Is Vehicle Wrapping Effective For Branding In London?

The short answer? Vehicle wrapping is effective for branding anywhere. After all, anything your business owns is a platform for branding – from business cards to vehicles. In fact, your van or car can reach potential customers that your shop front or office signage can’t reach, letting you push your message out to your target audience.

The power of vehicle wrapping

Whether you opt for a vinyl decal with your contact details or a full wrap, vehicle signwriting is a powerful marketing medium with a lifespan of up to 8 years. There are no ongoing costs, because you own the vehicle, and there’s a positive impact on your professional reputation when you turn up to do a job in a branded vehicle.

A well-designed wrap not only puts your advertising right where you want it to be, but it can really grab the attention. Bold and eye-catching, your mobile advertising delivers a return on investment that no other channel can match.

Grand designs

Unless you opt for decals on your side and rear doors, there’s no denying that designing a full vehicle wrap can be tricky. That’s why working with a company that offers an end to end service is a savvy choice.

Designing in 3D gives you the opportunity to do something different with your marketing that really piques your customers’ interest. But unless you’re a skilled graphic designer, you need a professional to do the best job and maximise your vehicles’ potential to create brand awareness wherever they go.

The bigger the better

Any vehicle can benefit from wrapping, but there’s no doubt the bigger the vehicle, the stronger the impression.The most effective wraps in terms of costs per impression are lorry wraps – these vehicles cover long distances and move at a slower pace, making them an ideal showcase for your brand.

However, if you’re a local business and have a fleet of vans and cars, a vinyl wrap can effortlessly draw attention to your products and services, raising your professional profile and creating brand awareness, whether parked outside a job or in front of your office.

The point is, cost-effective vehicle branding makes the most of one of your underused business assets. With infinite options for customisation, it’s a marketing channel with costs per impression that make more conventional forms of advertising look expensive.

Highly effective

The bottom line for any business expense is the return on investment. Vehicle wrapping is easily one of the best investments you can make – not just in London, but anywhere in the country.

A well-executed wrap turns a neglected business asset into a mobile billboard, delivering costs per impression as low as 4p per 1000. That makes this channel ideal for startups and small businesses who may not have the budget for a big advertising splash.

Tie your social marketing campaign seamlessly into your vehicle graphics by adding your website or social media contacts – but remember to only do so if you truly are a social company who’ll respond to queries via Twitter or any other channel.

At The Sussex Sign Company, we can help you maximise the ROI on your vehicle wrapping, so why not contact us and turn your vehicles into your most effective branding weapon today?

5 Tips For Caring For Your Vehicle Livery

Choosing a car wrap is a smart move for the business that wants to make a great first impression, and then create a lasting one. Properly installed, car graphics can last for at least 8 years, creating millions of impressions whether you’re on the move or parked up outside your business premises.

But once your wrap has been professionally installed, do you know how to care for it? If you don’t keep your vehicle livery clean and well maintained, you’ll quickly lose the cool aesthetic and promotional reach that you invested in, because no one will be able to define your message.

Keep your vehicle livery clean

Most vinyl wraps will be able to stand up to an automated car wash, or even a pressure washer if handled correctly, but the best way to care for your vinyl wrap is good old-fashioned hand washing. That way, you’ll control the detergent you use, which should be mild and free from abrasives, the water temperature and the pressure applied. Use a squeegee after the final rinse to remove excess water and dry with a microfibre cloth.

Deal with difficult contaminants

Bird droppings and bug splats can ruin the look of your car wrap and even obscure the message you’re trying to convey. Soften these types of stains with very hot soapy water or a proprietary cleaner. Leave to work for a few minutes and then gently rinse away. Never scrub roughly or use any abrasives that can scratch and tear the vinyl.

Keep vinyl in great shape

Apart from regular cleaning, you need to keep your car wrap in great shape. Never use abrasive polishes or cutting compounds that can damage the vinyl and don’t use polishes or waxes, as these will dull the finish of your car wrap. If there is any kind of wax residue on the surface of the wrap, then remove with a proprietary all-purpose cleaner. You can also use mineral spirits or household bleach and water depending on the finish of your wrap to keep it looking its best.

