As a car wash owner, you may think you are doing everything possible to get people in the door (or tunnel, so to speak). You hired a marketing agency with experience in the car wash industry, you’re running online ads for free washes, promoting membership offers, and remarketing using text, email and digital ads. Does this sound familiar? Of course it does. It’s a tried and true approach for car wash marketing, but is it enough?

In the highly competitive car wash industry, this approach may not be enough to differentiate your wash from the competition. Instead, there needs to be a focus on what makes your car wash different from the car wash two miles down the street (or across the street!). As an owner or operator, you would be tempted to answer with, “but we’ve got better pricing, touch-free options, or superior tunnel technology.”  While these attributes hold value to you, they don’t mean much to your audience. The answer lies in the strength of your brand and why your brand provides a better experience for the customer than the competition.

Car wash jargon and generic marketing slogans don’t communicate what your brand is or does. The way your brand communicates should touch the emotions of customers and evoke positive feelings.  A brand that fosters a deeper, thoughtful connection with the customer builds a relationship that keeps customers around for the long haul – retaining members and increasing the frequency of retail customer visits, all the while solidifying the long-term value of your car wash.

While well-designed menus and a professional, pleasing aesthetic are a major part of branding, those are just scratching the surface. Fostering real connection requires directly engaging with customers in ways they want to be engaged with. Use your digital platforms to shift your brand’s focus to how your car wash will affect the community it is a part of. It’s not about what the community has to offer your car wash, it’s about what your car wash has to offer them.

Social media is a great place to start. Centering your social media content on people rather than product will not only perform better in terms of likes and engagement, but will also document your car wash’s history of putting people first. Instead of only posting about your unlimited wash club features, post a video of the benefits to the end user by incorporating a satisfied club customer. When you’re focused on the customer experience, the people you reach feel like more than just a number. Instead of posting about your new ceramic offering, post a photo of a smiling staff member engaging with a customer in the vacuum area – possibly with a ceramic sign in the background. You’re not just washing cars; you’re creating a welcoming atmosphere and a sense of belonging within your brand that fosters loyalty.

Supplement your digital marketing with an offline presence. Over the past decade, digital marketing has taken over and rightfully so. It has fueled growth for many car washes, but results can plateau – whether your audience is exhausted, or the message is getting lost in the abundance of other online ads, offers, and pop ups (from companies with million-dollar marketing budgets). Simply adding dollars to your ad spend is not always the best solution. Use a variety of marketing strategies to propel your brand forward and grow your brand’s credibility with an offline presence.

Hosting events and giveaways is a great way to curate your brand and raise awareness offline. Hosting events further solidifies a welcoming atmosphere and creates a sense of belonging as everyone comes together to celebrate a grand opening, customer appreciation day, or other special event.

“We gave out custom branded Valentine’s Day cards in February and we got great feedback from members and customers. There was one customer, who was an older gentleman, that said he hadn’t received a valentine’s day card in years, and it really made his day. He left a great review and is now following us on Facebook.” – Betty D., BEAR EXPRESS CAR WASH

“We opened a few locations last year and supplemented our digital efforts with an onsite grand opening event. We had remote radio, food trucks, raffles, and even costumed characters like Paw Patrol for the kids. We had a great turn out and it was a very successful event. Now those locations are some of our top performers to date.” – Yossi D., PRESTIGE CAR WASH

Continue to curate your brand by associating your car wash with other local brands and engaging with the community. It shows that your brand cares about being an active member of the community and increases visibility amongst your target audience. Sponsoring a local sports team, partnering with like-minded small businesses, and participating in community events are just a few examples of this.

“A few years ago, we decided to partner with local small businesses like restaurants and cafes to give away gift cards to our car wash customers over the slower summer months. Now, we have customers asking about this year-round. The participation increases year after year, so we know people are talking and that they appreciate the fact we are supporting other local businesses.” – Amanda K., K&S CAR WASH

“We decided to sponsor athletics at Rutgers University, to maximize exposure for Team Car Wash, and the benefits have increased as we continue to get more involved in the partnership. As the “Official Car Wash for Rutgert Athletics” we collaborate on social media content, advertise at their venues, and have a more ingrained association with their brand which compliments ours perfectly. When they are top of mind, so are we.” – Tom F., TEAM CAR WASH

As one of the fastest growing industries in the US, car washes require well-conceived, tailored branding and marketing strategies to differentiate themselves from the competition. While you may be focused on driving trial to your car wash, it is important to keep the end goal in mind: longer-term customer retention. Brand your wash through a variety of avenues to effectively connect with your audience at a deeper level and reap the benefits of higher loyalty among your members and retail customers alike.

Photo 1: Operating since 1977. K&S Car Wash has become a community staple in Auburn, New York where the founding family owns and operates four locations. Its social media presence consists of people-oriented messaging which has encouraged a more personal relationship with customers and members alike, fostering loyalty and word of mouth marketing.

Photo 2: Prestige Car Wash opened multiple new locations in 2023 in addition to the established 22 locations currently operating. Each grand opening campaign featured a public celebration and community event where the wash hosted food trucks, giveaways, costumed characters, and other activities for the community to enjoy.

Photo 3: Team Car Wash collaborates with the local university to spread brand awareness offline. By associating themselves with a well-established local brand, the Team Car Wash brand is more clearly portrayed to customers and keeps the wash top of mind when Rutgers University is present.