Beyond Fleet Goes Beyond NAFA

Read any good news lately? If you're looking for some, we suggest you pick up the latest issue (April 9 - April 15, 2012) of Bloomberg BusinessWeek at your local bookstore or newsstand. Inside you'll find a conversation with NAFA President Douglas Weichman, CAFM, as well as a half-page ad for our initiative to raise awareness of the fleet profession, Beyond Fleet.

In yet another example of listening to our membership, you said in a 2011 survey that your employers and organizational leaders cited Bloomberg BusinessWeek as a most-read publication. We want to get our message to them, and to the entirety of the business world, that fleet professionals bring value and knowledge to them that they cannot get otherwise. People outside of the fleet department may not have a true sense of what fleet professionals do and what value they bring to an organization. That will all change with the Beyond Fleet campaign, and this first advertising placement and article proves we're ready to take Beyond Fleet beyond the confines of NAFA.

In keeping with this extended reach, several radio ad slots have been purchased to run in the St. Louis market before and during the NAFA 2012 I&E timeframe. Be sure to tune into FM NewsTalk 97.1 if you’re in the area or listen online from your computer at http://www.971talk.com. NAFA’s ad runs throughout the week on popular national shows like Sean Hannity and Michael Savage, as well as the top-rated shows for St. Louis – The Dana Show and The Dave Glover Show!

NAFA Fleet Management Association calls the campaign "Beyond Fleet" because fleet managers do so much more than just "typical" fleet duties in their jobs. The fleet manager is more than a maintenance manager. They have expertise in finance, tax regulations, vehicle technology, fuels, negotiating, and so many other areas. Their responsibilities go "beyond fleet" and make them an irreplaceable asset to any organization or company.

This campaign is an all-out marketing, communication, and public relations blitz by NAFA to spread the word about the importance and value of professional fleet managers...but what's with that hat? The icon that best represents the Beyond Fleet campaign is the hat. It symbolizes a wide variety of responsibilities which impacts the business of your employer in many different ways. A metaphor that covers the concept of work, but at the same time can establish the numerous aspects of work. In fleet, many different "competencies" are utilized within the "one hat" of the fleet management job description.

So moving into 2012 and farther, NAFA intends to get the business world looking at hats and thinking about all the "hats" a fleet professional wears. You'll be seeing a lot of them going forward, and when you visit the Expo floor at I&E you can wear a lot of them too. As part of NAFA's Booth (#314), we've added a mini photo studio where you can celebrate along with us this next great phase in the fleet industry. Try on a hat (or two, or four), or bring your own! Get your picture taken and, with your consent, you can have your photo entered in a NAFA Facebook photo contest.

With all this energy and momentum, expect NAFA, Beyond Fleet, and fleet managers everywhere to go far, far beyond just being the "car guy" or "car gal!" We urge NAFA members to let their boss know about the article so they can get a better idea of your value to the organization. Members who are attending NAFA’s 2012 Institute & Expo will be able to get free copies of the magazine to bring back to the office. Be sure to visit Bloomberg’s Booth (#2109) and pick up a copy!

NAFA Fleet Management Association
125 Village Blvd., Suite 200
Princeton, NJ 08540

Telephone: 609.720.0882 Fax: 609.452.8004