Have you seen them riding around? Up and down roads, every minute of every day there are personalized vehicles. Cars, trucks and vans belonging to companies big and small who seem to think it works. Do you think it is worth the cost? We are going to examine the benefits it could bring to you. Some may just give you a new perspective. We balance the cost of having it done with what you can gain. We show you why it might be worth it, but in the end it will be your decision to make.

1. Secret Advertising

What do you think when you see a white van driving around on the roads? If you are anything like the average person, you do not think anything at all. There is absolutely no attention paid to a white van driving around the streets. It is just a vehicle like any other. When you add a vehicle graphic to a plain colored vehicle, you do something new. You have people look at something that they would not have looked at before. You encourage them to do something they would not have done before, with no effort made.

This is the effect of secret advertising. You make an impression on someone in a positive way. There is no need to do something extra to achieve it. It is simply the effect of having vehicle graphics on your car, truck or van. This graphic can make a lasting impression on that individual person. Although you will not remember every vehicle you see of course. However, you may remember the ones for a product or service you need. If you need a garden job and see a garden work advert, you will look at it.

If you see this garden work vehicle parked on your road, that adds a new dimension. It might mean someone on your road has used them. It could mean that they are doing the job right now. This backs up the reliability of the company. If this company has turned up to do the work, then they must be reliable. That person may speak to the neighbor whose building you are parked outside. Equally they might just give you a call or speak to you in the street. If you had a plain white vehicle, they would not know what service you offered. It would be ignored. With a vehicle graphic you have the chance to capture a new client so easily.

This is the same if you work commercially with other companies. Having a vehicle graphic makes a smart impression on your clients. They know you have arrived and that you take your work seriously. It adds an element of professionalism you may not have had before. Others working with that company will see your van on their premises. They might be another supplier to that company and may need someone reliable to work with them. Suddenly they know the name of your company and have your contact details. This kind of lead can get you new clients with ease.

2. The Local Market

You will be driving your vehicle in the area you work within. This is the reality of driving to your client’s homes or businesses. Whether this is along main routes or on residential streets, your vehicle is visible. Stuck in traffic is not a waste of time anymore as your vehicle is being seen. When stopped at traffic lights, this can be a good thing now as your vehicle is being seen. No one is going to flag you down and ask for a business card on the highway. They might have time to jot your details down though or remember the name of your company. To achieve this, you do not have to do anything different. Just go to the places you need to go, when you need to go there.

If you suddenly decided to have a big push on social media, this could take a lot of time. You might need to set up a schedule of what to do when and on which system. You would need to write posts and tweets, take photos and remember to post them. With a vehicle graphic, the hard work is already all done. Yes, you might want to take alternative routes sometimes, to extend your market. This may mean driving to the same location down a multitude of different routes. This would allow you to drive through and be seen in different areas. Beyond that though, there is nothing different to do.

3. You are in Control

With a vehicle graphic, you are the one in control. If you would mainly like to work in one area, then you can get more exposure there. If you would prefer to do more advertising in a place, you can do it with little effort. You have the flexibility to make it what you want it to be. You are reaching out to the local area and the leads are truly endless. Even if you stop at the grocery store, your advertising is on display. Go to the mall and it is there for your potential clients to see. Wherever you happen to be, it goes with you rather than being static like a poster. These are good places to capture the attention of potential clients.

You might choose to do additional advertising. When you do, having your personalized vehicle to back it up adds depth to your work. Handing out leaflets standing next to your vehicle demonstrates a commitment to the potential customer. It shows you are in business for the long haul. You have been trading for some time and will continue to trade. You have invested in the vehicle and adding your own graphic. You are doing well and can afford to personalize your vehicle and make that commitment. It tells potential customers something about you that is all positive. It backs up what you are saying.

4. Grab the Attention

A vehicle graphic can easily grab the attention, so carefully consider your visual. How well do you want to be seen and how can you do that? If you currently have a company logo you will want to incorporate this into your style. To be seen, make your vehicle eye-catching without being invasive. A fluorescent yellow might make everyone see your vehicle. However, it might be seriously off-putting to potential clients. In this case your advertising has not been effective. A truck is big, but from far away graphics can seem small and hard to read. Plan carefully for the best graphic to use for maximum effect. This may mean taking some professional advice, but it will be worth it.

Give your graphic a dash of color but avoid it being too dark or bright. Try to make it stand out while being as easy as possible to read. Consider the font you will you use as well. Italics look beautiful, but is your email address and phone number still easy to read? If people have taken the time to look at your vehicle give them the information they need. Make sure your company name, email and phone number are all big enough to read. They should additionally be easy to read and copy onto a piece of paper. These little tips give you the maximum exposure to the public. You want to grab their attention and keep it, without putting them off or making it difficult.

