5 UNIQUE WAYS TO USE CUSTOM AUTO GRAPHICS

JANUARY 15, 2021| speedproimaging

You only get one chance to make a first impression. If your business uses a fleet to travel from job to job or make deliveries, your customers and potential customers are likely forming opinions about your company before a technician, delivery person or repair person steps foot into their residence or business.

It’s all about your fleet. If your team drives unmarked, plain vehicles, there’s no way for a customer to be sure at a glance if the person coming up their driveway or into the parking lot is from the company they hired. Custom vehicle graphics make it easy for people to see at a glance what your company is and what you offer. If you want to make your fleet stand out even more and plant your branding and logo into people’s minds, here are a few ways to use custom car graphics so your business stands out in a crowd.

1. USE GRAPHICS ON ALL VEHICLES

Which of your company’s vehicles have graphics on them? Ideally, the answer is all of them, from the vans that travel to customers’ homes to do repair jobs or maintenance tasks to the cars your company’s executives drive.

The graphics don’t have to be the same on all the vehicles, though. In fact, it’s a good idea to make sure the auto graphics you choose match the purpose of the vehicle. A van or truck that goes out on jobs could be well-suited to a full or partial vehicle wrap. The wrap’s graphics should include the information a person passing by the van or truck needs to identify your company’s name, figure out what to do and learn how to contact your business.

The branding can be much more understated on the vehicles your executive team or management team drives. Spot graphics, such as decals on the front doors with your business logo or a window cling on the back windshield, signals that your car is part of your company without being too loud or overbearing.

2. GET PERSONAL

Depending on your location, you might be in competing with tens or even hundreds of other local businesses. In addition to offering the best service to your customers, how can your company stand out in a crowded field?

It can be helpful to get personal with your car graphics. If your business is family-owned and operated, go ahead and put a picture of your family on the fleet wraps. The photo will personalize your company and get people to associate a face with the services being offered.

If you’re not comfortable with the idea of putting your photo or the photos of your family members on your fleet of trucks and vans, find another image or symbol that sets your company apart. Make it part of your logo and branding. For example, a company that prides itself on being family-run might include a photo of the family’s dog on the fleet. The dog can serve as a mascot for your brand.

You can also get creative and draw a figure or create a character to play the role of your company mascot. The character can appear on your vehicles, allowing people to start associating your fleet with the company’s brand identity.

3. REMEMBER THE ROOF

How many sides does a vehicle have? If you’re thinking front, back and two sides, you’re forgetting an important piece of real estate: the roof. The roofs of your vehicles can be visible to people in the upper stories of buildings and to passengers and drivers of elevated vehicles, such as tractor-trailers and buses. Including an image or text on the top of a vehicle can give someone something to smile about if they happen to glance down and see your car as it passes by.

You can also have some fun with things and bury an “Easter egg” on the roof of your fleet vehicle. The Easter egg could be something like a discount code or a secret password that gives the person who says it a free gift or bonus offer. Putting a secret code or password on the tops of your fleet vehicles also gives you a way to track response, as you can measure the number of people who ultimately redeem the code or say the secret password.

4. INCLUDE A SCANNABLE CODE

People are going to see your vehicles when they’re driving along the road or highway, of course, but they’re also likely to pass your company’s vans or trucks when they are parked outside a customer’s home or in a lot at a shopping center.

To pique people’s interest and get them to look up your company on their mobile devices, you can include a scannable QR code on the graphics on each side of the vehicle. A QR code is similar to a barcode. It’s a flat image that can connect your physical, printed signage to your online presence. The codes are easy to use and many people recognize what they are at a glance. To scan the code, all someone needs to do is point their phone camera at it and take a picture.

When people scan the code with their phone cameras, it can bring up a landing page that offers a discount or other special deals, such as a two-for-one offer. As with the secret code on the roof of your vehicle, a scannable code gives you an easy way to track engagement with and response to your vehicle graphics.

5. INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION

Ideally, the graphics on your company’s vehicles will encourage people who see them to do something. You can help guide potential customers by including a call to action on your graphics. The call to action should let people know what to do next without pushing them too hard.

For example, an HVAC or plumbing company can include something like “Free Estimate! Call 555-555-5555.” A food truck or catering service might have a call to action that reads “Got an Event? We’ve Got You Covered” followed by contact details.

When creating your call to action, think about the type of customer you’re trying to connect with and the problem you’ll solve for them. It helps to get specific because the more specific you are, the more likely the target customer will reach out to you.

Another thing to remember when putting a call to action on your vehicle graphics is to keep it simple. There are myriad reasons why a person might need a plumber or HVAC repair. But you don’t need to list all of them. A simple “Got a Leak?” or “Feeling chilly?” gets the message across.

WORK WITH SPEEDPRO TO CREATE CUSTOM CAR GRAPHICS THAT GRAB ATTENTION

If you’re ready to refresh your fleet or to breathe new life into your vehicle’s graphics, SpeedPro is here for you. Our team of large-format printing experts can help you create a design that people notice so they get in touch with you.