The importance of cracking good PR

Steve Patch, Wessex Garages chairman with Gromit and Aardman Animation’s Nick Park

The image Wessex Garages portrays to its local communities is important. It appointed a public relations company in Bristol two years ago and it feeds stories from the business to the local media.

Certain staff at each dealership are tasked with getting stories weekly. Wessex sponsored the Bristol Balloon Fiesta and each branch selects a charity to support each year through staff fundraising activities.

Many of these generate publicity, such as its £21,000 purchase of a Gromit statue based on Bristol-based Aardman Animations’ famous dog, painted by patients of Bristol Children’s Hospital.

After the auction last month, Steve Patch, Wessex Garages chairman, said: ”Our version of the famous sidekick will take pride of place in our new showroom, which we aim to open at Cribbs Causeway in 2015. Until then, it will tour all our dealerships.” Wessex has also won awards for retailing and customer service from the Bristol Evening Post this year.

Brock said: “We advertise the 0% finance and minimum part-exchange deals, like any other car retailer, and that’s one part to our business. But by working on the PR side and the charity work you join it all together.

“You’re building your local presence, building on this trust and transparency and you become normal. I think customers want to deal with normal people.”