Driving Digital Growth & Operational Efficiency for a National Auto Body Franchise

CARSTAR, part of the Driven Brands group alongside Maaco and Drive N Motion, is one of North America’s largest automotive repair franchises. I was hired by one of their top-performing franchisees, Ambassador Collision, to expand digital presence, reduce dependency on insurance referrals (DRP), and improve internal systems and marketing performance.

Contributions

• Social Media Marketing: Created before-and-after vehicle transformation videos documenting full repair cycles to boost engagement. Leveraged platform-specific strategies—particularly on TikTok—resulting in over 4 million views and 300,000 likes through a combination of visual storytelling and strategic hashtag use.

• Videography: Shot, edited, and produced high-quality promotional videos, generating over 50,000 views and enhancing brand credibility in a competitive market.

• Google Ads Management;

• The Performance Max campaign delivered 3,770 conversions at a cost of $5.15 per conversion, generating 8.46 million impressions.

• The Search campaign produced 67 high-quality form submissions at $46.30 per conversion from a total of 600 clicks.

• Reduced cost-per-click (CPC) from $70 to $46.

• Increased click-through rate (CTR) to 4.42% and conversion rate to 7.2%, both surpassing industry benchmarks.

• Designed and A/B tested Unbounce landing pages in both English and Spanish to support campaign performance.

• Fleet Business Development: Increased fleet accounts by 103% through segmented marketing strategies. Utilized HubSpot CRM to automate tailored email and SMS campaigns by industry vertical. Leveraged LinkedIn Premium for targeted outreach to decision-makers and local business prospecting.

• Graphic & Web Design: Designed brochures, trifolds, and service portfolios for use in fleet sales meetings and partner presentations.

• HR & Compliance: Developed an internal HR portal containing onboarding documents, SOPs, PTO request forms, vendor directories, and training materials. Created state-compliant enrollment documentation and led the company’s healthcare enrollment process, including broker coordination and Prop 65 compliance.

• SOP Development: Authored SOPs for vehicle handling and shop workflow. Implemented a QR code and checkerboard tracking system, inspired by CARMAX, to enhance operational efficiency and accountability.

• Email Marketing & Automation: Built targeted campaigns for various customer segments, including virtual estimates, DRP referrals, and completed repair clients. Developed automated emails for repair status updates, thank-you messages, and survey requests. Also implemented automated text messaging to keep customers informed throughout the repair process.

• Tech Infrastructure: Migrated all shop operations to Google Workspace and integrated systems with HubSpot CRM for seamless communication and data management. Handled all backend automations using Adobe Acrobat and Google Workspace tools.

Results