Create an Ad: Bedard Brothers
Stephen Bedard explains to the class how it's important for the dealership to connect with customers.
As part of their seminar class, led by the science teacher Keith Wright, the students created ads for the dealership Bedard Brothers, showcasing its customer-centered approach to vehicle sales and repairs. View all of the students' ads here.
"Meeting folks from Bedard Brothers made me realize how much of a community business it is, and I feel like the students, I don't know if they inherently knew that, but they certainly tapped into that vibe when they were making their ads," Wright said.
The well-known local dealership started with Leo Bedard fixing up a few used cars out of his home’s garage in Adams until 1954 when he moved his business to Cheshire.
Leo Bedard's customer-centered approach resulted in his dealership’s continuous growth, and in 1960, he got his first real franchise with Saab and Volvo.
Over the past six decades, the dealership continued to grow, adding brands including Chevrolet, Stellantis, and Honda.
The one-person operation grew to a family business, and now has nearly 100 employees, several hundred cars, and services to meet the cars' needs, including vehicle maintenance and a body shop on its campus in Cheshire.
Stephen Bedard, general manager, explained that the dealership is more than just selling, servicing, and repairing cars; it's about its connection with its customers and staff.
"I was surprised that all the ads had people in them," Bedard said.
He explained that when he was in eighth grade, he probably thought more about the cool cars and trucks when he thought about a dealership.
"Every single ad that they created had people in it. So, they obviously know that it's not just about the vehicles [and services] ... It's truly about the people. The rest of it just happens to be what we're doing," Bedard said.
Bedard Brothers assists customers through every stage of a car's life cycle. They help you find the perfect vehicle to meet your needs, handle financing, manage the transfer or acquisition of plates, and provide automotive repair and maintenance services. When you're ready for a new vehicle, they start the seamless and stress-free cycle over again.
"Giving people a positive experience is just the best thing we aim to do. We know that through happiness, there's retention and repeat customers," said Tanner Bird, Bedard Brothers Honda store business manager.
"It's really just about us taking care of our community that we serve, because that's a big portion of our business. And we're in a small place, and we just try to do the best we can for everyone involved and make everything a positive experience, and do the best we can to make everyone happy."
Each student had a unique approach to representing the business, whether it was through slogans, graphic designs, or hand drawings.
Although only three winners were selected for the series, Bedard and Bird said all the students captured the atmosphere and mission of the dealerships in their ads.
In her drawing, first-place winner Iyanah Russell incorporated the slogan "drive your dreams into reality," which stood out to Bedard and Bird.
"It might be a slogan of ours now," Bird said.
The drawing depicted a person buying a new car from Bedard Brothers and driving away happy in her new vehicle.
She explained that her goal was to show that whether a customer buys a car or not, they will leave Bedard Brothers happy.
Second-place winner Jackson Larabee demonstrated the customer-focused aspect of the business by designing an image using Canva.
The design has a shallow depth of field, with a red car out of focus in the background. In focus is the salesperson and the customer smiling as the keys are handed over.
In third place, Katelyn Therrien drew the Bedard Bros. Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM dealership and incorporated the slogan "best prices in the county."
"I know from experience, from my mom, I know Bedard Brothers has very, very reasonable prices," she said.
Bedard also highlighted how one of his favorite drawings was a comical cartoon by Abram Payton.
"This one right here is pretty funny, but it's also a depiction of what we try to do every day," Bedard said. "You didn't show the building, which was different than a lot of [the other student] but you showed a RAM truck, which is the second highest seller in that dealership."
The students' seminar class aims to help students understand real-world experiences and consider their future. It includes projects like budget planning and community engagement.
Their participation in the Create an Ad series gave them practical insights into marketing, business, and potential career paths, Wright said.
See a slideshow of all the Bedard Bros. ads here.
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