Store out of direct sunlight

Your vehicle livery reacts very much like car paint to repeated exposure to direct sunlight and pollutants in the atmosphere. It will eventually start to degrade and can then begin to peel, so try to keep your wrapped vehicle in a garage, under a carport or in a shaded area during the day. This can also help to protect your car graphics from acid rain. If you don’t have a garage, consider investing in a cloth cover for your van or car – this will help prevent discolouration of your car graphics.

Use the best materials

To keep your vehicle wrap looking its best, use the best materials for the job. If you want to create a long-lasting, premium quality wrap, then consider cast vinyl, which can last at least 8 years when applied correctly. At The Sussex Sign company, we’ll be happy to advise you on the best materials for your car livery in East Sussex, to maximise ROI and to help your car graphics generate impressions wherever you are. Contact us today by calling or emailing us.

The Power Of Colour And Vehicle Livery

Did you know the colour of your vehicle livery can actually influence behaviour? If you want to create the biggest impact with car graphics, then you need to pay attention to the colours you use.

Evoke a response

Colour is capable of evoking an emotional response across a wide range of people, although the perception of certain colours may be different for different cultures. Past experiences can also put a different spin on how an individual reacts to a certain colour. However, there are still some generalities that can be drawn regarding people’s emotional and behavioural responses to certain colours.

Red is disruptive

You may hanker after a cherry-red Ferrari, but using a strong red for your vinyl wraps can actually work against you. Red invokes forceful reactions but that energy boost is short-lived. If your business logo or branding uses a lot of red, then, by all means, reflect it in your vinyl wrap, but bear in mind that the sense of urgency that red creates is better suited to time-limited promotions than to 8 years on the road.

Keep it natural

Blue and green have positive associations with the natural world and are linked to creativity, tranquillity and reliability. Our preference for blues and greens is drawn from the world around us and is linked to ancestral memories of blue water and green vegetables. If you want to create a long-lasting campaign for products and services that your customers will find trustworthy, reliable and, yes, eco-friendly, then greens and blues are the savvy choices.

Looking for positives? Avoid yellow and orange Sunny colours may seem optimistic, but in marketing, they have less positive connotations. Yellow is generally disliked – although people who like it really like it – and makes babies cry, while orange is often associated with good value from low-cost providers. If you’re aiming to position your products and services at the high end of the market, orange may be best avoided. Like red, these warmer colours can work if you use them to create a sense of urgency in a time-limited campaign.

Think pink

Millennial pink has become one of the ‘new neutrals’ moving it firmly into the mainstream. Pink is perceived as calming – sports teams often paint the opponent’s dressing room a vibrant shade of this colour – running counter to the emotional associations with a bright red. Another colour that may relax and inspire your customers when used in a long term campaign.

Monochrome = boring vehicle livery

White and black may have a perennial appeal and are associated with purity and power respectively. Apple has made white a coveted contemporary look, but unless you use a colour changing or textured vinyl, monochromes are perceived as boring. And once your customers’ attention begins to wander, you’ve lost their attention and a prospective sale.

Change it up with the power of colour

One of the great benefits of using colourful vehicle livery in East Sussex is the option to change it for time-limited campaigns or when you change your branding. Whatever the colour you choose, The Sussex Sign Company can help you maximise the impact of your vinyl wrap, so contact us today via phone or email for more details.

Make An Impact With Vehicle Livery Design Tips

Vehicle wraps are one of the most cost-effective and high-impact ingredients in the marketing mix. However, get the design wrong and you’ve wasted time, energy and money on a failed marketing strategy, while missing the opportunity to promote brand awareness. If you want to understand the fundamentals of good design, these straightforward tips will help you maximise impact and return on investment.

Start with your brand

Your vehicle livery design will stand or fall on the strength of your brand. If your branding is poor, then you’ll be missing a huge marketing opportunity and wasting your money on a vinyl wrap that doesn’t attract interest. Your brand should always form the central message of your car wrap, so use vinyl wrapping as an opportunity to rebrand your business if necessary.

Don’t use a photo

Unless a photo connects directly to your brand, don’t use it. You have as little as 3 seconds to make an impression and convey critical information about your business. Although images can create better recall than words, only use an image if it contributes to brand awareness – if you’re a plumber and the takeaway from your design is an image of a U-bend rather than your contact details, then you need to rethink.

