Ultra Tune has faced various challenges over the years, not the least of which being an adverse legal finding after a court case with the ACCC. I was overseas at the time for an extended period of time and unfortunately (my own fault), didn’t take an active enough role in the pending case. As a consequence the company was issued with a hefty fine. This was an operational issue, that, once I returned to Australia was immediately rectified and, thankfully our clientele has seen it for what it was – a glitch in an overwise stellar 40 years of operation. What it did show me was the need to keep my finger on the pulse of the organization at all time. The implications could have been catastrophic, however, being such a well-established and credible company allowed us to ride this setback out and thereafter the company has comeback stronger and more effective than ever before.
Obviously the current COVID climate has been an enormous challenge for the business. I’ve been forced to make a series very tough business decisions in the first six months. A combination of a sound management team, great network of franchisees and thinking and adapting to changed circumstances have allowed Ultra Tune to survive better than many other comparable companies. We’re clearly not out of the woods yet, but by maintaining an adaptive and proactive approach, I’m confident, 5 years from now Ultra Tune will continue to be the leading independently owned auto-service company in Australia.
Tag: Ultra Tune
Top 5 iconic road trips in Australia!
Here at Ultra Tune, we can’t get enough of a roadie! Whether it be a quick weekend trip, or a longer holiday, there is something so special about hitting the road and finding some space. In the current climate it’s not possible to travel so freely, but we thought it would be fun to highlight some of our favourite roadies to inspire you once we can all travel safely again.
Australia is known for it’s unreal landscape and this makes a driving holiday all the more amazing. Whether you want the coast or mountains or desert, there is something for everyone!
Here are our top 5 iconic and thrilling car journeys in Australia:
The Great Ocean Road – this is such an iconic drive and for good reason – the coastline in Victoria is just spectacular and awe inspiring. This roadie is perfect for a shorter trip; as you can drive it in a day. But a weekend would give you more time to explore the local beaches and towns. At the start of the road is Bells Beach which is popular with surfers for its beauty and dramatic surf. This stretch of road is famous for the 12 Apostles, huge limestone rocks which rise out of the sea and are located in Port Campbell National Park. Perfect for an all year round roadie, but especially great off season, as Summer is much more busy with tourists. At the end of the drive is Cape Otway Lighthouse – Australia’s oldest mainland lighthouse, and visit the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre where you can learn about ancient aboriginal life.
East Coast of Tasmania – This stretch of coastline is just beautiful, including the famous Bay of Fires where the beaches have some of the whitest and finest sand in the world. Binalong Bay is a must see – it was voted the best beach in the world by Lonely Planet and for good reason. Another stunning beach here is Jeanneret Beach, framed by the orange linchen-coloured boulders which are famous in this conservation area. Another great stop on this trip would be Freycinet National Park which features the infamous Wineglass Bay. Starting in Hobart, you could easily drive up to the Bay of Fires in a long weekend but we recommend give yourself 5 days in order to really explore. You won’t want to leave!
Gibb River Road WA – This is an iconic 660km adventure and one for a longer trip, encompassing some of the most spectacular scenery Australia has to offer! It is only open outside of the wet season, and a 4WD is a must through this rugged Kimberley wilderness. Must sees on this trip are the Windjana National Park where there is a brilliant camping spot and swimming at Lennard Gorge. Also the El Questro Wilderness Park which takes you past the popular swimming spot at Durack River crossing, Jack’s Waterhole, the Cockburn Ranges and the outstanding Pentecost River. One for a longer trip, we recommend taking 2 weeks to really explore and relax.
Alice Springs to Uluru – This trip takes you to the red centre of Australia, with the magical Uluru taking centre stage. Alice Springs is the at the epicentre of the Explorers Way (a 3000-kilometre route from Adelaide to Darwin), and is the main hub for anyone looking to explore the Northern Territory’s outback. The beautiful landscape here is simply breathtaking, with indigenous dream trails and many places to camp under the stars. Our favourite spots include swimming at Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge as well as hiking Mt Sonder.
Melbourne to Daylesford – This is a short day or weekend trip which is perfect for city dwellers to escape to the country. Driving out of Melbourne into this part of Victoria is so relaxing and when you get to Daylesford there are so many things to do. At it’s heart is Hepburn Springs, home to the largest concentration of mineral springs in Australia with Hepburn Bathouse a calming oasis and a great place for a weekend retreat. Visit the Daylesford Lake for a walk around the jetty or you could hike a trail nearby such as the Goldfields Track. A short roadtrip out of the city but well worth it.
Ultra Tune keeps you safe on the road! From car tuning, to roadside assist, we are never far away! Download our app, available on iTunes and Microsoft.
Advertising Standards Board dismisses complaints about Mike Tyson Ad
Numerous complaints to the ad watchdog about sexism, sexualisation and the promotion of convicted rapist Mike Tyson in Ultra Tune’s latest ad have been dismissed.
In a detailed response to the complaints, the brand said: “The advertisements do not promote nor endorse any sexual harassment, or assault. He [Tyson] has been punished for his crime committed over 25 years ago in accordance with the law.”
A majority of the complaints featured in the Advertising Standards Board’s ruling focussed on the inclusion of Tyson, who was convicted of rape in 1992.
In response, Ultra Tune said it takes its responsibilities – including the AANA Code of Ethics – very seriously and noted the brand “agrees sexual harassment, assault and rape has no place in our society”.
