Ohio Brands
Repair, Replace Safelite takes its position as one of the nation’s most recognized brands By Terry Troy
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s jingles go, it’s not the greatest of tunes. But it is catchy and it does describe exactly what the company does. It’s also made Columbus-based Safelite AutoGlass one of the most recognized brands in the country. Indeed, its “Safelite repair, Safelite replace” jingle recently received the ninth highest score overall, and tied nationwide for the top score in the trustworthy category, according to Veritronic, an audio creative testing specialist, which recently released its 2020 Audio Logo Scores. “Safelite ranks among some of the best and most recognizable brands in the country. But we are doing it our way with extreme, best-in-class proficiency,” says Matt Johnson, Safelite’s advertising director. “Our catchy jingle was first introduced in 2007, and we’re delighted to have it acknowledged as ranking among some of the best and most recognizable brands in the country,” adds Renee Cacchilo, executive vice president and chief experience officer for the company. “We know our jingle continues to help build awareness with customers across the United States and we couldn’t be happier.” What started in a junkyard in Wichita, Kansas, as one of the pioneers of the automotive glass repair and replacement industry is today a $2.5 billion retailer with over 16,000 associates across the country. There are more than 7,800 MobileGlassShops across the country with locations in all 50 states. Considered the largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement and calibration services, close to 7 million 4
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ABOVE: A Safelite associate replaces a windshield. RIGHT: Renee Cacchilo
customers chose the company for its 24/7 contact centers, advanced online scheduling, repair and replacement services and what it bills as “the industry’s only nationwide lifetime guarantee.” And it’s all based right here in Ohio. “We’re so proud to be headquartered in Columbus,” says Cacchilo. “Years ago, the decision was made to relocate from Wichita to Columbus given the growth, vibrancy and welcoming community that this city provides. “The location is also centralized, providing easy travel to cities across the country. There’s also an added bonus: Top talent that we can recruit locally to help us further build our brand.” Cacchilo describes Safelite as a, “people powered, customer driven,” organization. “Our objective is to drive business performance by having talented and engaged associates who consistently look at the business through the eyes of their customers,” she says. “That drives them to deliver extraordinary results while delivering on our purpose to make a difference and deliver unexpected happiness to people’s everyday lives.” While it’s clearly a leader in the industry, Safelite is not about to rest on its laurels. The brand still invests in both digital and television advertising, with an annual spend of approximately $40 million, says Cacchilo. “Every service provider is a competitor! We’re more than an auto glass company, we’re a service company. “Our vision is to be the greatest, most trusted and admired service brand and we’re committed to doing just that. We
believe that happy people create happy customers and that’s why we’ve remained dedicated to our people-first philosophy since it was introduced in 2008, and to providing memorable customer service. Doing both extremely well helps us remain competitive and, most importantly, we’re a brand people can trust.” Today’s customers are empowered by technology, with multiple touch points providing them with many choices and many expectations, Cacchilo adds. “That’s why we work hard to offer innovative solutions for our customers, while making it easy for them to do business with us,” she adds. “In fact, we’re tuned in to what makes our customers most comfortable with their service experience from the moment they connect with us to schedule an appointment, through the entire process.” And while no one likes to get a chip, crack or discover they need a windshield replacement, Safelite’s customers know that they can count on the company to provide exceptional service that keeps them coming back when needed while also referring the company to friends and family. n