Keep the message simple

These are the message elements your design needs for maximum impact, and in this hierarchy:
Your brand
A tagline message
Your website
Your contact number

Focus on the key messages you want your audience to remember. Lists or jumbles of text have no place on your vehicle livery.

Vehicle livery design should stand out, not fit in

What would you imagine would make your design stand out? The correct answer, perhaps surprisingly, is not throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the mix. In the visual jungle that is our modern streetscape, less is very much more. Create a design that’s clear and bold and that your audience can read and remember ,and you’ll definitely stand out from the crowd. You’ll achieve that by depending on your strong branding and a clear message, not by using graphics and messages unrelated to your core branding.

Simplicity is good

Imagine how you’d advertise using a stationary billboard that traffic and pedestrians are constantly passing. If your design expects your audience to guess what your key brand message is, you’ve already lost them. There are only seconds in which your viewer can absorb your message when you’re on the move, and even when your vehicle is stationary, a clear primary takeaway is your first objective. That will also drive considerations of colour, contrast, font and image size for legibility at a distance. Remember, customers prefer passive publicity like a vinyl wrap to more aggressive marketing methods.

Creating vehicle livery design that’s right for you

At the Sussex Sign Company, we offer a bespoke and fully integrated service, from design to installation, by one of the finest teams in the country. If you’re in West Sussex and you’re interested in finding out what this cost-effective form of marketing can do for your business, contact us today via phone or email.

A Beginners Guide To Vinyl Car Wraps

For any business owner looking to maximise their return on investment with a marketing strategy that is high impact, cost-effective and that effortlessly builds brand awareness, there’s no better choice than vehicle vinyl wraps.

However, the initial costs of wrapping your vehicles might be beyond the reach of some small businesses – which is where partial wrapping comes in. Delivering some of the marketing punch of a full wrap, but on a budget, a partial wrap can still harness the power of mobile advertising.

Full wraps for maximum impact

If you want to create maximum impact, then a full vehicle wrap is the obvious choice. Every part of your vehicle will be encased, except for legally exempt areas like windows and wing mirrors, to create the ultimate marketing wow. By maximising every inch of space, you can really get your message across, with full graphics and business branding.

But beware, just because you have the luxury of space doesn’t mean you have to cover every inch of the vehicle with design elements. Simple is always more powerful when it comes to vinyl wrap design.

Partial wraps: the cost-effective choice

While a partial vinyl wrap won’t protect your car in the same way as a full wrap, and you won’t have the flexibility of being able to change the entire colour with a new skin, a partial wrap that covers the bonnet, doors and boot can still look surprisingly effective.

Choose the same high quality material and resolution as the full wrap, and pay attention to detail and you’ll create a real attention-grabber. You’ll also have the advantage of a quicker turnaround from design to installation, particularly useful if you want to get your branding or a marketing campaign out there fast.

Decals for responsive marketing

Want to quickly update your vehicle sign wraps? Then decals could be the answer. These individual details can be added for seasonal campaigns – for example, Christmas or summer discounts – or if you need to change your contact details without redoing the entire wrap.

Pay attention to details

The vinyl you use for your car wraps is hugely important to the finished look and feel. Cast vinyl is a high quality material that’s easy to work with and will stay looking good for several years, unlike lower quality calendared vinyl. However, if you need a short term campaign, or you’re wrapping a boxy vehicle like a van, calendared vinyl can be the cost-effective choice. You’ll need to use printable vinyl that uses UV-resistant, weatherproof inks for the best effect.

Work with the experts

To get the very best out of your vinyl sign wraps, you need to work with the experts. At The Sussex Sign Company, we offer a complete service from design to installation, delivering the best possible return on investment. Installation is key to achieving the best results with a vinyl car wrap and we have one of the best teams in the country. Whether you choose a partial wrap or a full wrap, we ensure your vehicle wrap maximises your brand visibility. Contact us via phone or email for more information.

How To Increase Your Brand Recognition With Vehicle Signage

Brand recognition is one of the holy grails of marketing. Like the Golden Arches or the Apple logo, imagine your potential customers being able to recognise your business by your branding alone. What may surprise you is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on online and offline advertising to achieve your goal. Investing in a vinyl wrap for your company car or van is a smart and cost-effective way to get your branding out there.

