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Brent Stephens
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You know you have a winner when your name brand describes the product. Know what a Kleenex is? Remember making “Xerox copies?” Ever been on a “Windsurfer?” Described correctly these are “Tissues”, “Photocopies” and “Sailboards” but it took the marketing experts years to educate the consumer who religiously bought these name brands – even when they were no longer the best value for their money on the market. Marketing experts have probably given up trying to change the association from “Coke” to “soda” as studies have shown that people still walk into a store and ask for a Coke, but when interviewed on the way out, say they did not particularly want a coke, that was just what came to mind when they thought of a drink.

There is obviously value in having a brand name. Customers tend to associate value with a known name. Once an image has been established, it is hard to break that image. Does the name Mercedes Benz mean anything to you? Did the image of safety, comfort, reliability, re-sale value come to mind? Mercedes Benz had to break that by getting back into the racing scene to re-establish the “sporty” image together with safety, comfort reliability and re-sale. Cadillac are trying to break their mold of “comfort and elegance” with a performance car. Does the phrase “The Caddy that Zigs” sound familiar? Cadillac is now trying to attract younger drivers and thereby increase their market share.

When you hear “ARA” and “URG”, certain pictures come to mind. The quality of a part that has “URG” and a facility that is “Gold Seal” or “URG8000” means that the part that you buy and the company that you deal with meets a certain standard. Before buying a part, you can check what warranty it comes with, as URG8000 accredited members offer “coast to coast” warranties and “Premium Parts” meaning that the quality of the part has been checked a number of times – including when dismantled, when placed in inventory, and again when shipped.

For the recycling industry, this is the kind of “Brand Awareness” that is most important and the kind of information that should be confirmed BEFORE completing the sale. Ensuring that there is some accountability for businesses that do not “meet the standard” will strengthen the brand name, motivate them to raise their standards and further enhance the image and reputation of the industry.

Brent W. Stephens is a project manager with a Masters Degree in Social Sciences. He worked for George S. May International Company and International Profit Associates, Inc. prior to opening his own management consulting company, CE Corporation in 1996, incorporating as Consulting Expertise Corporation in 1999. When the business was closed in 2001 due to personal circumstances, close to 80% of their client base were auto recycling facilities. He was a freelance contributor to the Premium Parts magazine.