As jobs are scarce and the New Economy tightens its noose around the neck of small business owners, it is fiscally prudent to reduce costs and overhead. The natural inclination may be to cut the advertising budget, as it is one of the largest overheads and may seem to have little impact on the business model. This is exactly the wrong approach! Now is the time to advertise to capture market share and gain top-of-mind awareness. The best value for the advertising dollar, especially for a small business owner, is in company vehicles.

To make a declaration:

The days of a rectangular magnet attached to the door of a car or truck are long gone. So are vinyl lettering that clearly displays the company name and phone number. To get noticed today, business owners need to think bold and out loud. Marketing it’s about getting noticed. Marketing drive the business. Marketing makes the phone ring and the cash register ring. Make the most of the ad space you’ve already purchased.

Modern technology has evolved in such a way that just about anything you or your graphic designer can conceive of can cover your vehicles. Think of your vehicles as moving billboards. Of the six basic sides of the vehicle, potential customers will see all but the undercarriage when their vehicles travel around town; So make a dramatic impact on all five visible sides with lots of color to paint a mental picture of the quality work your company does.

Unless you are professionally trained and have the experience to back it up, don’t try this at home! Even your average graphic designer can take your best ideas and blow them up. The human mind tends to think linearly and symmetrically; however, he is attracted to what he is not. Just as you have spent years perfecting your craft; so has the graphic designer. They have learned to place images ‘out of place’ and to use both dimensions (sometimes with the appearance of using the third dimension) to capture the scattered attention of passers-by.

The real sign of success is when the kids in the car next to you yell “mommy, mommy” and point the way.

The Value Equation:

Vehicle advertising is much more affordable than it was five years ago. Although computer technology and design software have been available for many years, printing presses only recently caught up. Most vehicles can now be fully wrapped for a total price of less than $4,000 (including design, print, and application), compared to $7,000 just a decade ago when hand-painting was necessary. In many cases, once your design file is saved electronically, the cost of additional vehicles is significantly reduced, as designs only need to be modified to fit various makes and models of vehicles. (NOTE: Be sure to receive a copy of the electronic design file prior to paying for the work to ease any necessary transitions if your current supplier does not survive the financial fallout.)

Interestingly, the price is not so much determined by the square foot as by the labor to trim curves, latches, windows, etc., a concept that may seem counterintuitive to normal business people. Thus, a big box truck with 8′ x 12′ sides and an 8′ x 8′ tailgate can usually be wrapped for less than a typical SUV or even passenger car due to the labor demands of construction site.

Comparing shopping vehicle advertising with other marketing mediums makes it clear that this is hands-down the best value for your hard-earned money to get the word out about your company. When you consider that most company vehicles will be used in the company for at least six years, there really isn’t any other type of marketing that comes close when you compare options side by side and adjust for longevity of the half.

Lead generation vs. Awareness:

Advertising falls into two general categories. leading generation are those types of advertising media that entice potential buyers to inquire about your company’s products or services. Classic examples of lead generation are: direct mail, telemarketing, phone book, and trade show booths. These means of producing leads are best served with call-to-action oriented messages such as “call now” or “available for next 3 days only.”

Awareness The media are sources that help help the public remember your name. These are sources geared toward image enhancement, reputation building, and priority. Traditional Awareness media are: billboards, websites and wall calendars. Of course, with any black and white there is a gray; therefore, some media have qualities of each that can be improved based on the specific message. Radio and TV can be lead generation or awareness, depending on the content of the particular ad.

Unsurprisingly, vehicle advertising doesn’t usually make the phone ring. Build awareness of your brand. This is problematic for some owners, as the only real way to know if the awareness campaign is working is with detailed before and after marketing studies, which most don’t. So, it all comes down to marketing faith. It’s easy to prove that awareness campaigns work in general: mention the first fast food chain and the first soft drink that comes to mind. If you said McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, you join more than 70 percent of Americans who have been courted by those companies’ awareness campaigns (actually, no matter what your answer to the question above, some company has). courted).

When a potential buyer has been swayed by a strong awareness campaign, they may not remember your company name or product brand when trying to decide. However, when they open the phone book, surf the Internet, or walk by your store, they will say to themselves “these people are good, I’ll call them.” By doing so, the consumer may not openly realize that you thought so because of your awareness campaign, but it will give you the opportunity to win your business.

Awareness advertising drives future business and growth. As business owners, we are in a unique position to fill the streets with our logos and what we do or sell. Don’t be afraid to shout from the top of the highest mountain through your fleet of vehicles. You have an untapped variety of moving billboards at your beck and call – use them.