New technology, old idea

Imagine you’re driving your company car during an average week. You might have a regular delivery day, and you may need to visit the wholesaler and the bank once a week. Popping out on personal errands during lunch hours and playing parent taxi for the kids all clocks up the number of hours you spend on the road. Whenever you’re on the road, a branded vehicle with an eye-catching car wrap is creating impressions – hundreds, even thousands of them.

The silent salesman

That’s why companies have always branded their vehicles – because these moving billboards are like a silent salesman, doing your marketing work for you. From the horse and cart to the electric car, vehicles advertising goods and services have been around for many years. Why? Because they tirelessly promote your brand in a non-aggressive way.

A cohesive brand image

Make sure that all touch points between you and your customers are consistently branded and you’ll elevate your brand image as a whole. A vinyl wrap is the ideal way to put car signage at the centre of your marketing strategy, and to boost the visibility of your brand by using your number one visual asset – your logo – as a mobile billboard.

Building trust

Customers prefer to buy from a brand they trust, and by being visible in your community, you’ll boost brand recognition. Your strong and visible car wrap graphics will give the impression that you’re a serious player in your field, conferring a sense of professionalism and authority. Your vehicle branding, by being a constant presence on the street, will establish a compelling awareness of your brand. Since keeping existing customers is more cost-effective than attracting new ones, your heightened brand awareness creates a sense of loyalty and security, prompting repeat customer behaviour.

Is it right for you?

Using your vehicle to raise brand awareness is an obvious fit with B2C companies. But it can also be worthwhile for B2B companies who want to leverage brand awareness at a very local level. After all, 91% of people who’ve seen a branded vehicle can recall its branding several days later. If you weigh the importance of your public image at 50% or more, then vehicle branding could be the right fit for your company. If a branded approach meets your marketing goals, then vehicle signage is an effective way to quickly and effectively grab the interest of passing customers.

Ask the experts

If you want to maximise your brand awareness by using vinyl wraps for your vehicle fleet, then talk to us via phone or email. At the Sussex Sign Company, we’ll take you from design to installation, to optimise your ROI and create car wraps with a real wow factor.

How A Stunning Vinyl Wrap Increases Brand Exposure

If you want a high impact, low cost way to get increased brand exposure, then you need to invest in a high quality vinyl wrap for your vehicle fleet. Even if you’re a one-man band, you can still benefit from the power of a rolling billboard to advertise your products and services and to drive brand recognition. Just imagine it – anything up to 1,000 impressions a day, whether your car is parked outside your house, in a public car park, driving the streets or on your forecourt. It’s low-key, 24/7 advertising that increases your brand exposure without you having to do a thing.

Visual appeal

You only have to look at the before and after pictures of a few vinyl wrap transformations to realise what a stunning impact vehicle signage can have. Make the strategic decision to utilise this passive form of advertising and customers will be attracted to your colourful and dynamic vehicle. Better yet, you can buy a cheaper white vehicle and then create an incredible customised car wrap that boosts brand recognition and protects your vehicle’s body work from wear and tear, meaning you also protect its resale or trade-in value.

Cost-effective impressions

No other form of advertising has such a wide reach and creates such a long-lasting impression. A high quality car wrap can last up to 5 years when manufactured and installed with care, which means your costs can be as little as 4p per thousand impressions. Just as no other form of advertising can compete with the costs per impression, no other marketing channel is as long-lasting.

Customer impact

Studies show that potential customers retain the information from mobile advertising like car signage far more easily than they do from other, more traditional forms of advertising. That may be because of the relatively lengthy exposure time, particularly during a traffic jam, which all works to your advantage.

Launch and re-launch

Because of the impact your car wrap will have, it’s the ideal strategy for a product or business launch. However, a high quality vinyl wrap can be equally effective if you want to rebrand your business, since an eye-catching design will pique your audience’s interest. Because you can add cut vinyl details to an existing wrap, you could even tease your audience before the big reveal of your new branding.

Eye candy

The effectiveness of vehicle graphics stands or falls on whether your audience finds them visually enticing. A great graphic can really engage customers, whereas a cluttered and confused image will see them zoning your vehicle out. Realistically, you have around 6 seconds to make an impression, but when you see people taking selfies with your vinyl wrap, you’ll know you’ve engaged them fully.

