Car makers already include videos in their service manuals to facilitate certain bodywork repairs

Video is one of the most consumed formats in the internet.

More than 500 hours of video are watched on YouTube every day. Because of this, it is not surprising that 66% of B2B businesses already use videos in their marketing campaigns.

Over many years, parts makers and paint suppliers like PPG edit videos that they share on their websites or social media as support for car repair professionals. For example, videos that help them simplify operations in their daily work.

This tool, besides being more and more popular in the marketing strategy of companies, has become established as a useful way to transmit knowledge to garage professionals. It also enables them to explain how to perform different procedures, especially the ones related to mechanical repairs.

Nowadays the car makers are the ones who have noticed this situation. There are numerous examples that show how brands use these tools to offer videos explaining how to perform different bodywork procedures. In Europe, the Euro norm, that is applicable to all approved models in this market since September 2009, compels makers to provide technical information about repairs and maintenance on their websites. This information must be accessible not only to authorized service providers, but also to independent garages.

This technical information comes with corresponding explanatory videos. This way, as recently reported in a specialized website, the videos are an additional incentive for bodywork shops to use the OEM procedures website by General Motors, instead of the cost-free one. For example, for the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado the maker has published a video under the bodywork repair category of their service manual showing the procedure to replace parts from the front structure of the body. In addition, for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu, videos showing how to disconnect some components of the high voltage system of their electric and hybrid versions have been published.

Other car makers such as FCA, Honda and Kia offer videos under their repair procedures as well. Likewise, Ford has also provided one of their websites for professionals with videos related to their bodywork garage network, as well as videos about the next generation of Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator and the 2019 Ford Ranger. However, garage professionals, at least for now, will have to keep looking up the repair procedures supplied on paper by the OEM to fix their clients’ vehicles. It is not enough to watch the video, close the web page and go ahead with the repair. For example, a video showing a cut on the front part of a Ford Silverado comes with context information including pictures and text.

In spite of this, it is obvious that videos also provide an added value to bodywork repair procedures, and we will see how they continue to become more important within the body shop and paint repairs fields.

Videos provide an added value to bodywork repair procedures and they continue to become more important within the body shop and paint repairs fields.

Nexa Autocolor ia a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. © 2019 PPG Industries, all rights reserved.

Third-party trademarks referenced in this article are property of their respective owners.