If you’re a small business, the chances are that your marketing budget may be equally small. But vehicle signage offers real ‘bang for your buck’ in terms of return on investment and is one of the most effective forms of advertising out there.
However, it’s not always budget that stops small business owners from using vinyl wraps to turn their vehicles into mobile billboards, with 40% of tradespeople preferring to remain anonymous. It’s understandable: advertising your business could make you a target in a big city. But with as many as 3,000 people seeing your van every hour, can you afford to ignore such a powerful way of creating a lasting impression?
The decisions you make will depend entirely on your circumstances, but if you want to make the most of the power of vinyl van wrapping to provide some highly effective and passive advertising, what are your options?
Let’s assume you that don’t have a strong B2B customer base and that you’re a new business looking to promote yourself effectively. There are two great options to consider: vinyl vehicle signage, which is composed of individual letters and logos, or a full or partial vehicle wrap. The advantage of a vehicle wrap is that you can change the colour of your van to match your corporate colours without a costly respray, and the wrap can also protect your vehicle and minimise depreciation.
Create your look
You may choose to keep it simple by using vinyl lettering to outline your business name, logo and contact details. You can create the design fairly easily yourself, although a professional designer will ensure that everything is located on the vehicle in such a way that it’s displayed to best advantage.
A full or partial wrap creates an even more eye-catching effect, incorporating colours and graphics that will help to build and enforce your brand. A full wrap is the most expensive option, but also the most flexible, although a partial wrap can also create a real impact.
A professional designer will model a range of effects for you using the latest technology. As an added bonus, new technology ensures that a damaged wrap can be quickly and easily replicated and the design can be scaled across a range of vehicles for consistent branding.
What and where?
Vehicle signage professionals agree that the best way to create the biggest impact is to keep it simple. Visual clutter can confuse the eye and may mean that your message is lost. Stick with strong colours that complement or contrast, a simple message, and an identifiable logo and name. Your contact details should be kept to a website address and a contact number, and fonts should ideally be san serif to be easy to read.
So where should you put your contact information? Ideally, this should be placed across the back of your van, so potential customers travelling behind have sufficient time to capture the information. You may also wish to specify the area that you’re based or operate in. And don’t forget to make it absolutely clear what your business is, especially if it’s not apparent from the company name alone! You should choose graphics and phrases that give the customer all the information that they need in a clear and concise way.
You get what you pay for
This is definitely the case for vehicle vinyl wrap. Before buying, you should weigh up the pros and cons of cast and calendered vinyl in relation to the type of marketing impact you want to achieve. If you want to run a cheap and time-limited campaign to spark interest in your brand, then calendered vinyl will be the more cost-effective choice. Want to apply business name and contact details across the fleet so that they look professional and consistent? Then you need high-quality and durable cast vinyl.
Another consideration is the choice of overlaminate used to extend the life of the wrap. Calendered laminate will be suitable for a calendered wrap, but not if the vehicle is particularly curvaceous. It can also be applied over a cast vinyl wrap to keep costs low but be aware that it’s prone to bubble and pop if misapplied.
Choosing the right sign company
If you’re looking for vehicle signage in Worthing, and you want a simple sign with your company name and contact details, you may wonder whether you even need to use a professional company. The answer lies in whether you want to create the best possible professional impression. If the answer is yes, then you need a sign maker that can offer you a complete range of integrated services.
The ideal sign maker will offer a professional design service, production that meets your exact specification and a top-class installation service. The latter is crucial, as poorly installed vehicle signage will undo all your good work and create a poor impression. At the Sussex Sign Company, we have a highly talented team who understand the art of vinyl wrapping. After all, this highly effective form of marketing means that you can build your brand just by driving around and being a presence on the streets.
Measured by the cost per impression, a vehicle wrap is one of the most effective forms of advertising there is. If you’re interested in maximising your return on investment by creating stunning vehicle wraps that get your business noticed, then contact us today via phone or email and we’ll be happy to help you create an eye-catching wrap.