Ask the professionals

If you’re interested in exploiting the power of low cost, high impact vehicle signage to boost your brand exposure, then get in touch via phone or email. At The Sussex Sign Company, we’ll design, manufacture and install a high quality, eye-catching vehicle wrap for your car, lorry or van that grabs your customers attention and doesn’t let go.

Making Your Car Graphics Count

If you’re thinking of investing in car graphics in Brighton, then you’re taking the first step towards turning your company car or vehicle fleet into brilliant visual assets with high quality vinyl wrapping.

That’s the power of turning your vehicle into a mobile billboard – this cost-effective marketing channel can drive everything from brand awareness to business growth. If you want to be marketing savvy, then you need a brand that’s on the go, just like your customers are. In fact, in the UK, we’re spending longer than ever behind the wheel, which means that your mobile advertising strategy can optimise the ability to reach a potentially huge audience.

Car graphics are the single most cost-effective marketing channel when measured in cost per thousand impressions, at just 0.4 pence. This power to reach a massive audience, with 97% of potential customers remembering the ad on the back of a van, is huge and makes a great first impression. 96% of people think mobile advertising is more effective than static billboards, with 98% believing this form of marketing creates a positive image of the brand.

Cost effective, influential and with the power to target demographics using GPS and messaging, vehicle wrapping offers a greater ROI than many more conventional forms of advertising.

Create an impact

Car graphics give you the perfect opportunity to really express your brand personality. Whether you use larger than life graphics to promote your brand personality or you just want to effectively market your latest promotions, car wrap can help. Get the graphics, colours, messaging and materials just right and you’ll create a massive impact, yet in a passive and non-intrusive way that customers like.

You can even ensure your message is seen day and night by using a reflective film for sharp daytime and nighttime visibility. Better yet, a reflective film helps businesses be seen and be safe during the long, dark winter nights, and that associates your business with a concern for safety and wellbeing in your customer’s mind. Plus, reflective graphics can create 40% more impressions.

Free your marketing

A vinyl wrap with excellent car graphics is a great way to free your marketing. Combine short, medium and long term marketing messages for the optimum effect using vinyls that can be changed quickly and easily, for timely and effective promotions.

The latest large format graphics can be installed more quickly, meaning your vehicle can be back on the streets and earning impressions as quickly as possible.

One of the great benefits of car graphics and vinyl wrap is that your design can be scaled across an entire fleet of vehicles for a streamlined, professional and consistent look. Whether you have a box van or a curvaceous coupé, there’s a vinyl product that could transform your windows, bumpers and other plastic surfaces.

Long lasting and offering superb value for money, vehicle wrapping is an eye-catching advertising channel that deserves to be at the heart of your marketing campaign.

Full wrap? Cast vinyl?

When you make the decision to exploit vinyl wrapping as a marketing channel for your business, you need to fully explore the options. For example, are you thinking of a half or full vinyl wrap? A full wrap will, as the name suggests, cover the entire vehicle, whereas a half wrap covers just the sides plus front or back.

To maximise the return on investment for a long term campaign, you’ll need to wrap your vehicles in cast vinyl with a cast substrate – this combination should last up to 5 years. However, if you have a short term campaign in mind, then calendared vinyl sheets offer a good solution.

Mind your Ps

There are basically four Ps to the production of your finalised vinyl wrap, and choosing a sign maker that offers integrated services at every step of the way means you’ll keep the production moving and enjoy a high quality end product.

The first P is for preparation. This is the stage where your budget and your marketing goals align with your designer’s ideas to create an outstanding design. Make sure at this stage that everything – fonts, logos and colours – align with your current marketing.

At the proof stage, you’ll have the opportunity to finalise your design and make any changes that you think are necessary. Next comes printing, where your choice of vinyl sheets are run through a wide format printer and printed with high quality inkjet inks that can match your critical colours for greater brand impact and recognition.

Finally, a crack team of installers will carefully place your vinyl car wrap around the vehicle. It’s their job to precisely align and affix the sheets, using a squeegee and heat gun for the best results. This operation really is key as to whether your vehicle wraps create the impression – and the impressions – that your business wants.