“However, we note that Mr Tyson served his punishment, publicly acknowledged his deep regret and remorse for that period in his life, and has re-joined society. Since that time, he has rebuilt his career as a celebrity personality.”
It also noted: “Our use of Mr Tyson does not promote his convictions nor condone sexual harassment in any way.”
The advertiser went on to detail its view that the ad could not be found to vilify, humiliate or ridicule women because “the advertisements are clearly designed to be hyper-realisatic and comedic”, noting “a road incident can happen to any person, regardless of gender.”
Ultra Tune also refuted the claim the ad exploits or degrades women, arguing: “At all times the female actors are fully clothed in fancy dress clothing. The fancy dress clothing was used to reinforce the comedic aspect of the advertisement. Their clothing is clearly not the focus of the advertisement.”
The Board also didn’t take issue with the women’s attire, saying it is consistent with Hen’s parties or costume parties. It said the women’s appearance was “sexy, [but] their behaviour is not sexualised”.
It also again noted the “hyper-real” nature of the advertisements, which in its view, ensured the community would not take safety pointers from the women’s actions: “The Board considered that the fantasy nature of the advertisement, the likelihood of a tiger appearing in the street, and the fact the vehicle was shown to crash all amounted to an overall impression that would be unlikely to suggest or condone swerving to avoid an animal on the road.”
The Board thus dismissed all the complaints against Ultra Tune’s ad.
Watch the full Mike Tyson ad here:
Read more on the story here:Â https://mumbrella.com.au/ad-watchdog-dismisses-numerous-complaints-mike-tyson-ultra-tune-ad-499026
Behind the Scenes with Mike Tyson!
Mike Tyson stars in New Ultra Tune ad!
Working with Mike Tyson on the new Ultra Tune ad was absolutely fantastic and the entire team had such a great time filming in Las Vegas!
As part of our Unexpected Situations series, we also featured our rubber girls Parnia Porsche, Tyana Hansen and Jasmin Rainbow.
“I finally got him. For our brand, a very male-orientated market for our car servicing, he is perfect for it,” Buckley has told The Daily Telegraph. “He is an icon, people over 40 all know him. We welcome the controversy because it gets people talking.
“The more complaints we seem to get about these ads, the more our sales go up. Australia used to be a land of fun and comedy but everything has become politically correct to another level, so much so people are scared to do something different or funny … you can’t do anything without offending someone.”
We are so excited about the upcoming ad which will be screened during the Australian Open in Janaury 2018!
Rod Cedaro attends the Mumbrella Marketing Summit 2017
Ultra Tune Business Development Manager Rod Cedaro told an audience at Mumbrella’s Automotive Summit, “The empowerment there was they [the women] actually were forward-thinking enough to actually exit the car”.
“We don’t see a problem with the ad, we get very very good cut through with the ads,” Rod Cedaro noted, drawing attention to the fact only one complaint to the Ad Standards Board was upheld and contending it was only “banned on a technicality”.
The “technicality” was the implication the women died once being hit by the train.
The ad was then re-cut to show the women walking away from the accident.
“Servicing a car isn’t the most engaging thing you could do and the fact that I am sitting here, talking to you about the ads and Kmart’s not, probably shows that we are getting a bit more cut through,” the national marketing manager noted.
“I don’t want to berate Kmart, but who remembers a Kmart ad versus Jean Claude Van Damme?
“All of our ads are designed to get cut through, are they controversial? Yes and no,” he continued.
“You have got a choice and year-on-year 19% growth would suggest we are getting the cut through from the ads.
“I look at Ultra Tune these days as really a marketing company that happens to service cars.”
Read more on this discussion at the Mumbrella Automotive Summit here
https://mumbrella.com.au/dont-see-problem-ads-women-empowered-ultra-tune-marketer-466870
Ultra Tune – Franchise Show
Our amazing franchisees are at the heart of Ultra Tune! As the company has grown, so have our franchisees and their spirit, dedication and work ethic is crucial to the success and reputation of the Ultra Tune brand. We are excited to announce a new show where you can learn more about our Ultra Tune franchisees and how they operate on a day to day basis!
Pictured here are Ultra Tune franchisees Ross, Shane, Richard, Scott and Pat, from various South East Queensland and Victorian stores, they are joined by Queensland State Manager (Joel Willing) and National Marketing Manager (Rod Cedaro).
Stay tuned for the upcoming Franchise Show, hitting Channel 7 screens at midday on Sundays in late September.
Top 10 Aussie Muscle Cars – Sean Buckley Ultra Tune
Jean Claude Van Damme on the Today Show – behind the scenes!
Ultra Tune are pleased to announce that Jean Claude Van Damme will feature in our brand new ad, alongside our ambassadors Laura Lydall and Parnia Porsche! Our Business Development Manager Rod Cedaro may even have a cameo! It has been a huge amount of fun having JCVD in Australia and his shows in Melbourne and Sydney have been very popular!
In this exclusive video, the Today Show were taken behind the scenes of filming the ad and feature a message from the legend himself!
Parnia Porsche wins her 2nd Professional Boxing Match by Unanimous Decision!
Parnia Porsche defeated Kewarin Boonmee by unanimous decision at the Ultra Tune Bob Rose Cup on Friday 24th June!
Held at Malvern Town Hall and organised by Peter Maniatis Events, it was an exciting night of boxing!
Ultra Tune ambassador Parnia is looking to her next fight and we are proud to support her!
Ultra Tune Peakhurst NSW Now Open
Our brand new Ultra Tune centre at Peakhurst NSW is now open for business!
