the independent repair facility, but also pose a potential danger to consumers and the professional repair technicians who install the parts.

Steve Handschuh, president and COO of AASA, announced the next steps in the “Know Your Parts” campaign in his opening remarks at the AASA Vision Conference.

“We have a vital message to spread throughout the aftermarket industry that quality matters when it comes to aftermarket parts. As full-service aftermarket suppliers, you add value to the aftermarket supplier chain and, most importantly, you stand behind the parts you sell,” Handschuh said. “Now it’s time for us to initiate the next steps of AASA ‘Know Your Parts’ and keep the momentum going,” Handschuh told conference attendees.

AASA full-service aftermarket supplier members will carry the “Know Your Parts” campaign forward in the coming months in the following ways:

* devoting ad placements in their annual advertising contracts with the Know Your Parts message and be featured as the sponsor.

* including the Know Your Parts logo and/or message in company communications.

* using the AASA Know Your Parts campaign logo on their Web sites, with a link to the campaign Web site (http://kyp.aftermarketsuppliers.org).

* broadcasting the AASA Know Your Parts campaign videos in trade show exhibits, events or Web sites.

* distributing AASA Know Your Parts campaign materials – flyers, talking point cards, etc. – at events or through corporate mailings.

* partnering with AASA to promote their companies’ product quality training materials.

* promoting their online product quality training programs through a link at the AASA Know Your Parts campaign Web site.

* including AASA Know Your Parts materials in customer contacts and during client meetings.

* encouraging other full-service suppliers to promote the AASA Know Your Parts campaign during peer networking at industry events.

* educating their employees about the AASA Know Your Parts campaign.

In addition to Handschuh’s presentation, the “Know Your Parts” campaign also debuted a new video during the AASA Vision Conference. Produced by MontAd, the video uses animation and humour to convey the importance of using quality, name brand aftermarket parts. It will be available soon on the Internet and at the AASA Know Your Parts Web site, http://kyp.aftermarketsuppliers.org.

For more information about the AASA “Know Your Parts” campaign, visit the Web site or contact Jack Cameron, jcameron@mema.org.