High awareness, low cost

At the Sussex Sign Company, we know all about maximising your ROI with vehicle wrap. We’ll create car graphics in Brighton and across Sussex that create a great first impression and really get your car notied. Whether you want to create a consistent fleet-wide look, protect the bodywork of your vehicles in order to minimise the effects of depreciation or simply exploit one of the most powerful visual marketing tools by having complete control over the way that your vehicles look, a marketing strategy based around car graphics and vinyl wrap is unbeatable. Contact us today via phone or email for more information.

The Dos And Don’ts Of Creating Great Car Signwriting

Branding your vehicle makes sense. Customers are more likely to use your services if they recognise your brand, because you’ve built trust and brand awareness through a professional marketing campaign. Using car signwriting in the form of a vinyl wrap is not only extremely cost effective, but it increases your brand authority by creating that positive first impression.

However, if you get the design wrong, then you’ve wasted your investment in one of the most powerful forms of marketing around. Here’s how to get it right, and create an eye-catching design that differentiates you from the competition.

Do define your goals

What do you need your wrap to achieve? Do you want customers to pick up the phone or visit your website? Or do you simply want your fleet to look more professional? Highlight your USP and use exclusive information – a website URL, mobile number or free discount that only appears on your car graphics – to measure ROI and drive customer awareness.

Your sign company should have an understanding of your target market and marketing goals in order to help you achieve the best ROI. Your designer will ask you about the kinds of designs you like and may have seen, and will ask for information about any critical colours and branding. They should be happy to discuss their portfolio with you and have some draft ideas for designs that fit your brief. If they don’t, then look for another sign company.

Don’t rely on digital

Your sign company will have a graphic design team that is experienced in designing vehicle wraps that are fully scalable and maximise the impact of every inch of your vehicle. They’ll ask you for full details of each vehicle, and will want to take photos so that they can plan the best wrap for the bodywork. No two vehicles are exactly alike, which is why a good designer will want to get hands on with your vehicles, so that the final effect is as seamless as possible.

A 3D digital template can only convey so much information, so it’s vital that your designer sees the vehicle in real life, so they can take account of any modifications or particular quirks. If your designer prefers to rely on a template, go elsewhere.

Do use colour effectively

There’s a reason why there are so many white vans on the road – they’re the cheapest to produce. But by applying a vehicle wrap, you can completely change the look and feel of a vehicle – if your branding is yellow and green, you can recreate it without an expensive spray job.

Think about the vehicle wraps that really stand out – they’re generally bold and bright with strong graphics. The size of the canvas your designer has to work with should inspire some bold design. However, don’t let the use of colour and graphics overwhelm the message. There’s should be a sense of unity and purpose that makes your design look meaningful and sophisticated, particularly if you intend to replicate it across several vehicles for a consistent look.

Don’t be afraid to tell your designer if you think the composition is cluttered or messy. Simple and obvious designs with clear graphics and bold colour contrasts will always trump those that give you a headache. A good designer will make the changes you request – a great designer will produce a great design from the start. If your designer won’t budge on the details and they don’t work for you, walk away.

Don’t rush into a decision

Your designer will have communicated with you extensively before they start to present a finished design. After all, knowledge is power and it’s the easiest way to create a finished car graphic that meets your brief. If your designer not only meets but exceeds your expectations, then the decision to go ahead to the production stage will be a straightforward one. But don’t be intimidated into making a decision about a design that you don’t feel is right for your business.

Do make it memorable

You have seconds to make an impact with your car signwriting design. One of the benefits of a car wrap is its immediacy, so make sure your design makes your brand and your message really pop, so it’s both memorable and immediately understood.

A good design keeps information to a minimum, highlighting your logo and brand identity, phone number, social media and/or website details and your slogan or USP. It should be expressed in a clear font, preferably san serif, so it’s as accessible as possible to every potential customer.

Don’t close down communication

Your relationship with your designer is a two way street. They’re providing the expertise and knowledge to create a great car wrap design, and you’re looking for the best possible return on your investment. It’s a relationship that functions best when you both communicate openly – if you ask for changes, your designer should be able to respond quickly so you can give rapid approval, making the process a smooth and seamless one.

Use the professionals

At the Sussex Sign Company, we pride ourselves on our experience and professionalism to provide you with great car signwriting in Newhaven and across Sussex. We won’t do anything without your express approval, and will create a car graphic design that maximises your ROI, whilst also meeting your deadlines and staying within budget. For more information, get in touch with us today via phone or email.

