Get a Bigger Slice of the Repair Pie

By Linda Rollinson

One of the most popular new franchises in this country is called Malawi Pizza. It offers pizza and light Italian fare at more than 50 locations (so far) in five states. The pizza is typical of the pies offered at many pizza franchises. A friend who has tasted said it wasn’t awful but it wasn’t great either. Yet the company has been growing—in part because of its value proposition.

The pie-maker promotes the fact that, for each meal purchased in one of its restaurants, they donate a nutritious meal to a child in Malawi, Africa. Since its inception it has donated hundreds of thousands of meals to children in Malawi. And the website goes further. “You can visit one of our restaurants and not only enjoy a wonderful experience but also feel good knowing that you are contributing to a truly meaningful cause.” The franchiser bills Malawi Pizza as “pizza with a purpose.”

The chain has been successful (so far) by appealing to the millennial generation.

There has never been a generation drawn to causes more than millennials. “Millennials are attracted to businesses that have the audacity to puff their chests out and show their true positive Purpose for all to see,” says online marketing newsletter Mission Insight. With millennials, purpose matters a lot.

And this sense of purpose is just one of the reason there has never been a generation more suited to windshield repair than millennials. Consider these vital value propositions that windshield repair offers:

Repair is environmentally- friendly. When millennials under-stand that repair keeps a wind-shield in place, rather than sending it a landfall or one of the limited recycling facilities available, their attraction to it increases.

Repair is a wellness issue. By keeping the current seal in place, no new adhesives are necessary.

Repair is economical. Frugality is a major characteristic of the millennial generation. Once millennials understand that repair costs are so much less than replacement, or that their insurer may wave the deductible for a repair it becomes a “bargain” of which they are anxious to partake.

Repair is a time-saver. Many millennials work in the “gig economy”—holding down two or even three part-time jobs. Mobility is very important to them and knowing their car will be out of commission a minimum amount of time, brings repair to the forefront.

Repair is convenient. Repair can be done in most places where millennials are, making a repair a convenient alternative to replacement.

With all these great advantages why aren’t more millennials taking advantage of repair? It could be because they don’t know about it. In order to reach this generation, you must bring the repair message to where they are in. In this case, that means social media. Millennials don’t generally buy newspapers or even watch TV like their parents did. You’ll find them instead on social media and watching streaming services. You’ll want to get your message to them there.

Repair is a process tailor-made for millennials. Get the message to them and you’ll find your own piece of the pie get bigger.

LINDA ROLLINSON is the chairperson of the National Windshield Repair Division of the Automotive Glass Safety Council™ as well as owner of Superior Auto Glass of Tampa Bay Inc. in New Port Richey, Fla.
superiorautoglass@tampabay.rr.com

To view the laid-in version of this article in our digital edition, CLICK HERE.