TRADE TALK
LEADING FROM THE FRONT Rapid Tune’s Chief Executive Officer is a hands-on leader and his passion and dedication are getting results From humble beginnings in a small office of his first store in Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Rapid Tune Chief Executive Officer Mark Rippon developed his franchising vision for the future. He grew up in a family that was always involved in the automotive industry and after completing his mechanical apprenticeship he joined an automotive brand and eventually ran his own multiple franchise business. Having been a franchisee himself with other brands, Mark had personally witnessed the pitfalls of other franchise networks and intimately understood the needs of franchisees. He set out to create a franchise brand with a unique culture and high franchisee satisfaction. His dedication has paid off, as late last year, Rapid Tune was awarded the Franchise Council of Australia’s Australian Established Franchisor of the Year award. “Winning the FCA Australian Established Franchisor of the Year award is a great honour and testament to the amazing culture we have built together and are renowned for at Rapid Tune,” Mark said. “Australian small business owners have demonstrated their ability to adjust and adapt during one of the most economically disruptive periods in history. “It is a surreal feeling to be put up on a pedestal alongside some of Australia’s top franchisors including Chicken Treat, Couriers Please, Pirtek, and RAMS. I commend all of the award finalists and winners on their outstanding efforts and welldeserved recognition in 2021.” Since its inception in 2003 Rapid Tune has steadily grown its brand, franchise footprint, customer and franchisee satisfaction scores and revenue. It has deliberately chosen to expand sustainably with
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Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine February 2022
an initial focus on Victoria and now Queensland. Following that it will turn its attention to New South Wales. Rapid Tune is an innovative and rapidly growing franchise within the automotive aftermarket repair sector. Today it has 32 locations, 30 franchises and two company stores based in Victoria and Queensland, 22 of which were launched within the last five years. It performs a wide range of mechanical repairs on all makes and models of vehicles including logbook servicing, brake repairs, air conditioning, management system diagnostics and a complete range of tyre fitting services. “We see marketing as a vital tool to building brand recognition and consumer trust. In 2019, we saw an opportunity in the market to create brand differentiation from Rapid Tune to other organisations in the car servicing industry,” Mark said. “Our ‘We’ll keep you moving’ campaign not only represents our strong customer service philosophy and range of products, it promotes the values and professionalism of our people who deliver those services every day. “Throughout the last 12 months our first marketing priority has been to build brand awareness with the end customers to generate leads for our franchisees. Rapid Tune has invested in local area marketing, especially in Queensland which has a smaller group of franchisees and marketing budget. “Our national marketing plan was developed by our senior leadership team and external suppliers including our digital marketing and website development agencies. We also involve our franchisees in the planning process, consulting them on our campaign approach and even including them in our creative (for example, some franchisees have starred in our advertisements).” The multi-channel campaign, which initially ran for the duration of 2019/20, was extended into 2020/21 and now into 2022. This predominantly includes TV commercials on Channel 7 and Channel 9, supported by radio campaigns on MMM and 3AW. “This campaign has had an excellent impact on brand recognition, building more trust and credibility for the Rapid Tune franchisees,” Mark said. “The connectivity, TVC campaigns and social media presence have all had a knock-on effect to our online reviews, resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction reflected in our Google ratings. “We undertake extensive research to inform and
keep the business plan current. For example, research is undertaken to identify new store locations including demographic research from local councils and Commonwealth Government Census data. “We always consult the Group and encourage our franchisees to share their ideas on new products, opportunities and best practices. To further encourage collaboration, we have provided cloud-based software and mobile apps for groupwide communication and to enable the sharing of technical information on the ever-changing industry standards. The same tools help us to capture customer feedback and deliver training for employees and business owners. “Our cloud-based RMS system also enables the head office to undertake real-time analysis and provide immediate support as needed for all of our franchisees. The sophisticated software delivers valuable data analytics that enable us to pair customers’ most needed services with opportunities for franchisees to generate profit and repeat business. “Our intranet also helps us to maintain communication and connection across the organisation. In 2020, we established a COVID-19 channel to quickly provide government updates and other forms of support. “Fears and anxieties about business performance often stem from what’s happening in our personal lives. I’ve learned that you can’t focus on performance without taking into account the personal and emotional needs of the business owner. “That was especially the case throughout the pandemic when we really needed to provide both professional and personal reassurance for our people. “Business performance is often measured within spreadsheets, business systems and KPIs, but