Are Car Signs A Good Investment For Your Business?

If you’ve spent time driving on the UK roads recently, the chances are that you’ve seen plenty of vehicles covered in decorative graphics advertising everything from individual trades to radio stations or even the latest films. These stunning effects are achieved using vinyl wrap, which is one of the most cost-effective forms of advertising. With up to 3,000 people seeing your vehicle every day, the cost of each impression can be as little as 0.04 pence.

The benefits of mobile advertising

The average vehicle wrap lasts at least 5 years, which means half a decade’s worth of high impact impressions, compared with an advert in the paper or on radio that could be both more costly and only temporary. People often respond well to vinyl car signs because they’re perceived as a non-invasive form of advertising.

An additional benefit if you have a fleet of vehicles is that your vinyl graphics are easy to scale across a wide range of bodywork, creating a consistent and uniform look. And because corporate colours and branding can be precisely reproduced, you’ll create a positive and professional impression wherever your vehicle goes, increasing brand recognition.

One of the less obvious benefits of vinyl wrapping is that it can protect the paint work of your vehicle against everyday wear and tear, stone chips and extreme weather. Vinyl wrap is easy to maintain and protects the resale value of your vehicles when you come to upgrade, and because colour and graphics are integrated you can change the look of your cars and vans easily without the need for expensive resprays. If you lease your vehicles, removable vinyl wrapping is the ideal way to brand your car or van while minimising depreciation.

So, what exactly is a car wrap?

Remember the old days when you bought a cheap white van, maybe resprayed it in your company colours, then had your logo and contact information painted on by hand? A vinyl wrap changes all that. By printing your chosen graphics and contact information on a heavy-duty vinyl in the colour of your choice, you can quickly and effectively change the look of your vehicle and transform it into a mobile billboard.

Wraps can be either full or partial and can even cover the windows. Printed in full colour on high-quality vinyl, a properly installed wrap used with the appropriate laminate can last around 5 years: for a lorry that can be seen by up to 10 million people a year that’s a lot of impressions!

If you think that vehicle wraps are only for companies with large vehicle fleets, think again. By using well-designed car signs on your vehicle you’re not only getting your name and logo out there, but in the eyes of the public you’re putting your company on the same footing as the big boys.

The cost of car wrapping varies depending on the complexity of the graphics and the model of your vehicle. Cut vinyl lettering is the cheapest option, and is the affordable alternative if you simply want to display your company name and contact details on the rear of your vehicle. Partial wraps are less expensive than full vehicle wraps, but compared with the cost per impression for direct mail (£1.94 per 100 impressions) and radio advertising (£1.21 per 100 impressions) the investment in vinyl car signs is the advertising gift that keeps on giving.

How car wraps can impact your ROI

There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence of companies tripling or quadrupling their conversion rates in a matter of months after investing in fleet wrapping. Although there is no average return on investment for vehicle wraps, as it’s a measurement that depends on your company, the effectiveness of your design, and the location and times that your vehicle is driven, there are several ways that you can track and measure your car wrap return on investment (ROI).

The key is to build exclusivity into your car sign advertising. For example, include a mobile number that you can use to track enquiries from vinyl wraps. Or include a discount code that only appears on your wrapped vehicles. Create a landing page and add the URL to your vehicle wraps to gain an accurate measure of the number of impressions generated by your mobile advertising. These are all easy and cost-effective ways to measure the effectiveness of your car signs in Gatwick and beyond.

Choosing the right signage company

Whether you get the best return on your investment depends on whether you choose a sign company that can deliver the best design, production and installation to create a really eye-catching and memorable vehicle wrap.

Don’t rely on your own designs and DIY installation, but spend some time finding the best company to create vinyl wraps that really deliver. Check out their portfolio and the technology that they use, from 3D modelling templates to wide-format printers. The company you choose will also need a clear understanding of your specific campaign and the market that you’re targeting. In fact, they should be able to suggest ways that your car signs and vinyl wraps can really exploit the power of mobile marketing.

At the Sussex Sign Company, we understand the power of car sign marketing and have one of the best vinyl wrap teams in the business. For car signs in Gatwick and across the South East that really pop and can maximise your ROI, contact us today via phone or email.