5. Non-Aggressive Advertising

So much advertising these days is aggressive and annoying. You go onto a website to look at something and there are irritating ads. They move, play automatically and are for things you neither want nor need. They slow down the website and force you to look. You listen to the radio. You want to catch come classic tunes but there is ad after ad. They are loud and the jingles fray your nerves. You go home from a long day and on your mat is leaflet after leaflet. Most people just bin these, but they can actively irritate. They can leave some potential customers committing to never use your service. Vehicle graphics are not at all like this.

They are outside on the roads. They do not require the potential customer to have to do anything at all unless they want to. Much of the time they brighten up grey highways and give us something to engage with. No one is offended by vehicle graphics. Few people like the adverts on a radio station when they want music. Few people would choose to have continuous ads as they look through the internet. However, no one sets out to look at a vehicle with an intention in mind. Therefore, if a vehicle graphic catches their attention, it is a bonus.

There is so little advertising these days that is not aggressive. Vehicle graphics make a refreshing change from the norm. It is often easier to remember a static graphic than an advert too. This has all the essential information available without anything extra. It is right in front of your potential customer. They are unlikely to see it from inside where they can jot down the details. However, a quick photo on a cell phone and they have captured all they need. Even just putting the business name in a search engine can get them what they need with ease.

6. A Definite Longevity

Sure, your vehicle graphic makes a great first impression. That is what it is intended to do. Stand-out colors and attractive text coming together to work in harmony. It makes people look, perhaps twice. That is its premier effect and the one you expect. Do you also expect it to do a little more? Your vehicle graphic has the power to make a lasting impression too. It can be well remembered and recalled in the future. For both potential personal and business clients, it will be something they see. Sometimes a stand out name or phrase can help people recall your business details.

It is likely that over time, the same people will see your vehicle again and again. After all, you are driving it around the same area repeatedly. This will build up a long-term remembrance in their mind. The next time they need the service you offer, they will recall your graphic and remember the name. Results may not be instant with a vehicle graphic. You may not have a hundred calls and emails after the first hour on the road. It happens over time, but it happens. It is not just a one-time effect like a leaflet or ad on social media.

While your vehicle has a graphic, the effect of it is there over time. If you have your vehicle graphic for 5 years, that is five years of exposure. Even when an area changes with new tenants renting a condo or new homeowners moving in. Even though some things change, your graphic is there and stays the same. This has a positive effect over time that is easy to imagine. Every big company chooses vehicle graphics rather than a plain colored vehicle. This is undoubtedly the reason they do so.

7. Protect Your Vehicles

If you choose to get a vehicle graphic or wrap, there is significant benefit to your vehicle. As you are driving around, naturally over time your vehicle gets damaged. The paintwork of your car is easily affected by road debris and stones. They can cause scratches and chips in the paintwork that are not easily fixed. By placing a wrap over the paintwork of the vehicle itself, this is can protect. The plastic of the wrap is less likely to get scratched or damaged. Even if it does, small scratches are unlikely to affect the effectiveness of the graphical wrap.

Whether you change vehicles annually or you plan to keep it for ten years, does not matter. When it comes time to sell and replace, the effect on your vehicle will be noticeable. A great reduction in scratches and chips will mean your vehicle looks good. The better it looks, the more it will sell for. In this case, your vehicle graphic has physically protected your vehicle. It has saved it from some of the normal wear and tear you might expect over time. This protection has helped the futures sales prospects of it.

8. Value For Money

A vehicle graphic wrap is not the cheapest form of advertising. It does have a cost that has to be paid out all at once. This can be a disadvantage if money is not coming into the business. Perhaps it is the early days of your business when you are starting up. However, when you compare it to other forms of advertising, it is likely to be much cheaper over time. Most advertising costs money every time you use it. You have someone delivering leaflets, there is a cost for the leaflets and the person’s time. For social media ads, you can be looking at spending dollars every day that you advertise. There are ongoing rolling costs.

Designing the vehicle graphic initially is the hard bit. Incorporate the elements that you would like to see and ensure it works for potential customers. Once this is done, it can then be applied to multiple vehicles. It does not cost more for the design to be repeated. In fact, it may cost less per vehicle than the cost for just one. If you replace a vehicle, then it is ready to be recreated and added to the new vehicle. Just like when you create a leaflet, you can have more printed without additional set-up cost and time. This is a useful thought when considering the vehicle wrap you would like.

So, a vehicle graphic is beyond doubt, a great advertising tool. After the initial outlay there are no further costs to burden you. It will be seen everywhere and anywhere you want it to. It will be noticed as you drive around roads and streets. It allows you to get exposure to a local market that might not usually consider you. There are many potential benefits that can all be useful to your business. It is a non-aggressive advertising method which puts you firmly in control. You can give your business the level of impact that it truly deserves.

Of course, it does rely on one further thing. These measures only work when you are a careful and considerate driver. If you are a poor driver, perhaps failing to use your signals, this may be noted. If you cut across lanes of traffic or make abrupt stops, this may be remembered. If you driver too fast or run a red light, you are instantly recognisable. Even if you park badly, perhaps blocking a driveway it is not good. Bear this in mind, that once you have a vehicle graphic it speaks for your business. It is that first impression, so make sure it is a great one.